The anniversary of the outbreak of World War II serves as an occasion to strengthen Polish-Hungarian friendship. The Polish-Hungarian Institute of Freedom commemorates the heroes of our shared history. Its director, PiS MP Marcin Romanowski, laid flowers at the monument of Prime Minister Pál Teleki, a great friend of the Polish people. The monument is located in Balatonboglár, where, during World War II, the largest Polish school in Hungary operated. “It was thanks to his decisions in 1920 that Poland received weapons and ammunition from Hungary, which proved decisive in our victory over the Bolsheviks. And in 1939, he consistently refused to take part in the German aggression against Poland and opened the borders for 100,000 Polish refugees,” recalled MP Marcin Romanowski.
Great Support from Hungary
Pál Teleki’s decisions in 1920 indeed proved crucial for the combat capabilities of the reborn Polish Republic’s army. While other neighbours refused or were unable to provide assistance, on August 12, a massive transport arrived in Skierniewice from the Weiss factory in Csepel, Hungary: among other things, 48 million Mauser rifle cartridges, 13 million Mannlicher cartridges, artillery ammunition, 30,000 Mauser rifles, millions of spare parts, 440 field kitchens, and 80 stoves. From the Skierniewice railway station, they went directly to the front, and just a few days later, they were used in the defeat of the Bolsheviks.
Equally important was Hungary’s aid to Poland in 1939. Prime Minister Pál Teleki not only refused to support Germany in its attack on Poland but also facilitated the mass evacuation of Polish refugees.
“In July, Teleki officially informed the Germans that he would sooner blow up Hungary’s railway lines than allow them to be used for an invasion of Poland. He stated plainly that maintaining friendly relations with Poland was, for Hungary, a matter of honour. He did not yield even when, on September 9, following the invasion of Poland, von Ribbentrop demanded the passage of German troops through the Košice region. On the contrary, after the Soviet aggression against Poland on September 18, he opened the borders to 100,000 Polish refugees, including Jews,”
Romanowski recalled.
The commemorations of the shared history do not end there. The Polish-Hungarian Friendship Society in Balatonboglár is organizing the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day. The program includes Holy Mass, the laying of wreaths at the monument of Pál Teleki and at the crypt of Fr. Béla Varga, who assisted Polish refugees during World War II, as well as a gathering at the Béla Varga Cultural Centre, where the Polish secondary school once operated.