Budapest, 21 June 2013

Dear Andrea, Dear Friends and Admirers of the late Guido de Gorgey, my Fellow Countrymen,

It is my honor to express my tribute to an extraordinary gentleman, a rescuer of human lives, a former colleague of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose life provides us with an overview of the short but cruel 20th century.

As many of you who had the privilege to know him are aware, Guido de Gorgey was born in 1920, a sensitive year in the history of Hungary. He came from a prominent noble family, whose members have distinguished themselves in the military service of their country. The brother of Guido's great-grandfather, Major General Artúr Görgey served as commander of the armies during the 1848-49 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence.

Guido himself graduated from the military academy in 1942, embarking on a military career when World War II was already underway. Guido was a twenty-four-year-old lieutenant of the Hungarian army when the German occupation took place in 1944 and the mass deportations of our Jewish compatriots began. As his first act of rescue, Guido de Gorgey and his mother assisted their next door neighbor family in hiding their fifteen-year-old daughter, Ann Stricker in the countryside home of the Gorgey family. Other acts of rescue followed as Guido eventually went underground. Despite the fact that he himself had to go into hiding, he continued his activities of resistance. Equipped with false orders and wearing his uniform, he transported his Jewish protégés from one safe house to another. Guido even became member of an underground resistance group during the war, carrying out acts of sabotage against the Nazis. For his achievements he was recognized by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem as Righteous among the Nations, together with his mother.

Regarding the terrible time of the Holocaust, I expressed earlier the pain we feel due to the fact that the Hungarian state was not only unable to protect its citizens, but it also assisted in their organized destruction. The fact that Guido and other rescuers risked their lives to save the lives of others represents the candle-light in an era of darkness. As historical memory is essential in preserving the lessons of our past, I wish to share with the attendees that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated the centenary of Raoul Wallenberg in 2012 to a commemorative year to honor the legacy of Rescuers, such as Guido.

Turning back to the rich life of Guido, allow me to highlight a particular aspect. As far as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned, I was proud to learn that after the end of World War II, Guido de Gorgey served in the renewed Foreign Ministry between 1947 and 1948. In this regard, Guido followed the footsteps of his elder brother, István (Stephen) who was himself a career foreign service officer, before deciding to defect when the authorities recalled him from his posting in Paris. Documents in our archives show that Guido applied to work in the Ministry citing his extensive language skills of English, Italian and German, starting his work at the Protocol Office. As the post-war Second Hungarian Republic gradually transformed into a Communist dictatorship, new winds of change started blowing in the Ministry that affected the career of Guido as well. For example, the new Communist Foreign Minister refused Guido de Gorgey's request in May 1948 to travel to Vienna for two days to participate in the inheritance process of his deceased grandmother. Having refused to cooperate with agents of the regime, he was discharged of his duties in December 1948 and subsequently arrested. Guido spent the next four years and half in prison and in the infamous internment camp at Recsk. As historian István Deák assessed in his article: "The Communist regime would not tolerate people who had shown their mettle and their independent minds under Nazi rule".

After the defeat of the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight 1956, Guido left the country, immigrating to the United States. Like many of his counterparts of the 1956-wave of immigration, he became part of the diverse Hungarian American community that has contributed enormously to the Hungarian - U.S. bilateral relationship.

As far as the memory of Guido de Gorgey is concerned, I wish to assure all the attendees that Hungary has not forgotten his achievements, and the government is considering accordingly an appropriate form to commemorate his legacy.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)