Restored Budapest Jewish Cemetery Memorials Inaugurated
- 30 Jan 2026 12:18 PM
Two restored memorials honouring Jewish soldiers and forced labourers who died in the two world wars were unveiled at the Jewish cemetery in Budapest’s Kozma Street.
Speaking at the ceremony, Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the memorials, restored with the ministry's support, served as reminders of two defining moments in Hungarian history.
He noted that in 1848, the birth of modern Hungary extended the right to bear arms and serve in the military to all citizens, including Jewish Hungarians.
Since 1848, he said, being a Hungarian soldier had been not only a duty but a right. He said the memorial stood as a testament to the more than 10,000 Jewish citizens who gave their lives for their country.
Speaking about the concrete sarcophagus memorial to forced labourers, Szalay-Bobrovniczky described the labour service as "above all, a deprivation of rights", noting that Jewish citizens were denied the right to serve as regular soldiers ever since the birth of independent Hungary.
Andor Grosz, the head of Hungarian Jewish federation Mazsihisz, said both memorials represented "painful yet uplifting chapters" in Hungarian history.
"They speak of steadfastness, struggle, and duty, but also of loss, sacrifice, and heroic death," he said.
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.
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