On October 6, 1849, in the fortress city of Arad, thirteen Hungarian generals were executed. Vilmos Lázár was among them.
The executions were designed to terrorize. Some were shot; others, considered more culpable, were hanged — a death considered dishonorable for soldiers. The Austrian commander, Haynau, wanted the world to see what happened to those who defied the empire.
Vilmos was one of those hanged. He was thirty-four years old.
The night before his execution, he wrote his final letters. He wrote of his love for his family, his hope for his nation, his peace with his conscience.
"I have done what I believed was right. If I was wrong, God will judge me. But I do not believe I was wrong. I believe I served justice. I believe I served my people. I believe I served the cause of human liberty.
"Do not weep for me. I die with my comrades, in a cause greater than any individual life. Someday, Hungary will be free. When that day comes, remember those who fell in the darkness before the dawn."
At dawn on October 6, the thirteen were brought to the execution ground. They sang patriotic songs. They embraced one another. They met death with courage that moved even their executioners.
Vilmos's last words, according to witnesses: "Long live the fatherland!"
His Signature
His signature was unity. He lived among his men, shared their sufferings, died with his comrades. He was one of thirteen — one of many who together formed a greater truth than any could express alone.