Monument erected on the 900th anniversary of the first written mention of Vágfarkasd

The idea of erecting a memorial tree of life was conceived by local government representatives after the change of regime. However, its implementation has not yet been possible due to lack of funds. ; At the local government meeting on February 29, 2012, a decision was made, based on a proposal by representatives, that our settlement, Farkasd, should erect a monument worthy of this significant jubilee in memory of the 900th anniversary of its first written mention. The date of the unveiling of the monument – in the framework of a dignified ceremony – was set for October 6, 2013, the second day of the Farkasd Autumn Fair. ; At the local government meeting on April 25, 2012, the board decided to erect the monument in the center of the village, in the park in front of the health center. The local government announced a tender for the design and construction of the monument. From the three submitted applications, the jury decided that the design by György Lipcsey, a Munkácsy Prize-winning sculptor, would be the winner. The monument is made of granite, is three meters high, and cost 20,000 euros to make. Due to economic restrictions and austerity measures, the mayor and local government of Farkasd also organized a public donation to make the monument. The donors contributed 4,169 euros to cover the expenses. ; ; The people who were evicted from Farkasd and their descendants, the delegations of the twin settlements, and the mayors of the settlements in Mátyusföld were invited to the ceremony. The guests of honor of this important event were: ; Iván Bába, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, the chief patron of the ceremony, Miroslav Kusý, professor of political science, who received the Petőfi Prize in Hungary in December 2012 for his work on Slovak-Hungarian reconciliation, and Katalin Vadkerty, professor of history. The memorial inauguration ceremony began at 10 a.m. with an ecumenical service in the local Roman Catholic church. The sermon was delivered by Father Tamás Velencei, parish priest, and Pál Erdélyi, Reformed pastor. The dignity of the service was enhanced by the performance of the Concordia mixed choir of Komárom and the choir of the local pensioners' club. ; The ceremony continued with the inauguration of the memorial tree of life in the main square, in the park in front of the health center. The ceremony was hosted by Rózsa Mátyus, director of the Hungarian elementary school. After the national anthem, the Oration was performed by the Concordia mixed choir, and then Mayor Gyula Iván gave a ceremonial welcome. After the unveiling of the monument, the ceremonial speeches of the invited guests were delivered, in the following order: ; - Miroslav Kusý, professor of political science from Bratislava; - József Gróf Károlyi, former owners of Farkasd, descendant of the Károlyi family from Switzerland; - Katalin Vadkerty, professor of history from Érsekújvár; - Iván Bába, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from Budapest; - Józsefné Barcs Margit Csizmadia from Békéscsaba, representing the displaced and deported Farkas students; - Ottó Jancsó, mayor of our sister settlement, Nagybánhegyes (the majority of Farkas students were resettled in Nagybánhegyes in 1947 and 1948); - Szilvia Kovács, Deputy Mayor of Karcag, who read out a welcoming letter from Sándor Fazekas, Minister of Rural Development of Hungary. ; The festive program included performances by elementary school students, members of the local youth club and the Concordia mixed choir of Komárom. Finally, the Reformed pastor Pál Erdélyi and Father Tamás Velencei blessed the monument. The ceremony ended with the laying of wreaths at the memorial tree of life, the First and Second World War monuments and the singing of the Hungarian anthem.