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On the 29th September of 1848 the Hungarian military troops gathering between two villages at the Northern shores of Lake Velencei, Pákozd and Sukoró, fought against heavy odds and beat off the attack of lieutenant-general Jellačić, governor of Croatia. The victory the troops reached from the defense position could save the independence of our nation, and showed people that battles are decided in the field, and this struggle is far from hopeless.

The Pákozd Military Memorial Park is devoted not merely to the glory of the Hungarian troops in 1848-49, but also accommodates the collection of Hungarian historical standards, a reconstructed war stand from World War I, the Don Memorial Chapel treasuring the memory of the Hungarian soldiers lost in World War II, the monument of the heroes of the 1956-year revolution and fight for independence, and the museum and monument of the soldiers taking part in international missions after 1990. This collective memorial site is presenting in a convincing manner that the history of Hungarian Armed Forces has an integrity since 1848, the events and times of crisis nonwithstanding.

This memorial place also presents how closely the armed forces are connected to the civil population and that national defense is not just a matter of the professional military staff but that of the people as a whole.

The history presented in this memorial place was not closed with the date of 1956, 1968 or 1990 - it also aims to pay tribute to peacekeeping and the peacemaking missions. Therefore we may declare with certain dignity that it aims to suggest continuity of history, and highlight the fact that the security policy of a particular nation can bring real security, if – in addition to the integrity of the history – it also pays attention to changes of times.

Róbert Hermann