Memorial Day for the Martyrs of Arad

On 6 October 1849, after the defeat of the War of Independence of 1848–1849, the Austrian authorities executed thirteen generals of the Hungarian army at Arad. On the same day Lajos Batthyány, prime minister of the first independent Hungarian government, was shot in Pest.

The 13 Martyrs of Arad are a symbol of sacrifice for freedom in Hungarian national memory. An eternal flame burns in Budapest where Batthyány was executed, and carved wooden kopjafa memorials to the martyrs stand throughout the country.

Day of national mourning

6 October is a day of national mourning in Hungary: flags are lowered on state buildings and memorial ceremonies take place in schools and towns.