In 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution, our university contributed to supporting our heroic compatriots with the resources available. Staff members, led by Assistant Professor Mária Tary and László Urbányi, travelled to Vienna to procure medicines. Under Professor László Urbányi’s guidance, students organized campus security, while the university also supported the neighbouring Péterfy Sándor Street Hospital by providing meat from university animals.
Our martyr, Zoltán Tatay, lost his life after being shot seven times by a submachine gun while trying to save an unknown compatriot. At the age of 20, and a third-year student, he went to Square 32 on October 24 wearing a white coat to assist the wounded, making him an easy target for attackers. The following day, on October 25, his body was brought to the university by Szalay, a surgical department assistant, and another third-year student using a cart drawn by a sick horse. He was laid in state and temporarily buried in front of the Chemistry Department on István Street until his parents came for him. In 2006, fifty years later, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in his honour. A talented young man with a passion for the arts, he aspired to become a poet and had also been accepted into the University of Theatre and Film Arts. However, following his parents’ wishes and in his father’s footsteps, he chose the veterinary profession, in which he showed remarkable talent.
Since 2007, it has become a tradition at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest to commemorate the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence on October 24, the anniversary of Zoltán Tatay’s death. At 6:00 p.m., a candlelit procession is held on campus, with commemorative words from Rector Professor Péter Sótonyi.
Each year, in collaboration with the World Association of Hungarian Veterinarians, our university presents the Zoltán Tatay Veterinary Student Award to a young veterinarian.
