About care of war cemeteries 09 April 2011 KOSTRYNA Through the glasses of a civilian organization (NGO)

Founded in 1993

Death Toll-World War I Central Powers: Killed combatants: Civilian death toll: more than All together more than 9 millions Allies-Triple entente : Killed combatants: Civilian death toll: All together more than 10 millions

Death Toll-II.World War Axis Powers: Killed combatants: more than 8 millions Civilian death toll: more than 4 millions All together more than 12 millions Allies Powers: Killed combatants: more than 14 millions Civilian death toll: more than 36 millions All together more than 50 millions

Hungarian graves In 53 countries of the world Mostly out of the today’s Hungarian borders Typical locales: Isonzo river, Doberdo, Galicia, TransCarpathian region, Transylvania, curve of the river Don

About situation after WW I. The remains of the Hungarian soldiers are buried on the place of the battles. (The Italians bodies were taken back to their countries. In the USA there is a law to do it.) In years of 1920 at most of Hungarian settlements were put up memorials to died heroes according to the law VIII from 1917 year. Last Sunday of every May – Memorial day of the Fallen Heroes ( )

After World War II. Between it was undesirable to speak about it... Signed agreement in Geneva at 12. August 1949 and Supplementary Protocol in year 1977, Agreements signed with 7 countries at state level, Law LXIII. From 2001

Main principles of the war graves care – mutuality: To provide preservation of war graves and memorials, tranquility of fallen in the war, including right to the adequat surroundings. To provide identification of war graves and memorials, registering, establishing, repairing and provide care, harmonizing agreements to possible transferring of graves to the countries of the contracting parties Responsible organizations for the execution provide information to each other mutually. To provide authorization to research workers to access of databases on mutual base.

2. To provide access to visit war graves for the citizens of other countries To provide support in identification, research, marking and protection areas To provide areas free of charge where the graves and memorials are located, or will be established in the future To make effort to preserve war graves and memorials in their original locations If due to public interest there is a need to transfer war graves, memorials to a new location, the side interested in moving must provide new territory and all the cost must be covered by this side. The assignment of the new area for the graves and memorials and the fact of transfer must be agreed by the other side signed the agreement

3. The recently found Romanian and Hungarian war graves must be kept in the place where the remains were found, if it is not possible, maybe transferred to the adequate place agreed by both sides. In case the reconstruction of the war graves and memorials not possible anymore, the agreed sides must provide possibility to put an adequate memorial plaque. The inscription of the memorial table must be bilingual.

4. Both parties to the contract bear the expensis of the care and maintenance of the war graves and memorials of the other side on the territory of his own country. Both parties to the contract at his own cost have a rigth to care and maintain war graves and memorials on the territory of the other country with authorization of the other side signed the contract.

State level tasks In Hu responsible - Minister of the Defense. Weak point of the state level agreements – the civilian initiative has no place. In reality the civilian organizations are more and more active. We have to improve the cooperation in this field. Sometimes there is present the activity of the extremist organizations.

Today in Hungary Cult of veneration of the war graves is growing up, but need more support. Point of view of our organization: - the war grave is the sign of the peace – no anymore. - Base principle – mutuality, - In common Europe to remember together. - recruited to the army by order... - all the soldiers were fighting for their countries (according to their confidence)

It was told about fallen heroes: they were heroes, but they only carried out their orders, The other people told about them: They only carried out their orders, but they were heroes. The fallen soldier of any nation not an enemy anymore.

Typical commemorations: 15 March ( ) 9 May – End of the WW2 in Europe Last Sunday of May 29 September Pákozd, October – Martyrs of Arad 23 October 1 November (Chatolic holiday)

In common Europe to remember together Do a step forward-mostly in Eastern-Central Europe 1st of Nov. at – common candle lighting To establish a Central European Association of Civil Organizations To renovate more and more memorials together. To establish circles of friends to care and maintain the existing memorial places. To remember the 100 anniversary in adequate way. To widen cultural contacts (conferences, to erect new memorials, multilingual publications, internet homepages, military song competitions )

Renovated cemetery by us

Day of the Heroes in London – 2008

There is a task to do…

Together, More, Better…

Our contacts Krajczáros Foundation Krajczáros Alapítvány H-8000 Székesfehérvár, Bregyó köz 2. phone: Website:

Organization for the Maintenance of War Memorials /HáEmGo/