Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. [Vol. 5.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Book reviews - András Tarnóc: The Return of the Holy Crown. (Giant Tibor: A Szent Korona amerikai kalandja 1945-1978. )

ANDRÁS TARNÓC THE RETURN OF THE HOLY CROWN (Giant Tibor: A Szent Korona amerikai kalandja 1945-1978. Debrecen: Kossuth Egyetemi Kiadó, 1997. 180, [1] pp.) January 6, 1978 marks a special day in Hungarian history and in the course of Hungarian-American relations as well. After an almost 33 year absence the Hungarian Crown and the attendant crown jewels were officially returned by the government of the United States. Tibor Giant's excellent work, titled A Szent Korona amerikai kalandja 1945-1978 was inspired by the twentieth anniversary of that momentous event. Being the principal icon of the nation, the Holy Crown is (.inseparable from the upheavals of Hungarian history, and its very removal from Hungary deserves a further look. As the author asserts, the possibility of taking the Crown beyond Hungary's borders was pondered after the defeat of the 1848 Revolution and War of independence and eventually the removal was realized in 1945. Whereas, in both cases the intended destination was the United States, the historical circumstances differed. Kossuth and Szemere fleeing from Hungary were motivated by an honest appreciation and reverence toward the role and function of Hungary's national relic and dared not to break one of the stipulations of the 1715 oath of the Crown Guard, forbidding the transfer of the Crown beyond Hungary's borders. In 1945 the fascist Szálasi government viewed the Crown as a legitimizing device for its unlawful dictatorial regime. It is no coincidence that the Crown was taken abroad in the year marking the collapse of fascism and at the same time indicating the termination of one of the darkest periods in Hungarian history. Whereas Kossuth was driven by a sincere respect and loyalty to Hungary's national relic, the 135