Most people spent the hard months after the leaving of Laslovo in friendly Szigetvar, Hungary.
The first group of refugees arrived to Szigetvar on August 21, 1991. Two buses brought the people whose eyes were red-rimmed, who lost all hopes and who were tired and exhausted. Most of them were old, ill or children who had to leave their homes behind in only the clothes they were wearing. The first group was put up in tents, later in the building of the old hospital, then in the tourist hotel of Fort Zrinyi. They numbered 160.
When we had to leave our homes, we thought we would only leave for a few days, or a few weeks. Ever since we have been living away from home, looking in front of us with empty eyes. Our memories were stolen, we became homeless, we live from day to day wishing to go home. But where is the home? Where are the relationships meaning home, where are the people, the landscape and the buildings? There are cowardly directed bombs, fear, hatred and many-many tears. Who still has people around himself to love, who has not yet lost the nearest and dearest relative can perhaps still not value his wealth. In this mad war many have -unfortunately- lost their lives.
The number of civilians and heroic
guardists dead increased day after day.
Perhaps once the death of these young
men will prove not to have been senseless and unnecessary. Perhaps there
still is justice in this world, perhaps once there will be a return to
Slavonia, to the industrious and peaceful Laslovo.
It would be hard to list all the people whom we owe something in Szigetvar. The office of the mayor in Szigetvar, the Civil Guard, the local Red Cross, charity organisations, medical, educational and cultural bodies have done a lot to help us and to provide us with all we wanted and asked for.
We must thank the leaders and workers of the local "1st" Primary School for making it possible for us to organise instruction in Croatian for about 60 children. Their selfless and loyal help contributed to the successful ending of the school term. On this occasion, on May 29, 1992 a party was organised for the Croatian pupils, where Pal Kolics headmaster gave them their school reports. The eleven most industrious pupils were each given a book.
All thanks and appreciation to those helpful people who, besides their daily routine, tried to help us and make our situation easier to cope with. For the refugees of Laslovo this is something to cherish, however much they are saying: we only do our job.
All we can say is: Thank You.
Today most of the refugees of Laslovo have found shelter in Osijek and the surrounding area, but many are still living in Hungary, Germany, in other parts of Croatia, all waiting for the chance, the possibility to go back home.
In these hard times it was first Szigetvar and Godollo, who gave selfless support to us, later they were joined by ten villages wearing the name Szentlaszlo: Bakonyszentlászló, Bucsuszentlászló, Bükkszentlászló, Jászszentlászló, Mátraszentlászló, Pilisszentlászló, Pusztaszentlászló, Szentlászló, Vácszentlászló and Zalaszentlászló.
Godollo has friendly relations to Wageningen, in the Netherlands, and that to Morfelden-Waldorf, Germany. Through these channels does the humanitarian help arrive to us. The Dutch city printed a leaflet entitled Wageningen helps Laslovo. In order to help rebuild the village a foundation called "Szentlaszlo" was founded.
After leaving the village the local authority re-established itself in Osijek, helped in this effort by the local authorities by donating an office. The first thing to do was establishing a body for handling the situation. In February 1992 the leaders of the community were elected. Their first job was to re-organise the records of the villagers. After it was made ready, it became evident than in Osijek and its surrounding area about 1,000 of us found refuge.
The people have not lost their beliefs. They believe in returning home, in spite of being conscious of the immense tragedy. This is a result of the permanent contact between the local authority and about 80 per cent of the inhabitants of Laslovo. The direct contact, the information increases the trust of the people.
We hope that we can make Laslovo stand again from our own resources but not without the help of the friendly towns and villages and Croatia.
On the establishment of local governments, from 1993 onwards, Laslovo is a member of the circle of Ernestinovo. It consists of 9 villages, with 5192 inhabitants altogether:
Ernestinovo -1495
inhabitants (more than 50 % Croat)
Szentlászló
- 1298 inhabitants
Haraszti
- 395 inhabitants (more than 50 per cent of these
two villages is Hungarian)
Paulin Dvor -
168 inhabitants
Divos
- 105 inhabitants
Petrova Slatina- 319 inhabitants
Ada
- 319 inhabitants
Palacsa
- 413 inhabitants
Szilas
- 680 inhabitants (the last 5 villages
have more than 50 per cent Serbian inhabitants).
The combination of nationalities in the 9 villages:
Hungarian - 1148
Croatian- 1887
Serbian - 2157
More than 80 per cent of the population of Laslovo found refuge in Osijek. We are trying to normalise our lives in these new conditions.
In order not to loose our identity we continued the work of our cultural society. This way we are trying to maintain our Hungarian culture and traditions, and promote the maintenance of the Hungarian language.
In these conditions we have re-organised our soccer team on January 12, 1992. It used to wear the name "May 1st", today it is called Szentlaszlo 1991. In 1992/93 it participated in the Osijek league, after the result of the previous year in a lower category which we had won. In the next season we fought the sportsmen of Osijek, Valpovo and Donji Mihojlac. We finished seventh. In 1994/95 we finished 2nd in Osijek county, only being beaten by one point by Omladinac. We have 21 players, out of whom 18 were born in Laslovo, who were Croatian soldiers in the most dramatic of times. They were ready to defend the homeland, when their help was needed. We would like to thank NK Cepin for allowing us to use their pitch for the home matches for free. There are many visitors and the success praises the name of Laslovo.
This is already the fourth year that we gather for a sad occasion in the last week of November. We commemorate the fall of Vukovar, Laslovo and all Eastern-Slavonia.
On such occasions it is traditional that there are results to celebrate, to party for. On these days, however, the parents and relatives of the dead fighters sit in the first rows, wearing black, listening with tearful eyes to the expressions of gratitude and respect of the public leaders. On these days numbers are mentioned, too, but behind the numbers there are, sadly, human lives. Candles are lit on these days in the windows of the town. The heroes deserve it for at Vukovar they defended Croatia, and at Laslovo they defended Slavonia and Osijek.
There is no minute of the day passing without thinking of Laslovo, without us imagining that we are at home, in Laslovo. We are proud folks. We cannot be humiliated. In all times, bad and worse, we persist and believe. We know our duty is to return, to rebuild the destroyed village for future generations to come.
Laslovo did not die. Laslovo lives. At present only in the hearts of the people, but soon time will come when the bells will ring again in Laslovo, when the schoolbell will summon the children and life will return.
As the words of Jozsef Szlam suggest:
"All pain will cease, I will
return
Liberty will come and the sky will be
clear..."
Last update: March 19, 1998
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