Renaming Ságvári High

A left-wing author calls on the competent Cabinet Minister to prevent those who want to rename a high school in Szeged from getting their way. The Ságvári school was named after a Communist who fought against Nazi occupation in 1944 and was killed when he opened fire on the policemen who wanted to arrest him.

Endre Ságvári was perhaps the number one hero of the communist mythology in Hungary and scores of streets, squares and various institutions were named after him. One of the latter, the renowned Szeged high school is still called Endre Ságvári Gimnázium, and a radical right-wing MP urged the Minister of Human Resources as well as the city of Szeged, which is run by a Socialist Mayor and a Fidesz majority in the city council to rename it.

In Népszava, Gyula Hegyi believes that a Communist who died in 1944 cannot be judged on the basis of Communist crimes committed in the 1950s. He suspects anti-Semitism behind Jobbik’s demand, and points out that the Cabinet Minister whom he knows personally, is by no means an anti-Semite. However, he continues, “those who refuse to honour a martyr because of his Communist party membership and his jewishness”, may not be Nazis, but ”may look like Nazis”.

For recent debates on “totalitarian street names” see Budapost, April 26,2013 

Tags: communism, culture wars