Captured at Auschwitz
In 1944, 19-year-old Hungarian soldier András Toma was captured by Soviet forces near Auschwitz while serving in an artillery regiment. He was taken to a POW camp near Leningrad, but in 1947, the camp closed and Toma was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Kotelnich, Russia. There, he was misdiagnosed with psychoneurosis and removed from prisoner records.
A Language Barrier That Lasted Decades
Toma did not speak Russian, and no one at the hospital spoke Hungarian. For over 50 years, he lived in near-total isolation, unable to communicate meaningfully with anyone. In 1954, Hungary declared him dead. It wasn’t until 1997 that a visiting Slovakian doctor recognized his language.
The Return of a Soldier
On 11 August 2000, András Toma returned to Hungary. DNA testing confirmed his identity, and he was reunited with his half-siblings. On 16 September 2000, he went home to Sulyánbokor.
Recognition and Rest
Toma was officially promoted to sergeant major and granted full back pay for over five decades of service. He spent his remaining years living with his half-sister Anna and died in 2004. He was buried with full military honors.
For over half a century, a Hungarian soldier believed to be dead was alive in a Russian psychiatric hospital, completely unable to speak with anyone around him.
Captured during WWII, András Toma’s return in 2000 was one of the most extraordinary repatriations ever… pic.twitter.com/Osrfurzjlc
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 4, 2025