Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of Saxony, and Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, jointly commemorated the expulsion of German-speaking inhabitants of Hungary after the Second World War in Pirna this morning. The CDU politician and the Hungarian head of state jointly laid a wreath in front of a memorial plaque at the "Gray Barracks" in Pirna. The building had served as the first reception center for expelled Hungarian-Germans in Saxony. In Hungary, January 19 has been a national day of remembrance for the expulsion of Hungarian Germans since 2012. "This makes Hungary very different from other countries where such expulsions have taken place," said the Prime Minister at an event following the wreath-laying ceremony.
Even in the GDR, the history of the Hungarian-Germans was not addressed. "This resulted in trauma, not only for those who experienced it directly, but also for future generations," said Kretschmer. This makes it all the more important to talk about it today and keep history alive.