The Fate of Western Hungary 1918-1921 - Corvinus Library ...

Academy, on Széchenyi Square, and a memorial column in Ágfalva. 458 A lifesize
statue of an armed rebel was erected in the „Cemetery of the Fallen” in
Szombathely. 459 Later, on September 8, 1943, a memorial plaque was unveiled
in Sopron by the Hungarian Association of Sopron in honor of the two Sopron
students who fell in the anti-annexation fight of Western Hungary. The
organization of the strongly anti-Volksbund movement was initiated and
supported by the entire teaching staff and student body of the Academy.
On the 80 th anniversary of the annexation of the Western Hungary territory,
Ferenc Gyurácz published 16 period photographs of the significant events and
everydays of the insurrection – pictures of self-esteem of a nation. In the
introduction, he wrote: “If we look at these pictures closely and objectively, we
get some small amount of balm for our wounds aching since 1918-20. (…)
What do I mean? That our people – bled dry and demoralized by the annexing
forces of countries, urged on and supported by Great Powers to expropriate
Northern Hungary, Transylvania and Vojvodina, and our ‘revolutionary
governments’ serving foreign interests that had no real willingness – were
unable to resist. (When it became apparent that Aurél Stromfeld would be able
to retake Northern Hungary, the ‘internationalist’ Béla Kun ordered him back.)
What was without precedent for a thousand years, we voluntarily – without
firing a shot – gave up our ancient territories, among them our culture’s cultic
land: Transylvania. This is an eternal shame for our nation. (…) However, as
these pictures show, matters turned out differently in Western Hungary. Here,
in 1921, men were found who took the principle seriously, which every nation
of healthy disposition espoused earnestly for thousands of years, i.e., the
nation’s soil must be defended, even at the risk of our lives. That members of
the resisting Hungarian free-forces opposing Austrian arms came from other
parts of the country is as normal as the likelihood that the proportion of locals
among the Austrians executing the occupation was likely even smaller. (…) For
reasons of foreign policy, the government of Hungary was unable to express
support at the time for the freedom fighters of Western Hungary and political
needs still prevents suitable fostering of their memory. These, of course, may
be justified but cannot have primacy in an intellectual existence. Hence, it is
with an easy conscience that we ignore them and bestow unreserved reverence
to the memory of our heroes. How large a role in the return of Sopron and its
surroundings is due to their willingness to sacrifices, history has not adequately
recorded. (…) But, it is beyond doubt, it had a role in salvaging our damaged
national self-esteem and has a role still.” 460
The Hungarian media of the day (and internationally, mainly Austrian) paid
close attention to the events of the Western Hungary insurrection. Some
458
Vasvármegye, 1922, September 19, p. 1; Sopron and …, 1934, op. cit., p. 28/a, 28/d.
(photographs)
459
Ádám T., 1935, op. cit., p. 256/b. (photograph)
460
Gyurácz, Ferenc: A nemzeti önbecsülés képei [Images of national self-esteem]. In:
Vasi Szemle, 2001, issue 6, p. 678. Photographs pp. 679–686.
180