I am looking for any information on my dad Sandor Bohus he left Hungary in 1956 and arrived in Skegness in January 1957 he travelled with 5 or 6 other friends with only the clothes on his back, my dad is now 78 and has Alzheimer`s As a child my dad never talked about what happen blocked it out only now he is started to talk little bits about what happen, it brings tears to my eyes, I would love to find those friend he travelled with. My father, Antal Bencze, fled from Hungary during the revolution along with his brother Gyorgy Bencze. His name was Istvan Borbas. However, at 8pm Erno Gero broadcast a speech dismissing the demands of the Writers' Union and the students and labelling the crowds a 'reactionary mob'. I left Budapesty with my father in 1956, it was very interesting time of my life I saw great battles from my window, a russian ran into our building chasing a freedom fighter, he sprayed bullets, me and my father was on the stairs we had to crouch down. Please feel free to inbox me thank you I know my grandmother was previously married to someone with the surname of Jenei but have again, no idea what happened. I will include my e-mail. Does anyone know of Gondor Rezso who fled to London after the Budapest uprising. My father was in the Hungarian Army, he was one of the desertershe told me he was ordered to kill his country men if they tried to cross. Recriminations followed with tens of thousands of Hungarians arrested, imprisoned and deported to the Soviet Union, often without evidence. I was one of the leaders, and I will never forget the straggle of the Hungarians for freedom. He refused to talked about what happened to them in that time didn't want to learn us the language. He was forced into the Hungarian army and the Uranium mine. Indeed, Hungary was considered one of the "Happiest Barracks" of the Soviet camp right through to 1989 when the Iron Curtain finally cracked - this time irreparably. I am one of the many fighters in 1956. He was 16 at the time only a child. National songs and mantras were sung, and the communist coat of arms was torn from the Hungarian flag. agbusa@gmail.com. I know his Father came over just before or during the uprising and my grandmother followed during the uprising with the 3 young children on a boat but I have no idea about his family history. I lost him last year, miss him dearly. Hi, my dad came to Britain in 1956, his name is Istvan David. The court has appointed me to find his heirs to provide notice of his death to them as is required by statutes. He fled to the UK from Budapest in 1956 and settled in North London. He never saw his family again. Janos. Andy, I am looking for any information on my father, he left Hungary in 1956 and came to South Africa on his own, he had a wife, little boy and girl which did not come with him. The 1956 Hungarian Uprising, often referred to as the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, is considered by many as the nation's greatest tragedy. I have done a DNA hoping to find someone. They have english speaking staff and many documents can be found there although some records were destroyed but most can be found. One of his brothers may have been called John (Hungarian) translation) Borbas. Thank you. After this the crowd marched across the Danube to demonstrate outside the Hungarian Parliament. I loved the page it really helped me but i think it should be mentioned that 30,000 hungarians died and 200,000 attempted to flee to Austria yes i checked the figures. I wasn't alive in 1956, but was born on 4 November, so the events of that day stood the strongest to me. Any information would be great. We have been estranged from his siblings since his death but would love to know how my grandfather / grandmother came over and any other family history. Members of the AVO (secret police) are killed, Soviet statues torn down and communists attacked. Read about our approach to external linking. I can tell you about Debrecen as I am married to the daughter of Joe Debrecen! He was aware if he stayed he would be subject to the firing squad as he had declined orders to fire into the crowd once the revolution began. I recently met his great nephew in Transylvania, Romania who would dearly love to trace this branch of his family. Hi Wendy could you email me jbognar1973@gmail.com I'm in Doncaster not far from you. The mood was defiantly optimistic. All rights reserved 2002-2022 Lifeboat Ltd. Or would you be willing to pass down his story? Approximately 200,000 fled abroad and became refugees. Christina - I was one of the team taking down the Stalin statue in 1956. the imperialists." You can go through the consulate who can direct you to family records. Where is all the information I need to know about the author? My father passed away in 2016, In Cambridge UK He was from Budapest and was just only 12 years old when he arrived in the UK after fleeing Hungary following 1956 Uprising.

