The long voyage

Kelt 1945 Agusztus 8kán Kedves anyukám élek Eszt a levelet Buda Pesten Irom Hogy hova Megyunk nem tudjuk hogy hova visznek Aszt csak ök tudjak Csokolak Szászor Apud Karasz Pálné Részére Békés Megye Orosháza Köségi posta 133/31

Dated on 8th Agust Dear Mommy I am living This letter I write On Buda Pest. We do not Know where we go where they take us Only they know it I kiss you A hundret times Daddy For Mrs. Karasz Békés county Orosháza Post office 133/31

Kelt 1945 Agusztus 9kén Kedves anyukán hálistenek életben vagyok Semi bajom nem történt csak az fáj Nagyon hogy Magyar országon keresztül Visznek benünket Romániába valami munkára De majdcsak megsegit a Jó Isten hogy egyszer Viszont látjuk egymást, hogyha megérjük Üdvözlöm nénémet Böncikét Mamájékat És az Öszes rokonokat és barátokat Akik élnek, Csokolak Milioszor ate Apukád Sógoromrol semitsem tudok 1 holnapja Karasz Pálné Részére, Békés Megye Orosháza köségi posta 133/31 Karasz Pálné Részére Békés Megye Orosháza Köségi posta 133/31 Aki megtalálja Sziveskedjék A cimzetnek Elküldemi

Dated on 9th Agust Dear Mommy thanks God I’m alive I’m healthy, it only hurts that They take us through Hungary To Romania to some work But the Good God will help me that once We will see us again, if we live to see it I greet my sister, Böncike, my Mum And all the relatives and friends Who are alive. A million kisses from Daddy I know nothing of my brother-in-law since a month For Mrs. Karasz, Békés county Orosháza, village post office, 133/31 For Mrs. Karasz Békés county Orosháza Post office 133/31 If you find it Please send it To the Addressee

Kedves férje aug. 10én Szolnokon utazott keresztül a fogoly vonattal Románia felé, de reméljük rövidesen visszasegíti őket a jó Isten és újra viszontláthatják egymást! Szeretettel köszönti Csikos Imréné Hadifogolylevél T. Karasz Pálné Orosháza Községi posta 133/31 Békés megye [Feladó:] Csikos Imréné, Karczag, Petőfi u. 14.

Your dear husband traveled through Szolnok with the prisoners’ train to Romania on Aug 10, but he will be hopefully brought back soon by the good God, and you can see each other again! Warm greetings from Mrs. Imre Csikos POW letter To Mrs. Karasz Orosháza Post office 133/31 Békés county [Sender:] Mrs. Imre Csikos, Karcag, Petőfi 14

Kelt 1945 Agusztus 10kén Kedves anyukám ezt a levelet Mezőturol irom a lezárt vagonbol Sajnos hogy nemtudok haza Jöni Semi bajom nincsen Csak nagyon fáj hogy még csak Nemis láthatlak újra hoszu távollét után de hogy Mikor látjuk viszont egymást Az utunk Romániába vezet munkára Édes anyukám Csokolak Milioszor Apukad Csokolom Mamájékat Csokolom Nénémet Kis Böncikét Pali, Ha a Jo Isten hazasegit életben Akorboldogokleszunk Karasz Pálné Reszére Békés Megye Orosháza Köségi posta 133/31

Dated on 10th Agust Dear Mommy I write this letter From Mezőtúr, the sealed cattle car I am so sorry I cannot come Home I have no problem, only It hurts that I even canot see You again after such a long absence, but When will we see us again Our trip leads to Romania for work Dear Mommy, a milion kisses From Daddy Kisses to Mum Kisses to my Sister To Little Böncike Pali. If the good God helps me home Then wewillbehappy For Mrs. Karasz Békés county Orosháza Village post 133/31

