Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for Minority and Civil Social Relations Csaba Latorcai attended on Friday the commemoration of the expulsion of Hungarians of German origin from Hungary in the aftermath of World War II. The commemoration was held in the German Minority’s Cultural Centre in Baja, southern Hungary.

“To ease the heavy historical burden of the expulsion, Hungarian Parliament passed a resolution making 19 January – the day on which the expulsions began in 1946 – a day of commemoration for this tragic event” – Mr. Latorcai said at the event, which was attended by pupils of the local German school.
The expulsion of people of German descent from Hungary began in 1946 in Budapest and continued until 1948, when the Hungarian government was forced to take action by the occupying Soviet forces.

At first, expelled Hungarian Germans were sent to the American-occupied part of Germany, but this was stopped on 1 June 1946, because the Americans would not allow Hungary to pay its war debts by simply returning seized assets to the displaced Germans. Approximately 170,000 Germans were sent to the American zone of occupied Germany during this period. Another round of expulsions began in August 1947, but this time the expelled Germans were sent to the Soviet-occupied area of what later became East Germany.

The commemoration was marked by a festive program presented by secondary school pupils.

Part of the commemoration was a special form-master class, during which Mr. Latorcai engaged in an open discussion with the students about their personal or family connections to the event. Latorcai said that in a multi-ethnic Europe the link between the German minority in Hungary and the descendants of those expelled can be a positive force. He also said that these common roots are values upon which Hungary, Germany and the entire European Union can build a better future.

(Ministry of Human Resources)