70: Erika Szeles

Erika Kornélia Szeles

Erika Kornélia Szeles was born on January 6, 1941 in Budapest, Hungary.

Her Parents were Noémi Blumenfeld and Sándor Szeles (Schlesinger.)

She was from a Jewish Family and born at during the height of the Anti-Jewish Laws made by Miklós Horthy.

Erika’s Father died in a Concentration Camp in 1944.

Erika and her Mother survived the German Occupation of Hungary (1944-1945) and the Deportation and murder of 564,000 Hungarian Jews.

She completed her Primary School Studies at the Budapest Primary Girls' School.

After Primary School, instead of going to High School Erika became a Chef Apprentice at the Béke Hotel.

When the Hungarian Uprising against the Hungarian and Soviet Communists began in October 1956 Erika joined her Boyfriend in the armed struggle.

She quickly learned how to use a sub-machine gun and fought alongside the Group in several skirmishes with Soviet Soldiers.

On November 1, 1956, Danish Photojournalist, Vagn Hansen, took the famous picture of her.

A few days later she left the Armed Resistance Group and joined the Red Cross to help the wounded.

On November 8, 1956 Erika, wearing a Red Cross Uniform, was killed by the Soviets as she ran to care for a wounded Person.

She was 15 years old.

She was buried in the Kerepesi Churchyard in Budapest.

Her Mother grieved for Erika for the next 34 years  - living by herself until she died in 1990.