In our present age, we take it for granted that our deceased relatives have a grave where we can commemorate them decently. However, in times of emergency, this was unfortunately not always the case. During World War II, as soon as the fighting reached the civilian population, organized ceremonies became almost impossible. In most cases, the deceased were buried only in temporary graves, and only later were they reburied in a decent way.
Entire families and communities have disappeared as a result of the Holocaust and other persecutions, making it almost impossible to find relatives. On the front, in most cases soldiers tried to return the remains of their dead comrades to their families, but the intensity of the fighting and the devastating effects of new, cruel weapons often made this impossible. Unfortunately, there are still plenty today who do not know where their parents, siblings, spouses or friends are buried.
The temporary grave of Dr. György Buzinkay on Lovas Street, in 1945.
Unknown burial place. With the help of the Hungarian Military History Institute, relatives can be found.
Records asking for the exhumation of the temporary graves at Saint John’s Hospital, in 1946.
Record asking to burry bodies without a coffin, in 1945.
