by Ildikó Szerényi, Senior Archivist at the National Archives of Hungary (IT and Innovation Department), and APE Country Manager for Hungary
In May 2025, a mass military grave from World War II was uncovered in the courtyard of the Hungarian National Archives building on Bécsi Kapu Square in Budapest. This site was part of the fierce fighting during the 1944–45 siege of Budapest, one of the longest urban sieges of the war. The excavation revealed the remains of 14 German soldiers who died during the siege. Seven of these individuals have been identified, allowing for precise determination of their identities. The excavation is ongoing, and further remains may be discovered in the area.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the military occupation, the National Archives of Hungary, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence’s Institute and Museum of Military History and its Military History Archives, is preparing a major European initiative. Germany’s Bundesarchiv has also joined the project, which will incorporate some records previously held in Russian archives.
Progress is well underway. County archives have reviewed death registers from 1944 to 1950 across all Hungarian settlements. Until 1950, these records noted if a person died due to war injuries (courts declared people dead five years after disappearance). The collected data will feed into an interactive visual database showing military events, troop movements, and both military and civilian casualties on a map.
Though data collection is ongoing, experts have already identified over 58,000—mostly civilian—victims. The program’s official launch is expected in the fall.
While gathering archival documents for an exhibition related to World War II, staff at the Hungarian National Archives (MNL) were instructed to review relevant materials. A particularly important document was identified. Dated March 13, 1945, it was a request from the District I Public Health Office asking institutions, including the National Archives, to submit a list by 8:00 a.m. the next day of people and animals buried on their premises or in the surrounding public spaces since December 24, 1944. The National Archives responded the same day, stating that during the siege of Budapest, a German field hospital operated for weeks in their basement and twelve individuals had been buried in a bomb crater in the courtyard. As no exhumation records were found, archivists concluded that the burials may still be undisturbed.
The German War Graves Commission team quickly located the remains of the first soldier, followed by thirteen more. Seven of them were positively identified, allowing their families to finally learn where their relatives were buried.
The excavation was complicated by the presence of modern utility lines, but several personal items were recovered, including watches, combs, razors, medical supplies, and wartime coins. Remnants of the National Archives' tower, destroyed in the summer of 1945, were also uncovered. Work will continue after Pentecost to explore other potentially relevant sections of the site.
The excavation at Bécsi Kapu Square serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war and the importance of preserving and understanding this history.
Csaba Szabó, Director General of the National Archives of Hungary emphasised the importance of archives and the documents they preserve. “History lives with us,” he said. “Even after so many years, there are still gaps in our knowledge, and significant documents continue to surface. If we hadn’t had this key document, these German soldiers might never have been exhumed. But the information it contained led us to the solution.”
Original article in Hungarian can be found here
The Hungarian TV News also took an interest in the story: