On the anniversary of the 1848-1849 Revolution and War of Independence, on the Day of Remembrance for the Martyrs of Arad, the national flag on Kossuth Square was ceremoniously hoisted, then lowered to half-mast with full military honours on Tuesday morning in the presence of Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő.

The hoisting and lowering of the flag, which was accompanied by the National Anthem and the Szózat (Appeal), respectively, was performed by soldiers from the Hungarian Defence Force’s “vitéz Szurmay Sándor" Budapest Garrison Brigade’s 32nd National Honvéd Parade Unit.

The HDF Central Orchestra and the Equestrian Honour Guard also took part in the ceremony.

The series of centrally organised events will continue at 10 a.m. with the laying of wreathes at the Batthyány Mausoleum in the Fiumei Steeet cemetery, where Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő will give a speech.

In addition, we await those interested all day with special history lessons and guided tours of the cemetery.

The Hungarian government declared 6 October a National Day of Mourning in 2001; the day on which we commemorate the thirteen Hungarian army officers executed in Arad following the defeat of the 1848-1849 Revolution and War of Independence (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), as well as Count Lajos Batthyány, the Prime Minister of Hungary’s first independent government, who was executed in Budapest on the same day.

(Ministry of Defence/MTI)