Kedves ismeretlen magyar testvér A mezőturi állomáson pénteken este 7 orakor be érkezett egy magyar fogoj vonat, én is kint voltam és fel vettem ezt az üzenetet, és sietek minél hamarab eljutatni önek, hogy meg tudja hogy férje él, románia felé vitték öket. Beszélni nem lehetet velök, sem nem lehet látni honan dobták ki a levelet. Mikor el megy a vonat akor lehet oda menni a céduláér. Maradok tisztelettel Erzsike Kérem legyen szives értesíteni megkapták e üzenetemet cimem. Mezőtúr. Székeskert 19.a Rima Erzsike Nagyságos Kárász Pálné részére Békés megye Orosháza Köségi posta 133/131 Fel. Rima Erzsébet. Mezőtúr. Székeskert 19 fogojlevél

Dear unknown Hungarian sister On Friday at 7 p.m. a Hungarian POW train arrived at the station of Mezőtúr. I was also there and I picked up this message, and I hurry to send it to you so you would know that your husband is alive, they are taken towards Romania. It was impossible to speak with them, one could not even see from where the letter was thrown out. Only when the train leaves, you can go there to pick up the letters. Respectfully, Erzsike Please be so kind to inform me whether you got my message my address: Mezőtúr, Székeskert str. 19/a, Erzsike Rima For Respected Mrs. Kárász Békés county Orosháza Post office 133/131 Sender: Erzsébet Rima, Mezőtúr, Székeskert 19 POW letter

Kelt 1945 Agusztus 11kén Kedves anyukám ez a levél Márt vagy a hatodik amit Irok eszt márt a határtól Irom Édes anyukám nagyon Vigyáz magadra Mert csak Te érted érdemes enyit szenved Ni Elképzelheted hogy menyit Szenved az Ember Eben a nagy Hőségben mikor rázárják az Ajtot és alig kapunk vizet A Vörös keresztes növérek Hoztak egykis csomagokat De az Oroszok nemengeték Be adni igy hát az idén Semi féle gyümölcsöt nemetünk Edés anyukám hálistenek énekem Semi bajom nincsen egésegesvagyok Ha a Jo Isten haza segit majd Majd mindent elmesélek Csak megtudod várni aszt az idöt Csokolak Milioszor Apud Csokolom Növéremet Böncikétis Legközelebi Viszont látásig Pali Karasz Pálné Részére Békés Megye Orosháza Köségi posta 133/31

Dated on 11 Agust 1945 Dear Mommy this letter Is about the sixth which I Write, this one from the border I write. Dear Mommy, please Take care. Because it is only Worth for you so much to suf Fer You can imagine how much One suffers in this great heat When they close the doors and we Hardly get any water. The Red Cross sisters brought Us some little packages But The Russians did not let Them give it to us, so this year We did not eat any kind of fruit Dear Mommy thanks God I Have no problem, healthyiam If the Good God helps me home I will tell everything May you wait that time! A million kisses from Daddy Kisses to my Sister, also Böncike, Till nearest Goodbye. Pali For Mrs. Karasz Békés county Orosháza Village post 133/31

Kedves ismeretlen Karaszné, ha a levelet megkapja legyen szives válaszolni. Maradok tisztelettel Simonka Tudom hogy meg örül a levélnek Fogolylevél Cim. Karasz Pálné részére Békés megye Orosháza Községi posta 133/31 [Feladó:] ifj. Simonka Péter Kétegyháza N[agy]váradi ú. 98. Békés megye

Dear unknown Mrs. Karasz, if you get this mail, be so kind to answer me Respectfully Simonka I know you will be happy to get this letter POW letter Address: For Mrs. Karasz Békés county Orosháza Post office 133/31 [Sender:] Péter Simonka Jr. Kétegyháza Nagyváradi út 98 Békés county

The Hungarian soldiers commanded by the Germans to the defense of the Reich west of Hungary, and there captured by the Red Army, were transported to the Soviet Gulag on two routes in the summer of 1945. The first led through Debrecen to the collecting camp of Máramarossziget/Sighetu Marmației, and from there by train to Kiev. The other through Arad to the collecting camp of Focșani, and from there through Constanța to Odessa by boat. The “sender” of the above letters, Pál Karasz from Orosháza was brought along the latter route.

