Flag Set To Half-Mast On Hungarian Parliament Square

  • 6 Oct 2015 4:00 AM
Flag Set To Half-Mast On Hungarian Parliament Square
The national flag was hoisted with full military honours at Kossuth Square in front of Hungary’s Parliament building in Budapest on Tuesday morning on the anniversary of the 1948-49 Revolution and War of Independence and the Memorial Day for the Martyrs of Arad. Hungary’s flag will remain at half-mast throughout the national day of mourning as a sign of respect.

 Present at the tribute were President of the Republic János Áder, Minister of Defence István Simicskó, General-in-Chief Tibor Benkő, several member of the diplomatic corps, representatives of political parties, military and state organisations, as well as students and teachers from Budapest secondary schools participating in the Ministry of Defence’s “Military School” programme and from the Kratochvil Károly Military Secondary School.

The national flag was hoisted to the sound of the National Anthem and then set to half-mast to the accompaniment of the Szózat (Summons) by the Hungarian Defence Force’s Ceremonial Battalion, which is part of the 32nd National Defence Force Ceremonial Unit; the National Equestrian Squadron also took part in the tribute.

At the end of the ceremony, the names of the thirteen Martyrs of Arad - Lajos Aulich, János Damjanich, Arisztid Dessewffy, Ernő Kiss, Károly Knézich, György Láhner (Lahner), Vilmos Lázár, Károly Leiningen-Westerburg, József Nagysándor, Ernő Poeltenberg, József Schweidel, Ignác Török and Károly Vécsey – were read out to the accompaniment of the Hungarian last post, while the Ceremonial Battalion stood to attention.

The national flag will remain at half-mast throughout the national day of mourning as a sign of respect.

Following the ceremony, the participants moved on to the Batthyány Eternal Flame, where they lit candles in commemoration of Lajos Batthyány, Prime Minister of Hungary’s first independent government, who was executed on 6 October 1849. A ceremonial guard will remain at the memorial until 4pm, during which time the public may also light candles as a sign of respect to Count Lajos Batthyány.

The Government declared 6 October Hungary’s national Day of Mourning in 2001, in commemoration of the 13 martyrs executed in Arad following the crushing of the Revolution and Hungary’s first Prime Minister, who was executed in Pest on the same day.

Source: kormany.hu

  • How does this content make you feel?