The issue of taking care of the soldiers’ graves who had fallen in World War I was raised after the war.  The 1 May 1925 edition of the newspaper Dunántúl (Transdanubia) provided precise and detailed information about 1780 graves that had been found including the ethnic composition of the soldiers. Subsequently, a social movement started involving the municipal government, several social organisations, associations, and individuals to refurbish the graves and to cover them with ivy.

The municipal government at the time decided to provide 20 million Hungarian koronas to replace with a memorial the obelisk that had been erected during the war. The local press continuously reported the achievements and the difficulties. As was the established practice at the time, the names of benefactors along with the amount of their donations were published in the newspaper to keep up the giving spirit. Among the benefactors were regimental doctor, Dr. Aladár Kenessey and his wife who donated two million Hungarian koronas for the construction of the memorial in 1926. The following day readers were informed that new donations had been given. The 9 May edition of the paper reported the fact that 1200 graves still lacked a stone cross and suggested the solution that the cost of 1200 headstones be borne by 1200 families.

From 1922, the War Memorial Evaluation Committee of the Fine Arts Council was responsible for the erection of World War I statues and memorials. As part of this project, the memorial made by Pécs based sculptor, Mihály Kapás Nagy was inaugurated in Pécs Public Cemetery in 1928. The limestone statue ensemble portrays a young, dying soldier with Jesus Christ in the background. The statue symbolises mourning and the evanescence of life.

In the decades after 1945 the graves needed to be restored again. The City Council decided about the restoration of the graves in 1972. The renovation sponsored by the City Council and the funeral home was carried out by companies, brigades, social organisations, and private individuals. The City Archives and the Museum was responsible for the professional management of the project. The investment plan made in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence in 1985 was implemented between 1986 and 1987. According to the plan, the graves were preserved at their original place in parcels “U” and “W”.

The last stage of the renovation completed in the 1990s was funded by the state as well as by foreign organisations. The most important sponsors were the Austrian Black Cross Association dealing with the maintenance of war graves, the War Graves Office of the Institute of Military History and Museum of the Ministry of Defence as well as the Municipality of Pécs County Seat. The renovation was implemented by Pécs Funeral Home. György Kungl’s monument was inaugurated during the ceremony commemorating the 80^th anniversary of the end of World War I. The style of the new memorial was in keeping with the old monument. The foundation of the memorial is a large cross symbolising Jesus Christ’s triumph over death with two eagles emerging from the cross – one ascending and one descending. The eagles refer to the Turul, the mythological and national bird of Hungary that traditionally symbolises heroism, faith, and bravery. The descending eagle dropping the banner is depicted using gloomy colours to symbolise fallen soldiers. The ascending eagle taking the banner symbolises the faith and the strength it passes on to the next generations.

The funeral home finalised the gravesite records in 1997. Accordingly, parcels “U” and “W” are the final resting place of 1381 Hungarian, 133 Russian, 122 Austrian, 113 German, 57 Italian, 53 Serbian, 8 Romanian, 7 Croatian, and 11 unknown soldiers who had fallen in World War I.

The maintenance of the military cemetery has been funded by the Austrian party to date. International youth camps are organised every summer for Hungarian and Austrian children as well as for volunteers of the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief.

The graves are frequently visited by Hungarian and foreign visitors. Commemorations and wreathing ceremonies are regularly organised by municipal bodies, associations, and social movements to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers in the cemetery.