In memory of the Hungarian Jewish soldiers, who died for the Hungarian Homeland and for the freedom of Balassagyarmat.

Soldiers of the 1848-49 Revolution and Liberty War:

List of Jewish soldiers and officers  of   1848-49

 (According certified applications, archival data and Zsigmond Mikár's Soldier's Name Book of the  1848/49 Revolutional Army who were still alive in 1890, Budapest, 1891.)

Sergeants:

Samu Beimel land-owner, Herencsény

Privates:

Mór Baumgartner, Balassagyarmat
József Klein, Szécsény
Jónás Schäfer, Balassagyarmat
Mór Steiner, Szécsény
Hermann Ullman, day-taler, Bercel

List of Jewish Soldiers who were enlisted to the Austrian Army after the Liberty War as a punishment

(according their military Staff Page which can be found here: Fachrechnungsabteilung des k.u.k. Kriegsministeriums, Wien)

Baumgarten Moritz, 1826 Balassagyarmat
David Gabriel, 1821 Balassagyarmat
Eisner Hermann, 1826 Balassagyarmat
Fuchs Samuel, 1816 Puszta-Szécsénke
Groszmann David, 1829 Balassagyarmat
Grünwald Jakob, 1833 (!) Panyidaróc (today: Panické Dravce, Slovakia)
Hasz Rudolf, 1824 Bercel
Herzfeld Martin, 1833 Balassagyarmat
Kohn Adolf, 1829 Balassagyarmat
Kronheim Simon, 1827 Balassagyarmat
Schneider Philipp, 1830 Nógrádmegyer
Spitzer Márkus, 1828 Szécsény
Ulmann Moritz, 1825 Ragyolc (today Radzovce, Slovakia)
Weiss Emanuel, 1825 Balassagyarmat
Weiss Ferdinand, 1825 Varsány
Weiss Ignatz, 1828 Varsány

Source: Dr. Béla Bernstein: The Hungarian Liberty War of 1848 and the Jews. Budapest, August 1898. (3rd., reprint edition: Múlt és Jövő könyvek, Budapest, 1998.)

  Military heroes of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War 1

 Márton Schwarz

Pro Patria!

Hereby rests in peace Schwarz Márton,

An idol, who always fulfilled his obligations

Noble-minded, unforgettable child of ours,

who served as a reservist lieutenant in the

38th Regiment of the Emperor's and King's army,

Who died as a brave soldier at the blossoming of his life,

at age 25:

In 19th September of 1914,

during an attack on the Serbian settlement

„Drenovac”, when he led his unit,

and was taken out by a handgranade.

He died a heroic death

for his King and his Homeland.

His precious personality, and his memory is indelible

for his disconsolated parents,

Schwarz Simon and his wife,

and for his brothers:

Joseph and Samu

x  x  x

Pál Fröhlich

Pro Patria

Died on the battlefield in 31. October 1914, at age of 25.

Ervin Vértes

 This gravestone guards the memory of

Ervin Vértes ,

only son of his parents,

 cadet of the 16th Regiment of the Hungarian King's Army

He died a heroic deeath for his country at age of 21.

A civilian, who died defending Balassagyarmat against the Czech army in

29. January, 1919.,

 Hero of the Civitas Fortissima (the Bravest City):

Sándor Weisz

He died at age of 21 during the fight against the Czech army,

sacrificing his heroic soul at the altar of our homeland, Hungary.

29 January, 1919.

  War heroes, who died defending the homeland, during the Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

Samu Schäffer

 Éliás  Wieder

(from Faluszlatina, Máramaros county - now: Solotvino, Ukraine)

He died a heroic death defending Balassagyarmat on 2. June, 1919.

He died at age of 22

List of the Jewish soldiers from Balassagyarmat who fought in World War I, and the heroic dead.

(click for larger picture)

List of the jewish soldiers:

List of the heroic dead:

War invalids and widows:

Honorees:

Note: A memorial tablet of the 46 Jewish citizens of Balassagyarmat who lost their lives during World War I as heroic dead was inaugurated on 17. June 1923., on the inner wall of the Synagogue, which was destroyed  (as well as the building of the Synagogue) on the dawn of 9. December 1944. 

This is a portion of the monography of László Reiter, entitled: "Let the marble sound... - The history of the memorial tablets of Balassagyarmat" (1998)

"It was the dawn of December the 9th, 1944. They blew up the jewish synagogue, and with it, the memorial tablet, which showed the names of those jewish citizens of Balassagyarmat, who died in the first World War. It was originally inaugurated on 17th June of 1923.  This is what the local newspaper wrote about the ceremony:

..."It was a really heart-warming ceremony, when they presented the memorial tablet on Sunday at the synagogue. A tablet, which contains the names of those 46 heros of the jewish community, who died in the battlefield, or in a disease they caught on the battlefield. The first part of the event took place in front of the church, on the square, where all the jewish citizens were present, disregard to their social status. The local authority sent envoys too, Dr. József Baross, deputy county head of the Comitatus Nograd, who represented county head Dr. Sándor Sztranyavszki, who was on the initiation ceremony of the military officers in Budapest, several highly ranked officials of the Comitatus, envoys of the courthouse of the King, the financial directory, the envoys of the military station, led by Sándor Lengyel, the delegates of the local government, the catholic churches, cultural institutions and the local schools and syndicates. Béla Scitovszky, our parliamentalian, and the speaker of the Parliament, sent a letter, to explain why he was unable to come. Our glee-club performed a praise, and Miksa Székely, royal judge and captain-military judge, the president of the memorial comittee held a beautiful speech, which moved the audience and the relatives of the martyrs to tears.  Later Ármin Weisz, the leader of the community, who always was solicitous about his community, received the memorial tablet. After the Appeal (Szózat), Géza Himler reservist ensign held a speech behalf of his comrades. Inside the synagogue Sándor Schwarcz cantor sang  a psalm, then József Deutsch rabbi told a moving praise in front of the ark of the covenant. At the end of the event  Dr. Náthán Weisz hungarian rhetorician pointed out the magnitudy of this day. It was really touching, when the cantor sang the "El moli rochamim", and the relatives, who gathered murmured the praise of the dead" ... (from the newspaper called: Nógrádi Hírlap, originally published:  June 24th, 1923.)

 The marble tablet was framed by a pentangular frame from the same material. The tympan of the upper part had an inscription on it between two spiral ornaments: PRO PATRIA. Both sides of the tablet formed a striated, flat pilaster. The lower part had a negligee as an ornament, and on its right side you could read the initials of the sculptor, who made the tablet: Dávid Rosenburg, and under it: B.Gyarmat. The width of the frame was approximately the 1/6th of the inner marblesheet. The inscription on it was with black letters, and was the following:

   THIS MEMORIAL TABLET WAS REQUESTED BY THE JEWISH ORTHODOX FAITH 
COMMUNITY, TO REMIND EVERYONE TO THE GLORY OF THE JEWISH WAR 
HEROES  OF BALASSAGYARMAT, WHO DIED IN THE WORLD WAR BETWEEN 
1914 AND 1918, PROTECTING THEIR KING AND HOMELAND.

After the names and the ranks, the original hebrew inscription contained the names of the deceased, which they received in their faith community."

 You can find more information in these YouTube videos:

Jewish Soldiers in the Austro-Hungarian Army (English Language)

Jewish Hungarian soldiers of the Austro - Hungarian Army 1866 - 1918 (in English)

(Yechiel)