Grave of Hungarian Soldiers in Murcki

The grave of Hungarian soldiers is in a forest in the Murcki district of Katowice, near Węgierska Street. It is the resting place of 29 Hungarian soldiers shot on 28 January 1945.

What happened

The soldiers operated anti-aircraft artillery batteries. When Soviet tanks rolled into Murcki on 27 January 1945, they surrendered voluntarily. After a night spent in barracks they were led out to the forest at dawn and shot. The bodies lay in the forest for about two months, until after the thaw local residents buried them. According to the Institute of National Remembrance, the names of 15 people are known, and the identity of the remaining 14 remains unknown.

The place today

The first plaque on a stone was unveiled in August 2011, and its inscription speaks of Hungarian soldiers, prisoners of war, murdered by soldiers of the Red Army. A second stone plaque with fifteen names and a cross was consecrated in 2013. The grave has been looked after since 1989 by the Murcki circle of the Union of Upper Silesians. The name of Węgierska Street was given by the city council in 2011.

Practical information

• The grave lies in the Murcki Forest, next to Węgierska Street in Murcki; it is a place of remembrance, not a sight to tour.
• In the area there is the Murcki Park.