The Climb

By Karoly Owen

The build up to both world wars and the gruesome true story of what truly happened in 1956. This is a harrowing story that sadly doesn't really end happily. It angers me that 21st century people are facing this very same invasion. But they all sadly think that this is a new thing. What is happening in Ukr

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karoly Owen
• Release date: Sep 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9781960093714

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Copyright © 2023 by Karoly Owen.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without a prior written permission from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review, and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by the copyright law.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023915443

ISBN: 978-1-960093-72-1 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-960093-71-4 (eBook)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

This book is a story, a story about both World Wars and the Build up to the Hungarian Uprising which started in the latter part of 1956.I researched and spoke to many people to gain my own unique viewpoint of what people were feeling and doing in those terrible times. Both my Great Grandparents and Grandparents lives, and eventually my uncle and Mother were all greatly affected by what happened in Hungary. They sought refuge in the UK early 1957 and have lived with the memories and horrors that occurred from 1956 and as you will read, they have good reason too.

Although some of this story is fictitious, I have based the story on their true versions of events by talking to them and visiting Hungary myself to see first-hand the devastation that was left behind when they were so brutally ripped from their beloved country.

Hungary was a vast empire. Much larger back before 1940’s than it is today, and a terrible chain of events occurred which resulted in over 70yrs of terror, anguish and upset. The Hungarian country is now only a third of the size it was in the 19th century. This is the direct result to both world wars and dictatorship lead.

I feel that it needs to be acknowledged that over 2 million Jews and over 1million Gypsies were murdered, gassed, tortured, enslaved and brutally abused and medically tested on in this terrible period. It also needs to be said that more than a third of those were Hungarian.

Further to this, in the peak of the uprising in November 1956 just over 200,000 people stood their ground and stood up to the soviets. All they were asking for was to be left alone and to live their lives through a democratic government, they protested peacefully. They asked in an assertive way for their country to be handed back to them and to leave their Government buildings. Their ‘plea’ was heard by the Soviets and to their dismay was welcomed with over 100 machine guns and armoured tanks. Nearly all the people there on that first day were shot where they stood. It has now become a huge point in history for the Hungarian people and a day of ‘reflection’ and state holiday day of rest is called by the government.

Post 1956 was a very difficult time, and the politicians of the era had some very difficult decisions to make, some were good, and some were bad. The political outcome was not good at all for the huge state and country. Prime Ministers were committing suicide, political leaders were being shot, leaders changing sides, leaders changing political minds and the poor military leaders just stuck, in ‘limbo’ not knowing what to believe, who to support, what they were representing it was hard to judge it all.

The Soviets gave the Hungarian State back Democratic government rule to the Hungarian people in 1989 to which was a joyous occasion for the Hungarian people all over the world. This freedom was a huge step for the Hungarian people it took over 30yrs to get back what they fought, and many died for. They truthfully deserved this freedom, and it should never be forgotten what happened in ‘1956’?

I would like to dedicate this book to all my family, (on my mother’s side), Anna and Károly junior and senior. I fully respect you all for your beliefs and the fact that you stood by them with such dedication, also what they all went through in those troubled times I love you all.

I would also like to dedicate this book to all of the people that died and were killed in ‘1956’ were then, and still are ‘Unsung Heroes’ they should never be forgotten.

Chapter 1

It was 1914, the whole world was anxious, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo by the Black Hand Society, has caused uproar in Eastern Europe. Hungary mainly, because it left the King Franz Joseph, who was granduncle to Franz Ferdinand, without an Heir, the throne of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was in a calamity. The whole country was worried, wondering what would become of this huge empire without an Heir. Who would take their throne? Who would be able to lead them know this had happened? The king knew as well as the rest of the country that they all had big problems. Interest was rife in all the neighbouring countries all wanting to invade and take over. All of Europe knew that the country was now for the taking.

Whilst all this turmoil was happening, Germany was trying to form an alliance with the Austro- Hungarian state to ‘assist’ with their government problems and be good allies. But the people of the country really knew that the Nazi Germany were trying to see if it can claim some ownership of their land, ridding it of all the Jews and Gypsies. This was also being closely watched by their other neighbours, namely the Soviets, Joseph Stalin in Russia.

King Franz Joseph was not a well man and was very concerned about his Heir to the throne after his only true blood descendant had allegedly committed suicide killing himself and his wife in a love triangle. He was very angry that his only son could have done something so rash without any remorse or given any thought to what it may do to his beloved country, not to mention his standing family distinction and steadfastness to his people. With his son’s inconsiderate, frivolous and downright treacherous conclusion, it had inadvertently left a very young Franz as the only true royal blood Heir. Now, after the ineptly, sinister, demise of him too; the only blood relative was Károly of Austria, who was Franz Ferdinand’s nephew.

This attention got so tense. The world held its breath, thus leading to the First World War as Italy declared war on Hungary. This started a chain reaction and Hungary started to suffer immediately. This was mainly because Germany was already at war with most European countries including their most recent move of declaring war on Russia. Germany invaded France and Belgium and inevitably the UK declared war on Germany. There were Zeppelin bombings, invasions and demands happening all over and the focus was completely off Hungary as a ‘united’ country.

The Hungarian people were worried about what was happening, times were very hard, people were starving and losing their homes. German officers were moving into the small villages, raping and pillaging young women and trying to take over the Town Halls and Community Centres. A mixture of fear and terror were all around. Nobody felt safe, all the women walked around in large groups, they knew that it was unwise and very silly to walk alone, because somewhere, they would get grabbed, mugged or raped. In some cases, the women were even murdered in their homes or just disappeared and were never seen again. Street folk just knew that if you went missing, you were probably dead or soon would be.

