Mária Wittner, who died on Wednesday, was remembered on the main evening news of the Polish public television, TVP, quoting the words of the 56th freedom fighter in Poland in 2017, according to which no one in history managed to drive a wedge between the Poles and the Hungarians.
TVP recalled Mária Wittner's biography in a compilation illustrated with footage taken during the Hungarian revolution. Film director Arkadiusz Golebiewski, who hosted Wittner three times at the annual documentary festival dedicated to the anti-communist resistance in Gdynia in northern Poland, called him an exceptionally freedom-loving personality in the news.
He was ready to sacrifice his life for freedom - Golebiewski referred to the freedom fighter's death sentence in 1958.
Maciej Szymanowski, the director of the Polish-Hungarian Cooperation Institute Waclaw Felczak in Warsaw, highlighted in the program: Mária Wittner joined the anti-communist uprising in Budapest as a 19-year-old girl, first as a nurse, and then she took part in the fighting with a gun in her hand.
It was recalled in the commentary of the compilation:
Mária Wittner visited Poland several times and highly valued the Polish-Hungarian friendship.
Arkadiusz Golebiewski also remembered Mária Wittner on the Facebook page of the film festival he organized, recalling that in Gdynia in 2018 she was also awarded the Ring of Independence award, dedicated to heroic fighters for freedom. Golebiewski also published the transcript of the podium discussion in which writer, editor, diplomat Attila Szalai (1950–2020) participated with Mária Wittner at the festival.
"I am convinced that the renewal of Europe is in our hands, it is a great, epoch-making responsibility"
- Wittner stated at the time, adding: experienced friends can cope with it. - However, it is not enough to repeat: Polish-Hungarian are two good friends and recall the stereotypical signs of sympathy, our friendship must be filled with content by every generation - emphasized Wittner. The deceased was commemorated on Wednesday on the conservative news portal Wpolityce.pl, as well as on the website of the Felczak Institute.
Source and full article: Magyar Nemzet
Featured image: MTI Gyula Péter Horváth/PS
