Polish and Hungarian Comrades Stretch Their Arms Out as One
Text: Levente Gyimóthy | Photo: Richárd Dömsödi | 14:14 December 16, 2025Hungary hosted the national blood donation campaign “Polish-Hungarian, One Blood” for the third time, organized in memory of Poland’s assistance during the 1956 revolution and war of independence, which the Hungarian Armed Forces also joined. At the Székesfehérvár stage of the program, Croatian, Lithuanian and American comrades also volunteered alongside Hungarian and Polish soldiers.
At the blood drive organized by the HDF 51st Signal and Headquarters Support Brigade, Colonel Marek Kozera, defence, military and air attaché of the Republic of Poland and an employee of the Polish Embassy in Budapest, also paid his respect.
More than a hundred people donated blood at the memorial blood drive in Székesfehérvár. Each donation can save up to three lives, and with targeted blood drives, the recovery of leukemia patients was also supported. During the day, eight first-time donors joined the event, six of whom were foreign soldiers, while one donor helped their fellow humans for the fiftieth time. The organizers thanked them for their generosity with a certificate.
This is history…
The initiative was launched by the Consulate General of Hungary in Krakow based on the suggestion of Consul General Dr. Tibor Gerencsér.
It has been 69 years since the Hungarian Red Cross issued a worldwide appeal to the nations of the world to send as much blood to our country as possible during the revolution of 23 October 1956.
Poland was the first to respond to the appeal, with around 11,000 Poles donating blood to the Hungarians. The first shipment contained more than 800 litres of blood for the wounded soldiers.
