Historical treasure in the Haag zoo: Hungarian hussar documents discovered!

Historical treasure in the Haag zoo: Hungarian hussar documents discovered!

In the Haag zoo in Lower Austria, a sensational find was made, which is historically of great importance. A mysterious chest that had been hidden in the bottom of the deer enclosure for decades was discovered with the help of a metal detector. This box contains documents from the Hungarian Royal 1st Honvéd Hussar Division, which was stationed in May 1945 with around 10,000 men at Salaberg Castle. The find could open a new chapter in Hungarian-American war history, as krone.at reported.

The materials contained include diaries, commands, maps and management reports that document the last weeks of the hussar division. Historian István Szebenyi and his team had specifically searched for these documents. A crucial reference to the whereabouts of the chest came from a letter from 1948. This reported on the overgrowth of the documents in the park of a castle on the east bank of the Enns - exactly in Salaberg Castle.

historical relevance of the hussar division

The hussar division fought against Bolshevism on the Eastern Front during the Second World War and was very afraid of the Soviets. A legend states that a friendship between the Hungarian Colonel Malanotti and the US general George S. Patton saved the hussars from delivery to the Soviets. According to the first evaluations, the finds actually point to contacts between Malanotti and Patton. In May 1945, the division with around 1,200 horses managed to escape through the Ennskraftwerk and the surrender to the US forces, as well as [Kurier.at] (https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/tierpark-haag-kiste-heilnis-ungarische-husaren-80-jahre- Warning/403044138) reported.

However, many hussars later suffered fate to be advised and deported in Russian captivity. The find is initially kept in the safe of the Hague City Hall. The municipality plans to leave all documents to the State Archives, which further underlines the importance of the found. Szebenyi sees a new chapter of Hungarian-American war and memory history in these revelations.

Mayor Lukas Michlmayr (ÖVP) expressed his joy about this remarkable find, which not only enriches local history, but could also re -illuminate international historical relationships. This could show a dramatic history of the mounted regiments, which took place in the turmoil of the war and the political upheavals. Further details and information can be found on noe.orf.at