The four letters which survived from the ones thrown out from the cattle car and entrusted to the solidarity of the fellow compatriots were written from 8 to 11 August 1945 in Budapest, Szolnok, Mezőtúr and Kétegyháza (marked in red on the contemporary railway map below). This road is now two hours by train. Then it was nearly four days. And then four times more followed to Focșani, where the prisoners could first get out of the crowded cattle car. I mean, the ones who survived the long voyage.

The solidarity post worked surprisingly well in the occupied and devastated country. From the six letters written until Kétegyháza, four ones reached the addressee. The route of the one written in Budapest is uncertain, but the one of Szolnok was forwarded by an inhabitant of Karcag (marked in blue), and the two other were posted by locals, accompanied with their sympathetic letters, to Mrs. Karasz in Orosháza (marked in green). To the prisoner, as he writes, it was especially painful that the train passed near his home, and he could not even look out of the wagon.


The train followed the same way as the hero of Pál Závada’s best-selling novel Yadviga’s Pillow (1997), Márton Osztatní, who was captured in Brno. He also “wrote tiny letters”, he was also from Békés county, he was also carried near his home to Focșani through Budapest, Szolnok and Mezőtúr. He also arrived there on 10 August. But he never reached Kétegyháza.

“[1945] July 17. We sleep squatting through the night. The toalet is a conic stovepipe across the floor. It’s dark and stuffy hot. I’m learning Russian, I have a Russian dictionary and grammar. I don’t follow the days. We have been traveling for five or six days, I don’t know. I press my mouth on the door fissure to get some fresh air. The food is constantly corn, sometimes cracked, bran, salted fish, suchar, that is, rock hard dried bread. Dysentery is spreading, First me, then Lieutenant Sárközi became commanders of the toalet. We let the people come three times a day, but it did not work. Many people had to come at night. Finally, there was no half hour without someone suffering. Two of the four windows of the wagon are nailed. A stench that puts to shame a ferret farm. I start my last notebook page, but only if we stand. I mostly think about my poor son, little Jancsika. Outside, the hottest summer heat. Some are fainting. Several weeks without a bath; beards, and distant, deranged glances, skinny, half-nude bodies. My God, at least we should not look at each other! I think my friend Bandi got crazy. Crying, loud praying. Some are talking in their sleep and are at home. The border! The thousand-year-old Hungarian border! We start writing tiny letters, and we throw them out when we see civilians. Some frightening news. We are not going home, but to Focșani, Romania! Then good bye, civilian life! First Romania, then Russia – slow death. They do not accept us at the frontier. Are we so vile villains? Had I not gone out because it was ordered? In our wagon, some 30-35 persons suffer from dysentery, including me. One is almost dying. We have already traveled some 20 days. Szolnok, Szajol, Mezőtúr. Oh, familiar countryside! I feel that I have no force any more. We are constantly lying. There is no more place.

And finally this was the last note of my Mother, Mrs. András Osztatní, née Mária Jadviga Palkovits: Yesterday, on August 10, 1945 I received the news, of which no more terrible can be received by a mother. My beloved son Marci died. And on the train, when he was the nearest to me! My God, how could you allow it? And how could I allow him to go to the war? I should have had to forbid it, I should have had to hide him or bring him out of the hell on my two arms. I was not where I should have been, I did not do what I should have done. We immediately run with Misu to see him. And I saw him. But I cannot describe it. I should have perished instead of him!”

Mrs. Pál Karasz preserved until her death the letters of her husband thrown out of the cattle car, along with the cover letters of the goodwill senders. From her estate they got to the collector János Fellner, who recently presented them in the Facebook group “Collectors of camp post cards”. Here we publish them with his permission.