Fraternity-Testvériség, 2008 (86. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2008-07-01 / 3. szám
HRFA MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS MEMORIES OF A LOVE AND A WAR MY STORY OF THE OUTBREAK FROM BUDA, 1945 By Branch #300 Member Marianne Schattenstein, as told to Kathy A. Megyeri Background: From October, 1944 through February, 1945, Budapest was under bombardment by Russian forces. On October 29, 1944, the Red Army began its offensive against Budapest. More than 1 million Russian soldiers rushed toward the city. The plan was to cut Budapest off from the rest of the German and Hungarian forces. On November 7, 1944, Russian troops entered the eastern suburbs of Budapest. Shortly thereafter, the Russian troops encircled the capital. As a result, nearly 33,000 German and 37,000 Hungarian soldiers as well as 800,000 civilians became trapped inside the city. More than 80% of Budapest’s buildings were destroyed and about 40,000 civilians were killed. Mrs. Marianne Schattenstein, whose story is here recorded, has been a faithful member of Branch #300 for many years. She is a cheerful and unassuming lady who regularly attends events held at the Kossuth House and at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC. Her moving recollection of surviving the horrific events of World War II in Budapest is a testimony to the fortitude and character of HRFA’s members. Recently, she related her memories for our readers: “I was eighteen years old and engaged to Tibor Horanyi, an officer in the Hungarian Army. On the 11th of February, 1945 at the Hatvany Palace, Vesborzy Utca 7, now Táncsics Mihály utca in Buda, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Tibor asked my mother and me to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, but we could not carry anything, only money, documents and my small pistol. Mother refused to go with us and insisted on staying. Tibor’s orderly, Pista, came carrying two lightweight blankets and food for us. At 5:00 p.m., the last mass was held and the Priest married us, but he told us he did not know what fate was in store for the two of us. Of course, I had always wished to be a bride dressed in white, but I knew now that I had to wait until after the war because this was a time of unusual circumstances. Since Tibor was a Roman Catholic, the mass was held in the same room where Admiral Nicholas Horthy, a Regent of Hungary, was held captive by the S.S. Since Hungarian military officers could take their wives with them, I was fortunate to be married and become part of this organized breakout. After we said goodbye to Mother, we walked out to the courtyard which was filled with people. It was about 8:00 p.m., and the big gate was open. As we got closer, we heard voices, not loud, but mostly men’s voices giving instructions to follow. Close to a thousand people walked toward the Becs-kapu (Vienna Gate) that looked like a big underpass. Down we walked in the dark, cold night. We were told that a German tank would lead us out of the city towards Austria. Soon, however, rockets called “Stalin Candles” lit the sky and then we heard the sound of a tank in the distance. We were under the impression that it was a German tank and were relieved that help had arrived. Tibor told me to hold his hand. But as the tank got closer, it began to fire at us, and everyone fled off the road. Germans and Hungarians shouted, “On your stomachs!” We lay in the snow for about twenty minutes until the tank passed. We got up and walked back to the road, but the tank began to fire again. Everyone ran, suddenly overcome by panic. I let go of Tibor’s hand and ran before throwing myself on the snowy ground as the tank continued to fire. I was scared as I heard someone groan. I called for Tibor, thinking he was near me, but there was no answer. The tank proceeded toward the Var (Castle) so some people got up off their stomachs and stood up. I kept calling for Tibor but again, there was no answer. I touched someone next to me who had a gun but thought it could not be Tibor because this man had a pistol. I got up, repeatedly calling for Tibor, but someone in German told me to be quiet. However, I continued to call Tibor’s name and soon, someone answered, but I could tell it was not Tibor’s voice. It was Lt. Lajos Nagy with two cadets. I was glad to see them, but I whimpered again for Tibor and they assured me we would find him. We followed the rest of the crowd during the night, and as we walked by a brick factory, I remember seeing a Russian lying dead in a small creek. We stopped at a house to rest, but it was crowded with Germans, so we sat down on the floor. Later, we walked to a wooded area where we heard voices in the moonlight. We could see soldiers with bayonets so we stopped as they approached as they were speaking Russian. They must have sensed our presence, but kept walking toward the Capitol. We were getting very tired and sat down in the woods, but we FRATERNITY - TESTVÉRISÉG 33
