Eduard Benes’s historical role has made a storm again. Benes became notorious for his decrees declaring Germans and Hungarians in Czechoslovakia war criminals collectively. The parliament in Slovakia put the question on its agenda after an independent MP’s motion and a debate ensued between Czechia and Germany about the president’s historical role. On the meeting of the exiled Sudeten Germans Edmund Stoiber, Premier of Bavaria criticized the erection of the statue in Prague in front of the building of the Czech Foreign Ministry in the presence of Premier Paroubek. Gerhard Schröder, Chancellor of Germany evaded the question yesterday during his talks in Czechia and said in a press conference the demands of the deported Sudeten Germans could not influence the excellent German-Czech relations. The Hungarian government has not protested officially against the erection of the statue but the government spokesperson said the government shared the sensitiveness and indignation of Hungarians within and beyond the borders and found it necessary to make clear the position of the decrees. As it is known Hungarians who were persecuted, deported to Hungary or exiled in Czechia, deprived of their citizenship and all their properties have not been indemnified and no apology has been extended for their distress.
Translated by Peter Szentmihályi Szabó
origo.hu
Gyárfás Tamás: Ez nem egy játékfilm, nem egy regény, ez az életem. Ennyi volt
