Memorial Day at University of Pannonia : Tribute to the martyrs of the Arad

The Cultural Organization Group held a commemoration at the Memorial Stone of the Martyrs of Arad to honor the martyrs of the 1848/49 Revolution and War of Independence on the 175th anniversary of the execution of the 13 Hungarian generals.

"On October 6th, we remember the historical events that led to the tragedy and honor the martyrs by name. We bow our heads in respect and then continue on. But do we take time to reflect more deeply on these events? Do we consider that they were people just like us?" - asked Dr. Katalin Molnárné Barna in her commemorative address. The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs noted that the martyrs came from diverse backgrounds in terms of age, origin, religion, personality, and preferences.

Among them were not only Hungarians but also Germans, Serbs, and Croats; some were high-ranking landowners, while others were born into poverty; some were monarchists, others held republican views; some did not even speak Hungarian, and some, though of different nationalities, had married Hungarian women.

They were all victims of a retaliatory campaign, denied a fair trial, with their sentences predetermined before the trials even began. The brutality of the executions shocked all of Europe, she recalled.

The event featured performances by two colleagues from the University of Pannonia: Éva Kruppa-Jakab sang traditional folk songs, and Gábor Felföldi recited works by Sándor Petőfi and János Arany. Afterwards, Dr. Katalin Molnárné Barna, Lieutenant Colonel Gyula Soós, and Olivér Dévald Varga, President of the Student Union, laid wreaths at the memorial stone.