The Municipality of Debrecen and the “Give Me Back My Mountains Foundation!” held a memorial ceremony and wreath-laying event on February 25, 2025, at the Melocco statue in Egyetem Square to honor the victims of communism.
In his ceremonial speech, Deputy Mayor István Puskás stated that the Melocco memorial is considered Debrecen’s most significant site of remembrance for the 1956 revolution. However, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the “Give Me Back My Mountains Foundation!” since 2001, the monument has also become a place to collectively remember the victims of communism.
He recalled that in 2000, when the Hungarian Parliament designated February 25 as the Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism, it was chosen to mark the anniversary of the deportation of Smallholders’ Party politician Béla Kovács to the Soviet Union in 1947. Puskás also mentioned a story from 1944, highlighting that one of the earliest known victims of communist ideology in Debrecen was Éva Izsák.
The deputy mayor emphasized that tens of thousands of Hungarian families suffered under the oppressive dictatorship, with the most severe period lasting until 1953. He added that hardly any Hungarian family remained untouched by the decades of communism up until 1989.
Before the wreath-laying, folk singer Petra Ecsedi-Oláh performed, followed by students from the Dóczy High School of the Debrecen Reformed College, who also paid tribute to the victims. Reformed pastor Gábor Nagy then led a prayer for their souls.
In honor of the Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism, representatives of the municipality, state institutions, armed forces, political parties, civil organizations, and associations laid wreaths at the monument.
Photo: debrecen.hu
