Going out

Apart from being another day off, it was the starting date of yet another ill-fated Hungarian freedom fight. Many of us don’t really understand what actually happened on that ardent spring day of March 15th, back in 1848. Helped by a contemporary article by 19th century novelist Mór Jókai, we’ll take you back in time to catch a slice of the passion for freedom that fuelled the ongoing fight against the Austrian Habsburgs. 

 

“Respect this day, when the voice of the people could be heard. Remember March 15th and close it into your hearts! (…) The morning of March 15th saw the youth of the capital, those who considered patience and waiting to be no option anymore, gathered for their reform feast…” (Mór Jókai)

In Pilvax Café, a regular spot for young intellectuals of Budapest, Sándor Petőfi declaimed his revolutionary poem, the National Song, and Mór Jókai read out a proclamation containing their demands – amongst others, the freedom of press, representative juries and equal representation in courts, a Hungarian Parliament or a union of Transylvania and Hungary – that later became known as the 12 Points.

“The people chanted the last words of every stanza (‘We swear unto Thee – that slaves we shall no longer be!’, Eds.) The crowd soon joined the university students, (…) then headed to Landerer & Heckenast Press, where the delegation called on the owners to print the proclamation and Petőfi’s song.” (Mór Jókai)

And the owners agreed. Despite the pouring rain, crowds flooded to the streets holding on to copies of the 12 Points and the National Song like they were precious stones.  “And it kept on raining. ‘Rain is a good sign, – people said – it was raining in Paris, in Palermo and also in Vienna during the protests.’” (Mór Jókai)

Later, the crowd, after giving the proclamation to the city council, headed to Buda to free publicist-novelist Mihály Táncsics, sentenced to prison because of his writings. Táncsics’s followers pulled his carriage from Buda through Pest to the old National Theater. The theater’s orchestra played the Marseilles and classical Magyar pieces, while the crowd kept on chanting Petőfi’s National Song.

Jókai titled his article ‘Revolution Without Blood’ (March 19th, 1848). He surely couldn’t have known that this noble day started a one and a half year long war with the Austrians ending with bloodshed and total destruction. But on March 15th, we’d like to remember those who gave their lives for the notion of freedom and democracy.

 

Where to remember this year:

National Museum garden – from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – open-air exhibition on the freedom fight

National Museum stairs – from 10:30 a.m. to noon – open-air parade

Roosevelt Square – from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – historical playhouse, hussar shows and hussar camp

 

Sándor Petőfi: National Song

Rise up, Magyar, the country calls!
It's 'now or never' what fate befalls...
Shall we live as slaves or free men?
That's the question - choose your ‘Amen’!
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

For up till now we lived like slaves,
Damned lie our forefathers in their graves -
They who lived and died in freedom
Cannot rest in dusts of thraldom.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

A coward and a lowly bastard
Is he, who dares not raise the standard -
He whose wretched life is dearer
Than the country's sacred honor.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Sabers outshine chaine and fetters,
It's the sword that one's arm betters.
Yet we wear grim chains and shackles.
Swords, slash through damned manacles!
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Magyar's name will tell the story
Worthy of our erstwhile glory
We must wash off - fiercely cleansing
Centuries of shame and condensing.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Where our grave-mounds bulge and huddle
Our grandson will kneel and cuddle,
While in grateful prayer they mention
All our sainted names' ascension.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

(March 13, 1848)