Hungarian citizens clash with Soviet troops in Budapest. Thank you for any information you can provide. Imre Nagy made his final broadcast to the world at 0515 in the morning, appealing for international help (however Western powers were far more concerned at the time with the Suez Crisis). My father come to south Africa 1956 October with the red cross. My grandmother, aunt and father fled from the country then. His grandmother remained in Budapest until she died far as we know. He didn't really talk much about the uprising as it was hard for him . His name is LASZLO VIGH He was born in 1935 in GYORSZENTIVN then moved to Nagyszentjnos Hungary About 12 - 15 siblings. Unfortunately Rakosi was able to hold onto a decent slice of political power as General Secretary of the Hungarian Workers Party. If your father is still alive, would he be willing to share his story with her? I will include my e-mail. My mother came from large family maybe 15. save refuges. I know this is a stab in the dark, but thankyou for reading. Can anyone tell me where my family lived in Hungary before the 1956 Revolution. Your comment: Thank you for taking the time to read this Then instead of arms, USA send us cheddar cheese and used clothing. Go visit the Terror House on Andrssy u in Budapest, see it for yourselves. In the 1950s and early 1960s, relations between the USA and the Soviet Union deteriorated. It turned out that events in Poland were the trigger for the Hungarian Revolution. It takes courage and strength of Character to stand up My father also escaped through Austria and he had a possible name change, he also had a friend that came when we were little and spoke of a vineyard. If you are looking for a family member just provide full name and last address they had. For a short while it seemed that Nagy was going to be able to achieve the Hungarian people's wishes for a neutral, multi-party nation.

I have taken a DNA test through Ancestry but no luck finding family. Soviet troops and tanks enter Budapest. Sadly Yvonne passed away in 2009 and did not tell us much. The Warsaw Pact meant that the USSR controlled Hungarian foreign policy. I'm looking for any information on my grandfather Joseph Pinter. However, despite seeming to sell out to the Soviets, Kadar proved to be a better leader for Hungary than many expected. The second Soviet intervention left no one guessing their intentions. Thanks for your time. After reading this article i too am looking for my father his name is Janos Fekete he lived in Preston Lancashire in the late 50's 60's last thing heard he had married and moved to Bradford ? Many men fight for what's right.. Imre Nagy, a less extreme leader, replaces Erno Gero as Prime Minister. I'm Hungarian myself and even though I live in Ireland I go to Hungary to visit my relatives regularyly. 200,000 fled to the West in the aftermath of the struggle. when the revoltion started he knew alot of his patients would die if they didnt get their meds, so he crawled threw the tunnels (which many ppl made to communicate without getting caught) to give innulin and stuff like that. My mothers family may have owned a vineyard in Germany with her grandparents my mother worked in a paint factory not sure where why was the hungarian uprising crushed by the soviet union? I live in the usa.MY mother and father left hungary in around 1956.Both my parents have travelled back to hungary since then.There are no problems now.My mother who was 98 years old just passed away, august 5th 2013.I knew alot of hungarians ,i was born in england , my mum knew a lot of hungarians they lived in manchester england then moved to canada.My mum taught me how to speak hungarian, unfortunately now she is deceased i have no one to talk to in hungarian. My mother had large family. What an incredible story of being willing to take on possible execution in order to stand up to orders and not fire on his own Hungarian people. Patricia, is your father still alive? Hi !Great article about the Hungarian Uprising. Now good to read again, since I hope to visit in August 2011, next month. He once let slip that he had a sister called Maria and often called out to someone called Anna? I know its a long shot and records may have been destroyed but I would like to hear from anyone who maybe a relative. great article! Children of war..I hear your cry, Hello what was your fathers surname, My father George fled in 1956 uprising he and his brother Lazlo was separated my father came to the uk and Lazlo went to Canada. I still remember the fighting in Budapest where I was working. Yes ! 2,500 Hungarians had died, with another 13,000 injured. My middle school aged child is completing her National History Day project on the 1956 uprising. Meanwhile 200,000 people fled Hungary, either fearing for their lives or simply to escape from the Communist regime - many of them were Hungary's best educated people.

Looking for some of my classmates. Please get back to me, I can't find anything to help me anywhere. My father came here in the 50s in the up rise from Hungary to England I'm trying to trace anyone by the family name of moultesz? my brother Janos was one of the many who was on the tanks fighting and risking his life at age 16 He is represented in many history books with photos My grandfathers name was Paul but I don't know what the birth grandmothers name was as she passed away at the age of 35 from TB. but thank the lord he didnt:), my father was one of the few to leave his family and get out after swimming a freezing Danube and shot to pieces he escaped a mere boy at 14 years old.and has never found his family since.tough times i think, my family fled hungry early 1957. Hope to here from you both a person snitched on him, but the AVH didnt take him. It was only a matter of time before the far better organised and better equipped Soviet forces crushed the revolution. I am very proud to say that I am Hungarian and I hope that never changes. However, when a Soviet tank fired upon unarmed protesters in Parliament Square on the 25th October the fighting escalated. Hungary's suffering didn't end with the crushing of the uprising. Looking for any relatives. Statue of Stalin torn down during the Hungarian Revolution. i am trying to write my on story and i cant find any thing obout my home about Debrecen . He was born 14 February 1939.

