Iron Curtain memorial place in Hegykő, Hungary

1989 is often called the ’Year of Miracles’ throughout Europe and in Hungary as well. It was the year of the demolishion of the Iron Curtain. It was the year of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was the year of the rebirth of democracy in Eastern Europe.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alois Mock and Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn cut a hole in the Iron Curtain in 1989

On June 27, 1989, exactly twenty years ago, Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn and Austrian Foreign Minister Alois Mock together cut a hole in the Iron Curtain, which had separated not only Austria and Hungary, but Europe as a whole for decades. This symbolic act, depicted in many photos that spread throughout world press the next day started a series of events which finally led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall.  

The Reburial of Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy and his fellow martyrs on June 16, 1989

On June 27, 2009, the government of Hungary commemorated this 20th anniversary with a series of international festive events, including a memorial session held in the Houses of Parliament of Hungary with the participation of key figures of the era, as well as delegates of the European Union and its member countries. Upon invitation from the President of the Republic, Prime Minister, and Speaker of the Parliament key representatives of EU member states and leading personalities from more than 30 countries attended the events, these include Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, Romania and the United States of America.

After a ceremonial hoisting of the national flag of the Republic of Hungary, and a military parade in front of the Houses of Parliament, delegates were welcomed by President László Sólyom, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai, and Speaker of the Parliament Katalin Szili. This was followed by a memorial session on the 1989 events in the Upper House Hall of the Parliament.

In the first section of this memorial session, Heads of States and other dignitaries delivered their speeches, such as László Sólyom, President of Hungary, Horst Köhler, President of Germany, Heinz Fischer, President of Austria, Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, Danilo Türk, President of Slovenia, Hans-Rudolf Merz, President of Switzerland, Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission, Bronislaw Komorowski, Marshal of the Parliament of Poland, and Miklós Németh, former Hungarian Prime Minister (1988-1990).

(from right to left) Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai and US Representative David Price (D-North Carolina) presenting the letter of US President Barack Obama   (Photo courtesy of US Embassy in Budapest)

The second part of the session was chaired by Horst Teltschik, former national security advisor to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and István Horváth, former Hungarian Ambassador in Bonn, Germany, and current Hungarian Ambassador in Vienna, Austria. After Horst Teltschik’s address, László Kovács, Member of the EU Commission delivered a speech, followed by Representative David Price, Head of the US Congressional Delegation, who read the message of US President Barack Obama (read the speach and letter here); Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker; Robert Breitner Czuma, former East German refugee; Wolfgang Schüssel, former Chancellor of Austria; Paul Lendvai, Hungarian Austrian professor and publicist, and Nikolaus Koch, former Chief Officer of Burgenland, Austria.

In the evening, a commemorative gala concert was held in the Hungarian State Opera

In the evening, a special commemorative gala concert was held in the Hungarian State Opera House as the final act of state celebrations. The program consisted of orchestral pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi and Bartók sung by Hungarian singers Klára Kolonits, Eszter Sümegi, Attila Fekete, Boldizsár László, Erika Gál, László Szvétek and András Kiss, and lead singers of the Opera House.