In honour of the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, a public space in Józsefváros in Budapest has been named after Ilona Szabó. The young Roma woman—nicknamed “Kócos” (meaning “Shaggy-haired” or “Tousled”)—became an armed revolutionary at Corvin Passage and was struck by a fatal shot on Práter Street.

The naming of this public space was preceded by research aimed at gaining the most accurate possible understanding of Ilona Szabó’s life and story, as not every detail can be verified through historical documentation.

Nevertheless, historians supported the initiative, as did various Roma civil society and professional organisations (such as UCCU and the Józsefváros Roma Minority Self-Government), with whom the local government also consulted.

• Teret kapott Szabó Ilonka, a forradalom roma hőse. Joszefvaros Ujsag. 25.10.2026. https://jozsefvarosujsag.hu/szabo-ilonka-a-forradalom-roma-hose/