An Otto Bencze has recently passed away in Wisconsin at age 98. He and a few other military men, all 17 years old, made it to the river, and across from the river was Austria. His mother fled with him as a baby into Hungary to escape Hilter, and is a Hungarian Citizen. Apparently the result of trauma, indoctrination, watching live executions, etc. right now for social studies because I am missing a month of school to be in Hungary right now.. His name was Henrik Bela Szabo, born August 1933 and he lived in Akacfa Utca with his wife Eva. I have picked up snippets of information along the way but cannot piece anything together, unfortunately my dad died in 1997 and his secrets died with him. Our tips from experts and exam survivors will help you through. The only thing I have of his is his green home office card and that gives me no information apart from his description.

Hope it can shed some light on your family's past. The order was given to invade. or .. 706 361 0078 in Georgia . USA, We have been looking for years to find our fathers brother now He fled to Toronto/Burlington/Ontarino Canada area in the 1956 uprising My Father came to UK on his own but he did have brothers (older) who may have fled too to America and or Canada I don't know for sure. After workers in Poznan had staged mass protests earlier in June 1956 (which although they were violently put down by government forces, worried the Soviets in Moscow), Wladyslaw Gomulka has managed to negotiate wider autonomy and liberalization for Poland.

Since he escaped could there be ANY issue with him travelling back to Hungary for a vacation? I believe they had two children but he never knew what happened to them. And then they beat up the Jews for Stalin, rather than for Hitler. familylinks.icrc.org nhodg35@eq.edu.au. I don't know if Matyasi was the spelling back in Hungary. i just wanted to noe da awnser to dis question: A student and workers' demonstration in Budapest demands democracy, freedom from the USSR and freedom of speech. I heard about it when I was in London at the same time. My friend & loved one, here with me in Canada, was only 14 years old, when he fought in revolution, & later imprisoned. The Soviet Union's new leader Khrushchev was no Joseph Stalin, and the matter of Hungary's independence was much debated in Moscow, with much consideration given to negotiating the withdrawal of troops from the country. The Soviet Union couldn't afford to lose ground in the power struggle of ideologies. Erno Gero was forced to resign as First Secretary, with Janos Kadar replacing him. thank you for giving this information out to the public! My gandpa, Andrew Pongratz, was his baby brother! later I lived in Hamburg/Germany and later immigrated to the USA. Does someone recognise the name or is it quite common in Hungary? Most likely she'll be videotaping to create a documentary (or recording a Skype conversation), although it might become a research paper instead. The court has appointed me to find his heirs to provide notice of his death to them as is required by statutes. only 3 of the siblings are left. Thanks. They just changed their lapels from the swastika to the hammer & sickle. My father did talk about his father who died during the Uprising and he was an Architect I dont know his first name but surname would have been Borbas. He fled to the UK and then moved to Australia. I can tell you two good general sources of information that may help you: The Bridge at Andau by James Michener and Refugee Child by Bobbie Kalman. Both give a good overview of life before and during the revolution and how different people escaped. Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! I am related to Gergely Pongratz, the one who was considered the leader of the beginning of the protest. My Brother born as they escaped through Vienna. He was born in Hungary in 1950 with a twin sister Maria. He has never returned to Hungary, and never will. My dad ect has been back in 73 no problem .He can even regain citizenship with the new laws as do many Hun-Canadians ect. and when was this published? The number of people killed is put around 3000 but it would be hard to verify it. Before he stepped down however Rakosi secured the appointment of his close friend Erno Gero as the new General Secretary. We now live in Fairfield, CT. Rakosi once more became the nation's leading politician only to be forced from power when Nikita Khrushchev (who had succeeded Stalin in the Kremlin in Moscow) made a speech denouncing Stalin and his followers. An estimated 350 were executed, including Imre Nagy after his eventual arrest in 1958. They were robbed and told to get into the river, and swim.

