Commemorative Plaque Expressing Gratitude to the Citizens of Wrocław for Their Help in 1956

Former President László Sólyom unveiled the commemorative plaque, which honors the assistance provided during and after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

In attendance at the event were Rafal Dutkiewicz, Mayor of Wrocław; János Tischler, a historian who researches the connections between the Hungarian and Polish revolutionary events of 1956; and the director of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Warsaw. The mayor’s office covered the costs of erecting the plaque, while the Hungarian Institute in Warsaw served as the initiator and main organizer of the project. Among the approximately one hundred attendees were Róbert Kiss, the current Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw, and Ákos Engelmayer, the former Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw.

“It is uplifting to know that—even though there were no particular ties between Wrocław and Hungary at the time—Wrocław workers and university students raised the Hungarian flag, closely followed events in Hungary, and publicly reacted to them, and protested at rallies against the Soviet army’s brutal suppression of the Hungarian freedom struggle,” said László Sólyom in his commemorative speech. “This commemorative plaque is a shared gesture that fills both Hungarians and Poles with a sense of pride: it is a beautiful expression of friendship and a reaffirmation of that friendship for the future as well,” he added.

The local Wroclaw press provided detailed coverage of the events in Hungary, and in the Lower Silesian capital, the Hungarian flag was displayed in many places, often adorned with a black ribbon. After the Soviet invasion, anti-interventionist leaflets were distributed in the city, and many people wore Hungarian national kokardas on their chests. A banner with the following text was displayed on the wall of the university dormitory on Grunwald Square, where the granite and glass memorial plaque was placed: 'Down with the armed intervention in Hungary!' Many communist party members returned their membership cards in protest.

Source: mult-kor.hu