Former Prime Minister Gyula Horn laid to rest

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn, who played a key role – as Foreign Minister – in bringing down the Iron Curtain by letting East Germans cross the border to Austria, was laid to rest in the Fiume Road National Graveyard this Monday.

Paying tribute at the coffin were current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as well as former prime ministers Péter Boross, Péter Medgyessy, Ferenc Gyurcsány and Gordon Bajnai. The farewell ceremony that included military honors was also attended by foreign politicians such as the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz or former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, both of whom spoke at the ceremony.

Gyula Horn died at the age of 80 after spending over six years in hospital. He was best known internationally for his announcement as foreign minister in 1989 that Hungary would allow East German refugees to leave the country for West Germany, one of the key events that helped bring an end to communism in Eastern Europe.

His work, especially his role in the demolition of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany, was recognized by several awards and honors.