Please help, my grandfather was a student in Budapest and fled when his father was arrested. Like many others heard my father did not talk much about his life before he came here, When he first came he arrived in london then was shipped to a miners camp somewhere in wales then came to Derby uk Magyar name :Budai, Imre. Could you be any relation? I would like to find family in hungary if they are still there. Post War Hungary Sowing The Seeds of Dissent. Sandor Tevesz, Budapest - please email any details harmsefj@gmail,com. This 'restoration of order' was backed up by heavy artillery and air strikes as Budapest became embroiled in a bloody battle. We lived in HU years ago, and I know the country is dear to her heart as a result. Over seven hundred Soviet soldiers also gave up their lives, some being executed for refusing to fight. En jartam a epuletgepeszeti teknikumba, a varba. If any of this sounds familiar pls contact me. Protesters still want to get rid of the Communist Party and leave the Warsaw Pact. I believe he was originally from Hungary. Imre Nagy was re-appointed as prime minister in the hope that the populace would be appeased, and Nagy called an end to the violence with promises to push ahead with reforms. Hi Wendy & hi John my email is andysoos@sky.com My mother and father (Magdalena and Gyula Horvath) maybe as they have told me the Red Cross changed their last name. Spelling would probably be different. hiding in the woods with 5 children tring to get past the road blocks. This page has been very helpful for me to not only understand what they went through before they escaped.. Will you be willing to share your experience and thoughts with a middle school student?

An Otto Bencze has recently passed away in Wisconsin at age 98. He never spoke about what happened and has passed away. my dad refused to discuss any events about how and why he had to escape Hungary , he would not teach us the language and never mentioned anything about his family . instead, when his daughter tried to go to college they used that against her so she was unable to go. What a great read, thank you, my father Istvan Nagy fled Hungary in 1956 at the age of 19, so brave all that fled for a better life. Hi Frida, . I am looking for relatives of my mother Erzsebet Horvath from gyarmat Hungary. One is Joska Wagner. I am writing a book about my father's escape from Hungary in December 1956 and I am interested to hear from anyone who is a still alive from that era who experienced the transit camps. Police cars were set on fire, weapons were seized and Communist symbols were torn down and vandalised. Does anyone know anyone or any organization that could help us it was a pleasure to read. douglasveer@yahoo.com As Hungary has no oil, USA is not interested. She had a brother as well but I seem to remember was older and had to go to school which I think was in Dymchurch. After the Nazis were kicked out the Russians kept the old bureaucrats. This is totally erroneous. Less than an hour later and Janos Kadar, in league with Moscow, proclaimed himself head of a new "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government". I am sure there would not be but obviously if he went for a vacation but them had troubles leaving the country to cme home it would be a diaster :(, Hi Christina,

He was one of the students involved in the uprising. He abandoned his post without firing a single shot and went underground and surfaced in Canada. Things got better in 1953 with the death of Stalin, when the far more liberal Imre Nagy took over as prime minister. RIP all the Hungarians that lost there lives during the uprising. All I know is Goulash, which I have been preparing. My mother is calld mariana nagy That is all we know. There were five of them and they had one suitcase. Can anybody recommend some online archives for births / deaths / marriages etc as the records Ive sieved through online are quite limited Twelve Hungarians are killed and many more injured. So it was that in the afternoon of 23rd October 1956 fifty thousand people gathered at the statue of General Bem. As Nagy set about releasing anti-Communists from jail and removing state control of the media, Rakosi campaigned against him, eventually managing to discredit him and have him voted down from his post. I learned a whole lot about the 1956 revolution by visiting your website. After that and another incident, they all fled to America. This cold-blooded killing provoked a full scale riot, in which Hungarian soldiers sided with the people against the AVH. Laszlo = Hero My grandmother's name was Zsuzsanna, my aunt's is the same spelling and my father's Hungarian name is Ference. Horvath my grandmas maiden name szucs is mine I to am looking. Hello! Freedom is a battle, peace is the goal I can tell you this, growing up with someone who has been through that trauma has not been easy. Nagy was forced to resign and attempted to flee to Yugoslavia. I believe he was originally from Hungary. They reached the Austrian side of the river, and looked back across at the Russian Army, and waved, they waved back, they let him go. He fled to Toronto in the 1956 uprising Hungary was a country in Eastern Europe and a member of the Warsaw Pact. My Father left in jan 56 to walk to freedom he is 80 now survering from dementia but iam slowly teaseing info out of him and like you wendy he never spoke about it til now , it would be could to share some memories as my dad came out with 5 or 6 friends at that time. I was about 9 years old in 1956 when the uprising occured in Hungry, many Hungarians were evacuted to England, I remember a young girl, a vacuee from Hungrey joining my class at school in Portsmouth, her name was Eva Baranaskie maybe spelt differently, my name then was Maria Milmer, She must have had an impact on me at the time as I often wondered what happened to her. I wish I learnt more from him about the journey, but like others said he didn't like to talk about it. He is a unspoken hero. I wonder why so many parents didnt want us to speak the language. By 6pm, 200,000 people had gathered and the mood was spirited but peaceful.

