A Magyar Szabadság Éve

1956 commemorations held in Macedonia

In honour of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight an event series including wreath laying, round table discussions and an exhibition was held in Kruševo.

After the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight had been crushed nearly twenty thousand Hungarian citizens fled to the territory of former Yugoslavia. The authorities distributed asylum seekers among member states. Thus, 550 Hungarians were relocated to Kruševo and they were taken to the West from there later on.

Currently there are approximately a hundred Hungarians living in Macedonia, who founded the Macedonian Hungarian Telecentre Association. This non-profit organization researched the story of those Hungarians who stayed there temporarily from 1956 to 1958. The initiative of the memorial plaque at the holiday resort located at the site of the former camp for 1956 refugees has also come from the association. The memorial plaque, inaugurated in Kruševo in August 2016 by Péter Szilágyi, Deputy State Secretary for National Policy at the Prime Minister's Office, was funded by the Memorial Committee for 1956 and the State Secretariat for of National Policy.

Hungarian Ambassador to Macedonia László Dux and Éva Egerszegi former 1956 refugee laid their wreaths at the memorial plaque and joined by József Sutus, head of the Macedonian Hungarian Telecentre Association they thanked 101 years old Ms Sina Taleski for helping Hungarian refugees in those days. Subsequently, with the participation of László Dux, Éva Egerszegi, József Sutus and Nikola Jovanoszki, the teacher of Naum Naumovski Borche High School in Kruševo, and Dr. Zoran Bogeszki the director of Museum of History Kruševo, a round table discussion was held to recall the stories of the arrival of Hungarian refugees of 1956 to Kruševo.

Following the event László Dux and Éva Egerszegi went to the primary and secondary school of Kruševo to present the winners of the “What I heard from my grandparents about 1956 refugees?” literary competition their prizes. Subsequently, the 1956 exhibition of the House of Terror Museum was opened.