If things were not bad enough, money was stringent; people needed sustenance and needed to feed their families. Crime was getting out of hand and people were taking the law into their own hands’ town folk were not just happy with the killing from the Germans, but started to kill each other for food and clothing, fuel and work.

In a market city called Tatabanya, in Hungary’s central, this turmoil was at its worst. Tatabanya city is very close to Budapest (but not close enough to be seen by the capital) all the aftermath of what was happening in the Capital had effects all over Tatabanya. People were scared, fearing their lives. Tatabanya city was the nerve centre of the Hungary during this World War. It was where all the wholesale market traders and salespeople went to sell their goods for retail and export. As the country was in such trouble, crime was at its highest; even the Germans were stealing and looting shops and warehouses along with the Hungarian looters and thieves. Nobody could be trusted or left alone.

In the back streets of Tatabanya, there was a local butcher called Gyula Jobi, he was very well known in the country for his abattoir and meat sales. He and his father had built up their business from their own cattle and pig farm breeding and slaughtering their own meat, making them well known for their good quality and excellent foods that they supply to the retailers. Gyula lost his father quite a few years ago. He was killed in action in the war in Pest. His father was killed going to the capital to fight for his country and Gyula was very proud of him. With this tragic death of his father, in the War of Pest years previous, it left him and his wife alone to run the business. His mother lived with them, but she was very ill with influenza, I think deep down that Gyula knew that his mother was slowly dying, but he kept her comfortable at home, in a bed in the front room where the warmth was from the range as it was permanently lit and hot.

Gyula’s wife was called Sofia, she was in her 30’s and worked very hard trying to keep the shop going, helping Gyula and helping to look after her mother-in-law. Tatabanya was a strict Roman Catholic city, completely controlled by the local Bishop. If you wanted to do anything in town, you had to ask the Bishop, there were police in the town, but they still did as the Bishop requested. Sofia was devout in her Catholicism, always going to mass and attending confession. Gyula was not so devout. He never had time for the pomp and circumstance all the formality just bored him, but he respected Sofia’s wishes and supported her in her beliefs.

At this unambiguous point in their lives, Gyula and Sofia were holding close to their hearts a life-size secret, in the literal sense. Sofia was 6 months pregnant. She had been padding herself out for the last 4 months to try to hide her bump, slowly removing the padding each month as she grew, and she would not look any bigger. Sofia knew fully that if it got out that she was pregnant, valid pregnancy or not. The German soldiers may kill her as they were doing to other women in other villages everywhere in the war. You see, the German soldiers were coming into the villages and murdering the men and raping the women, if they ever saw a woman pregnant, they killed them and the baby due to its possibility of it being a bastard child of Germany. It was evil times and Gyula knew that their secret must stay a secret. Gyula truthfully wanted to shout it from the hill tops, but they knew that if they did, it would mean certain death to her and their child.

As this illusive pregnancy got closer, Gyula got more and more worried about how he was going to cover it all up, how can he explain it? What would he tell people when she has the child? The only person that knew their secret was bishop Janos Mikes; he was trying his best to come up with a feasible story to help them. He too knew that the Germans would kill without remorse weather he tried to stop them or not. He had power, but not to that strength. He knew that they could not just turn up with a child. People would wonder what was happening they would probably be able to tell that it was Sofia’s.

The Bishop Janos was very close to Sofia, and she in return adored him as a Minister and as her Bishop. She also knew that he would be very upset if anything happened to her or her baby, he would do all he could to prevent anything from harming her. Although Gyula did not agree with the Bishop’s beliefs, the Bishop was Sofia’s greatest hope of protection from any harm, as the church seemed to have the biggest influence and had the biggest say in any Catholic community, consorting with all the biggest powers and consulting with Rome and the Vatican for any extra advice. But if the Vatican got involved, you can rest assured that the decision was final.

In Bishop Janos’s panic, he thought it best to consult with his colleagues in the neighbouring villages, trying to find Sofia somewhere to hide for the birth and find an excuse to leave the town for a while. He wrote numerous letters to his diocese, trying to gain trust from one of his Priests without giving too much information.

After a few weeks, Janos received a letter from one of his un-ordained Priests called József Phem in Szentgotthárd on the Austrian border József was wanting to be a Catholic priest and was originally from Esztergom. The letter told Janos, that he could send Sofia safely to him in Szentgotthárd, and he would be able to look after her, and he would be honoured to assist him. This was mainly as there was not much German or Russian interest in their village now and they would be safe from any prying eyes.

Janos sent one of his men to the town centre to get Sofia and Gyula to come to him so he could tell them both what the József had told him. He needed to work fast now to organise this. He then quickly realised that he had two more problems now, how would they get there? And what questions would be asked on their departure? There was such a concentration of Germans and the town, watching every move being made.

When the Bishop Janos told them both they were very happy with what he had managed to sort out for them. But they also had another huge problem that they seemed to have overlooked. Gyula had completely forgotten about his mother, what could they do? She was certainly not well enough to be moved. He could not leave her! What should he do?

Sofia loved Gyula’s mother dearly and would not want her to fend for herself, she was very ill, and it was her duty as a daughter in-law to attend to her, it was totally against her catholic belief’s, the church simply would not permit it! War, religion, baby or no baby, she simply could not permit it. She made the decision to ask Gyula to stay behind to look after his mother and she would go alone with the Bishop to Szentgotthárd. The Bishop would return and advise him of the news and keep him updated. The church mail service would be able to help them keep in touch and the Bishop would help in this by sending the letters for them by the Vatican post.

Gyula really was not happy with this decision but realized and accepted that if