Imagine how many lives were saved by his action? Lost contact with family. I believe he helped in the cutting of Stalins statue down from where it stood in Budapest.

After the excessive crackdowns of the post-revolution period, he successively eased much of the oppression felt by the people, famously declaring "who is not against us is with us". I had never known someone to be so afraid of "authority" (police, government, military, etc) I'm talking anxiety attacks. No, about 30 thousand died, and 10s of thousands more were tortured to death later. He went into a red cross camp in Austria, and eventually was moved to Paris, France where he worked and lived for a couple of years, before being accepted into Canada in 1960. who are these idiots with their stupid coments on here why don't you delete them. My mother said he maiden name was Schnee. Nagy offered an amnesty to all involved in the violence, promised to abolish the AVH, released political prisoners and made clear his intention that Hungary had cut free from the Warsaw Pact. This encouraged Hungary to try and get rid of their pro-Stalinist leaders. I'm at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! I am looking for any family member who might know my mother and the only name I know of hers is Theressaa but she had a sister by the name of Valaria and two broke by he name of Paul and Tony. Meanwhile Soviet troops took up key positions in the city. We found a website that might help you in your quest for information:

I would love to find out further information as my father never spoke about the journey and what really happened. launched to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, which will be remembered on October 23, 2016. The AVH opened fire on the crowd. Reasons for the emergence of the Cold War, Changing relations between the superpowers, Religious, moral and philosophical studies. They were worse than the Germans; the Hungarians who shot their fellow citizens during 56 were worse than the Soviets. However, the AVH (Hungarian Secret Police) were guarding the radio station, and they barricaded the building. Thank You. How important is it that the students got involved? How many people did they deported to the Sovjet Union? The regime manipulated the research and it is hard to know the exact numbers. With thanks from Margaret Jennings. My fathers name is Sandor Tevesz and he was from Budapest. This year's theme is "Taking a Stand" so she is particularly focused on voices of those who took a stand against the Soviets. His name is LASZLO VIGH He was born in 1935 in Nagyszentjnos Hungary he fled to Toronto in 1956 revolution Have you managed to find any other Hungarians who came to SA, I am looking for details as my Dad came to SA but left a wifr and 2 children in Hungary and I am trying to find the children - harmsefj@gmail,com. I must have cousins and 2nd cousins out there. One very disturbing reason the UK, USA allowed Krushev to take the country, days after waiting for a negative response from both these countries while the USA declared "we are not looking for new alleys in eastern Europe." great, thanks. Dear Antal I am looking for any family of an Eva Benzce born Hungary Feb 29th 1936 who we understand was brought up by her maternal grandmother in Budapest from 1945 when her father and siblings were killed by the Russians while she hid in the laundry of their guesthouse on Lake Balaton. please contact me: His last name was Fekete. Erno Gero was forced to resign as First Secretary, with Janos Kadar replacing him. The scene was still ripe for unrest. She said she remembered (now deceased). it is one of the greatest article i have scene . They met pockets of armed resistance as revolutionaries erected barricades and sporadic violence ensued. My great grand father was a pharmacist in Budapest. The crowd was sprayed from rooftops by hard line communists or secret service agents and the Soviet tanks tried to protect the demonstrators. I would love to hear from anyone who may know more of my past family In Hungary. I hope that the 1956 revolution does not get lost in the annals of history as it's a very important event that all should remember. In other words, go ahead communist and kill the people whom wanted freedom. Of those who fled some were children, and when we played on the beach in Kent one of the displaced children played with us building sandcastles. On arrival they met a group of Russian Army men. But I understand he was very much in the thick of it dodging bullets at a young age. [The year before Austria had managed to declare itself neutral and avoid joining the Warsaw Pact]. The reason why the Russians crushed the 1956 revolt? Around 2am on the 24th October the first Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest and took up positions outside the parliament building.