The Hungarian Lutheran Digital Library has made available to anyone his book entitled Éva Bartosné Stasny in War in Peace, which is about the miraculous escape of the inhabitants of the children’s home on Bogár Street. The foreword to the book was written by director Ádám Horváth, who entered the institute of Gábor Sztehlo, a Lutheran pastor, after the war and may have been a good friend as an adult. We have previously published an article on our portal about the pastor’s rescue work, now we recall the Christmas memories of the group of forty-five persecuted children who lived temporarily in the villa at 29 Bogár Street in Rózsadomb.

Éva Stasny – the author of the volume – together with special education teacher Lujza Benes, ran this second home in the district, where they tried to fill the everyday lives of nearly half a hundred, mostly teenage boys with peace and love. The children lived in the villa according to a planned agenda, where in addition to studying, they also had time for small program performances, editing whiteboards and singing canons. There was a sign at the gate of the garden house proclaiming the protection of the Red Cross, but the children had to be kept from getting more prominent or accidentally getting mixed up outside our gate.

How did the children’s Christmas in the mentioned Bogár Street children’s home during the siege of Budapest?

“On Christmas Eve, the big boys set up the pine tree. After the festive dinner, we all surrounded the tree and shone with joy. Our children received gifts not only from each other but also from the center. At the ceremony of the housekeepers, Gábor Sztehlo preached the word, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings” (Luke 2:10). This biblical verse has come true in my life. There was no fear in my heart in those days. I just went, I did my thing for my children. It was “natural” for me to be led by God. “Silent Night…” we sang with reverence. Everyone knows this song, if not from home, then from school or the radio. It has never been discussed between us what religion is, but I think these children have felt our faith, that God lives with us in this home, and that Christmas is the “birthday” of Jesus — such a great holiday that not just one – a child, but everyone gets a gift.

This is how Tomi Kilényi testifies about this evening a in his diary:

“We came down to the dining room at 1/25 in the afternoon. A beautiful Christmas tree stood and a table full of luggage. There were huge falls on another table. And another table full of bags with sugar in them. When we went upstairs, I looked at what I got. I got a small print, a box of color, a notebook, a toothpaste. I decided to take Evi [Tomi nővére, akkor a Bérc utcai otthon lakója] I’ll take a package. I put the little Bible in the package because I got a big one from Aunt Dolly, a printing press, sugar, and so on. and I packed it nicely. I thought I’d take it tomorrow. I thought a lot about Anyura tonight. ” A housekeeper returning home from the “midnight” mass (held at about 6 p.m.) quietly called us aside with a terrible tank standing in front of the Belvedere building… ”

Shortly after Christmas, however, from December 26, due to cannon attacks, residents of the home were already in the basement, in fear and trembling, spending the end of the year.

The Christmas memories of the siege of Budapest will slowly turn eighty years old. However, the news of the sacrificial and selfless rescue work of Gábor Sztehlo and his helpers is still not well known. Yet we would have to talk again and again, read, write about the love and heroic work that had saved and accepted the lives that had saved the lives of thousands of children.