István Török

From the Hungarian Wikipedia page [1]

István Török (Sarvar, November 12, 1930 - Győr, December 2, 1958) was a iron lathe worker, and a martyr in 1956.

His father was a left-wing party, the SZDP and then a member of the MDP. After his primary school, Stephen was in the sugar factory, where he graduated in 1951 as a ironworker. He was the secretary of the Working Youth Federation (DISZ) for two years and Secretary General of the Kinizsi Sports District. During his military service he applied to the Kossuth Artillery Officer School, in 1953 he was appointed as an lieutenant, but he was also dismissed. Although he applied for admission to the Hungarian Workers' Party (MDP), his candidacy was rejected.

## Role in the Revolution

He was working as a lathe operator at the Győr wagon factory. On October 25, 1956, he joined the demonstration in Győr, and was also found at the party house and at the county headquarters of the BM. The protesters ran away from the shelter of the party house defenders. The next day, another demonstration began, where István Török had already given a speech on the balcony of the city council. Arriving at the barracks, the protesters were elected to an embassy to be sent to the military headquarters, whose task was to reach the military. He also attended the local ÁVH Commander as a delegate in the negotiations on the release of political prisoners. As a sub-lieutenant, he also became a member of the transferred police force. They were sent to the country several times to prevent lynchings and clashes.

On the 28th Attila Szigethy, the head of the Transdanubian National Council instructed him to visit the cities of Western Hungary and asked for information about the situation that had come to Turkey, who then visited his home town. On October 29, he prevented him from counting down the supposed servers of the former system at the meeting of the Győr coach factory.

The next day he became a member of the delegation to Imre Nagy, who presented the requests of the wagon factory to the prime minister. After November 4, he became illegitimate, distributed leaflets, and planned the attack of Soviet units with others. They requested the assistance of the military officers of Győr and the national guard of Tatabánya, but no action was taken. István Török then emigrated on 18 November, first to Austria and then to the United States. A year later, he returned home with the Hungarian authorities in his amnesty. However, on October 12, 1957 he was arrested. At the first court on 3 May 1958, László Benke sentenced him to death and condemnation of organization and murder. The Supreme Court József Mecsér approved the judgment on 25 November and executed the verdict on 2 December. Before his execution, he said, "I'm sure the time will come when the family will not be ashamed of me when I become a dead hero, like László Rajk."

## Meemorial

On June 15, 1989, a funeral ceremony was held in the cemetery of Sopronkőhida, and his family attended the commemoration. At that time, they knew nothing about the whereabouts of the tombs, and they took 9 names for the memorial, including István Török and his co-worker, Attila Szigethy. The remnants of István Török, executed in Győr and unmarked, were found in 1991 and successfully identified. The ashes found were taken to Sárvár. On April 12th, on the day of the reburial, the mortuary was decorated with national-colored flags. The mourning was spoken by Endre Lamatsch, parish priest. He was dr. Tibor Dénes, Deputy Mayor, followed István Török, the hero of the ancient times. Imre Bajontai drew parallels between 1848 and 1956 on behalf of the Fifty-Six Vas County Association. The chairman of the Board of the Szigethy Attila Foundation dr.Chairman of the Historical Court Committee, Northern Transdanubian Organization, Lazur Barna. István Török's family also attended the ceremony. It rests in the Soproni Cemetery, at the ornamental grave behind the Berke Géza crypt. Hopefully, István Török, the martyr of the Revolution and Freedom Fight of 56, was born undisturbed. On October 23, each year, the city council puts a wreath at its grave. Győrott street bears its name, where in 2001 the city government set up a plaque. In this place, there are regularly commemorations of the martyr.

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