“Imagine an obelisk. But imagine it crumbling and unmarked. This is the Somogyi Béla és Bacsó Béla Obelisk. It stands near the Danube in Újpest. This marks the spot of a tragic event.
This Somogyi Béla és Bacsó Béla Obelisk serves as a memorial. It remembers Béla Somogyi and Béla Bacsó. They were victims of a brutal murder. The Ostenburg Unit killed them on February 17 1920. This unit was named after Gyula Ostenburg-Moravek. He was a member of the Hungarian National Fascist Party.
Somogyi was a political journalist. Bacsó was an author. Both men worked for the social-democrat organ Népszava. Somogyi also edited the German language organ Volksstimme. After the October Revolution in 1918 Somogyi became director-general of the Ministry of Education.
Somogyi protested against the White Terror. He spoke out against the murders. As a result he and Bacsó were kidnapped. Their bodies were thrown into the Danube. Somogyi also wrote books. These included A francia népoktatás and Az ipari szövetkezetek.
The Népszava newspaper had its editorial office in Józsefváros. It operated there from 1907. Somogyi and Bacsó left from there on February 17 1920. They were on their way home. Members of the Ostenburg Unit captured them. They were taken to the Újpest Danube bank. There they were brutally murdered.
After the killings the perpetrators received public amnesty. This came from Miklós Horthy in 1921. Since 2020 there have been annual commemorations. These honor the two martyrs of the Hungarian labor movement.
Józsefváros considers it important. They want to make the workers’ movement a part of the district’s identity. This includes the former Népszava printing house and editorial office. Also the factories in Józsefváros and the workers’ world.
Somogyi and Bacsó were social democrats. They participated in the labor movement peacefully. The Népszava was the voice of the working class. It exposed the horrors of the White Terror.
Somogyi’s radical views led to his death. Under his leadership the Népszava spread truth. It reported on atrocities. All autocratic regimes persecute the free press.
The memorial is in a dilapidated state. It is an unmarked obelisk. Yet it stands as a testament to their courage. It reminds us of the price of speaking truth to power. The Somogyi Béla és Bacsó Béla Obelisk remains a poignant symbol. It is a symbol of sacrifice. It is a symbol of the fight for justice.”