Otto Szirmai ( 1926-1959)
Born in Budapest, Szirmai belonged to a family that had been involved in the socialist movement for several generations. After leaving school, he worked for a while as a casual labourer, as his family were very poor. In 1943, he became a trainee stage designer at the National Theatre. Later he completed the College of Applied Arts and worked in radio drama. Szirmai joined the communist party in 1945 and in due course became a member of the HWP. On October 23, 1956, he took part in the demonstrations at the statues of Petőfi and Bem. That evening he tried to calm the demonstrators, and when the siege of the radio began, he helped to rescue the women from the building. As late as October 29, he was negotiating in Parliament about democratizing the operation of the radio, but on the following day, he was placed on the list of those to be fired. At that point he met up with his old friend István Angyal and joined his group of rebels based in Tűzoltó utca (8th District). There he remained, although he did not bear arms, since his right hand had been paralysed since birth. When the second Soviet attack came, Szirmai gathered intelligence for the group on the telephone. On November 5, he negotiated at the Kossuth Academy as a parliamentarian with the Soviet commander, but without success. On the following day, he accompanied a wounded Austrian journalist to the Bakáts tér hospital (9th District) and was prevented from returning to the group by Soviet tank fire in Ferenc körút. A few days later, he joined the resisters at the Péterfy Sándor utca hospital (7th District), helping to write and produce leaflets. He initiated the establishment of a youth party and drew up a programme for it. On November 20, he began writing for the illegal paper Élünk (We Are Alive) and helping to distribute it. He made contact with the Budapest Central Workers' Council and other organizations still keeping the ideas of the revolution alive. By that time, he did not think it was useful to continue fighting, but politically, he was more radical than his associates were. Szirmai also took part in organizing the women' s demonstration on December 4. After several house searches, he was eventually arrested on January 14, 1957. The court of first instance sentenced him to death on April 17, 1958 for leading a movement and on other charges. This was confirmed by the People' s Court Council of the Supreme Court on November 27, 1958. After an appeal for clemency was rejected, he was executed on January 22, 1959.
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