Hungarian government officials visit Blackpool to mark 70 years since the resort welcomed 200 refugees
“For Hungary, remembrance in Blackpool is also an act of gratitude...Seventy years on, that friendship is still remembered.”
Blackpool’s warm welcome for Hungarian refugees has been commemorated with a special wreath-laying ceremony.
Members of the Hungarian government joined officials from Blackpool Council, 70 years on from the town welcoming 200 refugees.
Men, women and children had fled the central European country following the Hungarian Revolution in late 1956. Blackpool offered homes and opportunities for 200 of them to rebuild their lives, cementing a lasting friendship between the town and the Hungarian people.
A blue plaque commemorating this welcome was unveiled in the Winter Gardens in 2021. Yesterday, officials from the Hungarian government visited again to lay a wreath, on the 70th anniversary of the revolution.
Blackpool Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Jane Hugo, and chief executive, Neil Jack, were joined by Hungary’s State Secretary György Heidl, and Consul General of Hungary in Manchester, Judit Varhelyi.
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Blackpool Tower was later illuminated in the colours of the Hungarian flag - red, white and green.
Cllr Hugo said: “In 1956 Blackpool became a place of refuge for Hungarians who were forced to leave their homes. Our town offered shelter, friendship and the opportunity to begin rebuilding their lives.
“We’re proud of the welcome given, and of the contribution people from many countries continue to make to Blackpool’s life. This ceremony was an opportunity to remember those who suffered, and to reaffirm the friendship and compassion that meant so much 70 years ago.”
Ms Varhelyi added: “For Hungary, remembrance in Blackpool is also an act of gratitude. The Hungarian refugees who arrived here needing help returned only months later to the Winter Gardens to give something back, raising money for the Mayor’s charity. Blackpool had offered them shelter; they answered with music. Seventy years on, that friendship is still remembered.”
On 23rd October 1956, the Hungarian people rose against Soviet repression in a struggle for freedom and independence. When the revolution was crushed, many were forced to leave their homes.
In 1957, those who made a new home in Blackpool gave a performance of thanks at the Winter Gardens, to acknowledge the hospitality shown and raise money for the then-Mayor of Blackpool’s charity fund.
This year’s wreath laying honours those who suffered in 1956, the resilience of those who came to Blackpool, and the generosity of those who welcomed them.