Michal Hudák

* 1931

  • “Second world war had struck as hard. At the gymnasium in Szeged, the classes started before 7, because at 7, American bombers started to appear in the sky, on their way from Italy to bomb Budapest and Vienna. Thus, we were sent home from school, they didn't want us to be there. We witnessed massive bombing in Szeged. I can say, it's not just something. The sirens were fastened on the enormous bombs. And when they released the bombs from the height of 10-12 km, it produced extreme noise, it approached and then exploded. The land was very flat, the explosion was felt throughout the whole city, sometimes they just wanted to get rid off the bombs, or Germans shot at them and they answered. We've experienced all this."

  • She told the priest everything, even though she was forbidden to disclose it. She was unable to do anything, she couldn't teach, serve sermons, so she had to go on sick leave. Her uncle, dr. Mazak- a lawyer, and former general director of the post office in Bratislava found out about that because the family was talking about it. He said nothing would help only placing her in a psychiatric hospital. He had a friend in Pezinok, so she was put in a closed ward. The secret police came even there, but the Head of the hospital was so courageous, he never allowed them in.

  • They started to attack and threaten her- what would happen to her brother, her parents, to her. They wanted cooperation. Three men were attacking her whole night. She kept refusing. At five in the morning, when she was already tired, they kept interrogating her for twelve hours taking turns so the other can sleep, they gave her the register. They wanted her to spy on the brother of the priest Vajdicka, brother of the priest Dudas, who reside in Vrutky, on bishop Ruppelt from Zilina. She was supposed to report on everyone who visits the priest, to report everything. She refused. So they told her to sign, they did not inflict physical harm on her and were polite, so she signed that. Then they informed her, she had signed the cooperation.

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    Liptovský Ondrej, 08.12.2018

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A man is never abandoned by God

Michal Hudák as a retired protestant priest
Michal Hudák as a retired protestant priest
zdroj: z archívu pamätníka

Michal Hudak was born on July 29, 1931. He originates from the ethnic of lowland Slovaks, who lived in Slovensky Komlos in Hungary. He was a son of a merchant with groceries Michal Hudak, and Gizela Hudakova (nee Kovacova). As a student of gymnasium in Segedin, he witnessed war events connected to „allied bombing” of the city and the last transition of the front-line. After the war and the rise of communism, his family moved to Czechoslovakia. He completed gymnasium in Dolny Kubin, later he continued with studies on Protestant Theological Faculty in Bratislava, however due to ideological tension he was viewed as opponent of the regime and had to discontinue his studies and attend basic military service. In 1955, he married a fellow theology student Ludmila Mazakova. In the past, she was subjected to interrogation of Stb and coerced to sign cooperation, which had lifelong negative consequences on her mental health. After completing the studies, he worked as chaplain in Kosice, vicar in Sahy and later in Jelsava. Due to deteriorating health of his son, he was was forced to move to Liptovsky Peter, where he worked until retirement. His service laster until 1996, in 1997 he founded a publishing house Polarka, which concentrates on Scandinavian Protestant literature. He currently resides in Liptovsky Ondrej.