On August 19, 1945, five American soldiers were on a mad rush through the blizzard in the Austrian Alps to bring back holiest relic of Hungary in time for St. Stephen's day. The Holy Right Hand of St. Stephen had been hidden near Salzburg before the end of WW2 by members of the Hungarian Arrow Cross militia. Its unexpected and miraculous return on the day of St. Stephen brought joy and gave hope to the suffering Hungarian people.
In our exclusive mini-documentary, you will hear the five American soldiers (stationed in Hungary as members of the Allied Control Commission) tell the story in their own words. The rare audio is complemented by just as rare images and documents, all from of the estate of the late Lt. Col. George Kovach. In addition, you can see original footage of the joyous religious procession that took place on August 20, 1945, with members of the Catholic church carrying around the newly returned relic on the streets of Budapest.
Watch the clip here or on our Facebook, and please do leave a comment if you liked it or if you have anything to add. And if you are in Budapest, don’t forget to book our walking tour to hear much, much more about the Cold War history of Hungary.