Discover Böhönye

• The military cemetery is on the southern edge of town, at the intersection of main roads No. 61 and No. 68.
• It is the Volksbund's collection and burial cemetery in Somogy County. More than 2,000 victims of the Second World War were laid to rest there.
• The cemetery opened to the public on October 2, 1993.
• Granite crosses mark gravesites, including the graves of unidentified war dead. Granite slabs bear the names of soldiers whose remains can no longer be recovered.
• The Böhönye Reformed Church was initiated and funded in 1787 by Lajos Festetics for the local Reformed congregation. The Church of St. Elijah, also known as the Festetics Chapel, is in the western part of Böhönye, on the site of the former Illés-major estate.

The cemetery is both a burial place and a place of remembrance. Its role as the Volksbund's collection and burial cemetery in Somogy County, and the more than 2,000 victims of the Second World War buried there, give the memorial site a clear historical focus.

The different markers represent different groups: at the far end, granite crosses mark the gravesites; the graves of unidentified war dead are also marked with crosses. Two names of people buried there appear on each side of the crosses. By contrast, granite slabs at the memorial and along the cemetery path bear the names of soldiers whose remains can no longer be recovered.

In the center of the cemetery are a flower bed and a stone monument with a bilingual inscription. The crosses, name plaques, and monument thus define different areas of the memorial site: they mark gravesites, name soldiers, and provide the cemetery with another visible reminder.

The military cemetery is on the southern edge of Böhönye, at the intersection of main roads No. 61 and No. 68. These location details provide a clear point of reference within the town. The date it opened to the public—October 2, 1993—is part of the cemetery's history.

The Böhönye Reformed Church stands set back from the settlement's main road, within a block of houses. Its ceiling has a blue ground painted with golden-yellow stars. In 1787, Lajos Festetics initiated and funded the construction of a stone church for the local Reformed congregation. Alongside its history, its location and ceiling design give the building a distinctive architectural feature.

The Church of St. Elijah, also known as the Festetics Chapel, has a different history. It is in the western part of Böhönye, on the site of the former Illés-major estate. Between 1760 and 1765, the Festetics family had a Baroque chapel built there in honor of the prophet Elijah. The chapel is no longer in use. Their different historical details help distinguish the two religious buildings: the Reformed Church's construction was initiated and funded in 1787, while the Festetics Chapel was built between 1760 and 1765 and dedicated to Elijah.

Discover more destinations: Balatonkeresztur, Balatonberény, Marcali, Balatonújlak, Gadány, Somogysimonyi, Kéthely, Nikla.

What do the granite crosses mark?

They mark gravesites at the far end of the military cemetery, including the graves of unidentified war dead.

Whose names are on the granite slabs?

The slabs name soldiers whose remains can no longer be recovered.

When did the military cemetery open to the public?

On October 2, 1993.

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