Commemorations held in honour of 1849 Arad martyrs – Photos

The national flag of Hungary was hoisted and lowered to half-mast in front of Parliament on Saturday morning in a military salute to commemorate the leaders of Hungary’s revolution and freedom fight who were executed by Austria in 1849.

October 6 was declared a national day of mourning in 2001.

State commemorations on the square before Parliament were attended by Hungary’s President János Áder.

Later in the day, Áder attended a commemoration in Kemecse, northeast Hungary, and said that the example and faithfulness of the heroes of the 1848/49 revolution and freedom fight had strengthened in later generations of Hungarians the conviction that “freedom is an irreplaceable value that we must never give up”.

Speaking at the grave of General Mihály Répásy, the president said the desire for freedom Hungarians had in 1848/49 “was built on such a strong foundation in the soul, thoughts and values of Hungarians that it could no longer be destroyed by any of the subsequent periods”.