The 13 Martyrs of Arad

Károly Knezić, József Nagysándor, János Damjanich, Lajos Aulich, György Lahner, Ernő Poeltenberg, Károly Leiningen-Westerburg, Ignác Török, Károly Vécsey, Ernő Kiss, József Schweidel, Arisztid Dessewffy, Vilmos Lázár,
The 13 Martyrs of Arad, lithography by Miklós Barabás

The 13 Martyrs of Arad (Hungarian: Aradi vértanúk) were the thirteen Hungarian rebel honvéd generals who were executed on October 6, 1849 in the city of Arad, Kingdom of Hungary (currently in Romania), after the Hungarian Revolution (1848–1849) was ended by troops of the Austrian Empire and Imperial Russia, who reestablished Habsburg rule over the area. The execution was ordered by the Austrian general Julius Jacob von Haynau.

Brief background

In a historic speech on March 3, 1848, shortly after news of the revolution in Paris had arrived, Lajos Kossuth demanded parliamentary government for Hungary and constitutional government for the rest of Austria. The Revolution started on March 15, 1848, and after military setbacks in the winter and a successful campaign in the spring, Kossuth declared independence on April 19, 1849. By May, the Hungarians controlled all of the country except Buda, which they won after a three-week bloody siege. The hopes of ultimate success, however, were frustrated by the intervention of Russia. After all appeals to other European states failed, Kossuth abdicated on August 11, 1849 in favor of Artúr Görgey, who he thought was the only general who was capable of saving the nation. On August 13, Görgey signed a surrender at Világos (now Şiria, Romania) to the Russians, who handed the army over to the Austrians. At the insistence of the Russians, Görgey was spared but reprisals were taken on the rest of the Hungarian army.

Execution of the Martyrs of Arad. Work by János Thorma.

The thirteen Hungarian generals were executed on October 6, 1849. On the same day, Count Lajos Batthyány (1806–1849), the first Hungarian prime minister, was also executed in Pest in an Austrian military garrison. Kossuth was able to flee to the Ottoman Empire and steadfastly maintained until his death that Görgey alone was responsible for the humiliation, calling him "Hungary's Judas". Others, looking at the impossible situation Görgey was presented with, have been much more favorable toward him, stating that given the circumstances, he was not left with any other options than surrender.

One of the public squares contains a martyrs' monument, erected in their memory. It consists of a colossal figure of Hungary, with four allegorical groups, and medallions of the executed generals.

Hungarians have come to regard the thirteen rebel generals as martyrs for promoting the ideas of freedom and independence for the Hungarian people. It is worth noting that not all of them were ethnic Hungarians, yet they fought for the cause of an independent and - for its age - liberal Hungary. The lives of the thirteen martyrs have been idealized by all future generations of Hungarians. Arad is remembered on October 6 as a day of mourning for the Hungarian nation.

The generals

1. Arisztid Dessewffy (1802 – 1849)
2. Ernő Kiss (1799 – 1849)
3. Ernő Poeltenberg (1814 – 1849)
4. György Lahner (1795 – 1849)
5. Ignác Török (1795 – 1849)
6. János Damjanich (1804 – 1849)
7. József Nagy-Sándor (1804 – 1849)
8. József Schweidel (1796 – 1849)
9. Károly Knezich (1808 – 1849)
10. Károly Leiningen-Westerburg (1819 – 1849)
11. Károly Vécsey (1807 – 1849)
12. Lajos Aulich (1793 – 1849)
13. Vilmos Lázár (1815 – 1849)

Custom

Legend has it that while the revolutionary leaders were being executed, Austrian generals were drinking beer and arrogantly clinking their beer mugs together in celebration of Hungary's defeat. Hungarians thus vowed never to clink glasses while drinking beer for 150 years thereafter. There is no explanation for the specified timeframe of 150 years. Although theoretically discontinued on October 6, 1999, in practice, this tradition still continues today. Throughout Hungary, the clinking of beer mugs or bottles was considered to be in bad manners.

References

• The Complexity of Hungarian and Romanian History http://themichmashcenter.blogspot.com/2011/07/two-statues-in-arad-romania-and.html