Date/Time

Thursday, June 4, 2020 / 10:30 - 23:59

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„You don’t have to talk about it,
But always, for ever, remember it!”
Gyula Juhász

Ever since the Magyar (Hungarian) tribes entered the Carpathian Basin, following their preceding relatives, The Huns and the Avars, the people that consolidated shortly after into an independent nation within the borders of a Christian Kingdom, had to fend off repeated attempts that often imperilled their sheer existence. That was the case in 907, when a less sympathetic Pope wanted the Hungarians annihilated at the Battle of Pozsony, fought brilliantly by Prince Árpád’s army, that resulted in a 120 year period of peace for the Kingdom, during which no foreign soldier dared to set foot on its soil. (The battle was featured at one point as teaching material at West Point.) The Ottomans conquest that lasted 150 years barely left an imprint on the life of the nation. The Turks were followed by the Austrians under the Habsburgs. Those approximately 230 years saw several anti-Habsburg uprisings i.e. Prince Rákóczi’s Freedom Fight, Kossuth’s Revolution and Freedom Fight in 1848-49. These are cherished acts of heroism that allowed the Hungarians to rise from a semi-colonial status into limited power-sharing role for the last fifty years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1920, the thousand year old Kingdom and state was dismembered. Hungary lost two third of its territory and one third of Hungarians were left with no other choice, but continue to live under foreign rule. June 4 of this year marks the centenary of the inglorious Treaty of Trianon. Like the other attempts on the life of the nation, this event too, will fail to break the sense of belonging and unity of the people. We stay united in the rainbow stretching over present-day borders forever.

One hundred years ago the church bells rang out long on June the 4^th. In remembrance, the bells will toll again for
one hundred seconds across the land at 16:30 local time (10:30 in Ottawa).

Due to regulations related to the pandemic, there will be no commemorative gathering taking place at the OHCC. Instead, let us get together in our thoughts, souls and spirit – on the internet – by taking the time and listen to those one hundred seconds at 10:30, local time. Our thoughts will resonate with the sorrow of millions. This will never be erased from our collective memory, never ever!

You are also invited to listen to a short commemorative program in Hungarian, posted on our website, in which poets voice the trauma felt by an entire nation. The poems are:

• Illyés Gyula: „A békeszerzőkhöz”
• Egyed Emese: „Ébredés”
• Babits Mihály: „Csonka Magyarország”
• Kerecseny János: „Fiamnak”
• Székely János: „Anyák”
• Zs. Nagy Lajos: „Csehszlovákiai magyar költő fohásza az Úrhoz”
• Döbrentei Kornél: „Elvégeztetett”
• Juhász Gyula: „Addig is…”

The accompanying music the „5^th Hungarian Rhapsody” composed by Ferenc Liszt.

We Belong Together

As member organization of the National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada (NAHC), the OHCC joins the fundraising campaign of the NAHC aimed at helping the Hungarian communities in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.

For direct contributions this site of GoFundMe.com is the most suitable, but donations are welcome by the customary methods at the NAHC, as well:

• direct money transfer to the NAHC account:
  34096-004-3409-5011541
• cheque made out in the name of „National Alliance of Hungarians in Canada” with the memo „Transcarpathia COVID-19”, and sent to the NAHC 110 Didsbury Road, Suite M022, Ottawa, Ontario, K2T 0C2
• e-transfer to the NAHC Treasurer treasurer@kmosz-nahc.ca using the code word „transcarpathia-COVID19”

Let us help the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia! Together we can do more!