“We have only one way of being true to Hungary, and that is never to betray, among ourselves and everywhere, what the Hungarian heroes died for.” - Albert Camus -

This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of 1956 This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of 1956. It has been called freedom fight, revolution, uprising, civil war and occupation over the years. Almost all of the definitions have some truth in them. Historic events are unique as all participants perceive them in a different way. The winners and losers, the heroes and villains of 1956 are still amongst us, so it is all too relevant. A special and warm welcome to our members, who decided after the fall of 1956 to leave Hungary and choose South Africa as their new homeland. Unfortunately we do not have enough time to name each and all of them but we can give you some facts. We are proud to say that the first group of 75 refugees arrived on 18 December 1956. Until October 1957 a total number of 1400 arrived here. By the early 1960s this number grew over 3000. After 60 years we are still interested in what happened and maybe it is just long enough time to be able to reveal the hidden truth.

It was only 20 days but maybe it was the most memorable 20 days in the Hungarian history. In these 20 days the small but strong Hungarian nation stood up against the biggest empire of the era, the Soviet Union. What exactly did happen between 23 October and 11 November 1956? For 7 years, before 1956, Matyas Rakosi had been the most hated communist dictator in Hungary. He was removed in July 1956, which temporary eased the situation. But his associate, Erno Gero got nominated, which made things worse. People were fed up with the dictatorship, the concession trials, the illogical governing of the economy and the poor standard of living. As a result of dissatisfaction and injustice revolution was about to break out by autumn 1956. One of the direct antecedents was that Geza Losonczy, a journalist who organised the rebel Petofi Cirle, criticized Erno Gero in the national newspaper. The Association of the Hungarian Writers demanded the return of Imre Nagy. Why did they want Imre Nagy?

Imre Nagy was the Prime Minister of Hungary between July 1953 and March 1955. He proved himself to be a democratic leader, even within the dictatorship. He tried to reform the economy and lighten the strict regulations. In Spring 1955 Matyas Rakosi, the feared and hated dictator of the country removed him from his post.

In September 1956 independent working class and student groups got formed, they held mass meetings where they made their dissatisfaction heard. One of these events was the reburial of Laszlo Rajk on 6 October, where an estimated of 150 000 people were present. They stood up publicly against the politicians and there were sympathy demonstrations with the Polish workers. Things finally started on 23 October 1956. 200 000 people demonstrated in front of the Parliament demanding Imre Nagy to appear. They destroyed the symbol of the USSR, the Stalin statue and they attacked the Hungarian Broadcasting building.

At the same time, 1600km away in Moscow, two decisions were made: to gain some time, they would nominate Imre Nagy as a temporary prime minister, to order all military personnel around the Hungarian capital to get ready to interfere.

Imre Nagy announced in his speech on 24 October his main goals: agreement on cease fire, dissolution of ÁVH (domestic secret police loyal to the communist party), general amnesty, plural party system, removing the Soviet troops from Hungary, bringing back the old Hungarian symbols, all in all, securing the main terms and conditions of a democratic system.

28 October and 3 November were the victorious days of the revolution 28 October and 3 November were the victorious days of the revolution. Nine political parties were founded and cardinal Jozsef Mindszenthy, who was a political prisoner since 1949, was released.

On 1 November Janos Kadar, who had already replaced Erno Gero, and Ferenc Munich the president of the Military Cabinet were transported to Moscow. The surprised leaders were given a choice: they either cooperate in defeating the revolution or they would never be allowed to return to Hungary. In that very evening Operation Whirlwind, the military occupation plan of Hungary was born.

Imre Nagy not knowing about these events, announced to leave the Warsaw Treaty, claimed Hungary’s neutrality and asked the great powers to accept and acknowledge the arrengments of the Hungarian government. On 3 November the committee discussing the pullout of the Soviet Troops got arrested. It got revealed that the Soviet Union has manipulated Hungary and had a different agreement with the Western countries.

The uprising and fights continued between 4 and 11 November The uprising and fights continued between 4 and 11 November. Imre Nagy and his followers had to leave the Parliament. Tito, the president of the former Yugoslavia, offered shelter in the building of their embassy in Budapest. The leaders of the revolution got cheated into leaving the embassy and they got arrested. They were kept in a Romanian military base in Snagov till their trial started in April 1957. On 16 June 1958 they were sentenced to be hung.

The success of the Hungarian Revolution was not up to the Hungarian situation. It was more about the reaction of the West and the USSR to any change in the status quo since the 1945 Warsaw Treaty. In other words: was the NATO going to accept Hungary to join the Western block and was the Soviet Union going to allow it? Unfortunately the opponents had a huge diplomatic issue over Egypt exactly at the same time. England and France attacked President Nasser’s Egypt in the Suez crisis. The USSR stood up against the USA and the NATO and World War III was about to break out over Suez (and only secondly over Hungary). The USA backed off and first they separated themselves from the English and French attack on Egypt, then after confidential negotiations they gave up Hungary and the Soviet Union got free hands to break down the revolution.

In the 1956 Revolution 3300 people died, after the prosecutions and trials 229 people were sentenced to death and 20 000 were imprisoned. 13 000 suspected rebels were sent to prison camps. At least 200 000 people left Hungary and emigrated.

What makes us a nation? That we stand up together for greater ideas like FREEDOM, LOVE, PEACE and HONOUR. A freedom fight will break out only if these ideas rooted deep in our soul were supressed and strangled. This strong sense of justice could be stopped only temporary in 1848 and in 1956, but could not and will never ever be destroyed.