It is our moral duty to remember the victims of the Communist regime said Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog on Thursday in Budapest, when he handed over Hungary’s contribution of 25 million forints to the initiators of a memorial of the victims of Communism in Ottawa, the Tribute to Liberty Foundation.
Mr. Balog said that the Hungarian contribution is also meant to express the country’s gratitude towards Canada, which gave refuge to 43.000 Hungarians after the 1956 anti-Communist uprising. He also recalled that in 2010, Canada declared this help as part of its historic heritage.
The total cost of the memorial is expected to be 4 million Canadian dollars or almost 900 million forints, 70% of which will be borne by the Canadian government and most of the rest from private donations of those who found a new home in Canada. The Hungarian government is now one of the biggest contributors, Mr. Balog said. The design of the memorial can be seen here.
The ceremony was held at the House of Terror Museum in Budapest and from the Hungarian part, the event was also attended by Parliamentary State Secretary Bence Rétvári from the Ministry of Human Capacities and Hungarian ambassador to Canada Bálint Ódor.
Chairman of the Canadian foundation, Ludwik Klimkowski thanked for the contribution and said that the memorial is also meant to express that Canada is a country of refugees – there are eight million Canadians who have in some way suffered under Communism. Ludwik Klimkowski said he hoped that the memorial will be completed next year (the 60th anniversary of the 1956 uprising) and invited the Hungarian government to attend the inauguration ceremony.
(Ministry of Human Capacities)
