On 13 March the Hungarian national community in Slovenia celebrated the anniversary of the revolution of 1848-49. In honour of the holiday, a wreath laying ceremony was held next to the Lajos Batthyány statute at the Ljubljana Castle, followed by a reception at the Ambassador’s residence.
The event began with an address by Ambassador Edit Szilágyiné Bátorfi who welcomed the crowd that gathered at the castle and continued with the Hungarian national anthem and a speech by László Göncz, the MP representing the Hungarian national community in the Slovenian parliament. In his speech, the politician and historian drew a comparison between the challenges of the 19th century and those we face today. According to him, we face numerous challenges that make our lives more difficult, but if we stand together as a nation, we can overcome any difficulty. The speech was followed by a performance given by children who played flutes, recited and sang songs. At the end of the ceremony the Ambassador, the MP and the President of the József Attila Cultural Society Zsuzsa Balog laid wreaths in front of the statue of Lajos Batthyány, the prime minister of the first independent Hungarian government, who spent three months as a prisoner in the Ljubljana Castle’s dungeon.
The celebration continued at the Ambassador’s residence where the students of the Hungarian school in Ljubljana prepared an excellent program under the guidance of musical therapist Alíz Imre. The program also featured a musical concert. The Ambassador gave a speech in which she stressed that the message of the holiday was not only to respect our ancestors and be inspired by their faith, but also to preserve and pass on to future generation the legacy of national unity. The event, which was attended by a large number of guests, concluded with a reception offering the best of the Hungarian gastronomy.
