Magyar News, 1997. szeptember-1998. augusztus (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1997-12-01 / 4. szám

Bridgeport, December 1997 A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER ALL ABOUT THE HUNGÁRIÁIM HOLV CROWN Americans Guarded the Hungarian Holy Crown in Fort Knox It was November in 1975 when pres­ident Jimmy Carter decided on giv­ing back the coronation symbols and jewelry to Hungary. At that time this was a very controversial thing to do. Many Hungarians objected to it, they held sizable demonstrations. Based on the fact that the Kadar govern­ment was legitimate, accredited by the United States of America and accepted by the United Nations, hav­ing the coronation symbols in Hungary did not empower Kadar in any way. Among Hungarian leaders in exile , General Bela Király and previous Prime Minister Ferenc Nagy supported Carter’s decissioa A twentyfive member committee with Cyrus Vance on an airplane for this purpose traveled to Hungary with the crown and other symbols. These were handed over to the Hungarian government with the offi­cial request to display them for the public. As General Király remarked, “that the Hungarian youth may see it and remember King St. Stephen and not the oppressor Stalin.” During WW II these symbols were buried on the Castle Hill in Budapest. Then they unearthed them and carried them to Veszprém, Pannonhalma, Kőszeg, Velem and ended at Mattsee in Austria where they were buried again. Then com­mander of the crown guards, Col. Emo Pajtas, only revealed the burial place after the American officials made it possible for him to ask per­mission from Regent Miklós Horthy. On Juh 25. 1945 the Hungarian Holy Crown was handed over to the Americans. From there on it was guarded at Fort Knox in Kentucky. This was the longest period for the Crown to be away from Hungary . There are very few memorabilia that could be connected to kings of the Arpad Dynasty. The castles that gave home to them did not survive the centuries, only fragments are still around. It would be a miracle to find burial foregrounds intact as is King Bela Ill’s. Some, as Samuel Aba’s or Salamon’s place is uncertain or totally unknown. Artifacts that could be personal­ly identified with a king of the Arpad House are rare. Most of the outstanding quality art and craft pieces are scattered in foreign countries. Fortunately this situa­tion made it possible for these to avoid being destroyed. Some, like the gold deco­rated regal sword were given away as pre­sents to the West during the reign of King Salamon. Today this is on display in the Vienesse Burg. A double edge sword that probably belonged to Saint Stephan found home in Prague in the thirteenth century. In the museum of Bum one may see Andrew Ill’s personal Venetian altar richly decorat­ed with miniatures, pearls and precious stones. With the exception of the corona­tion jewels that were guarded during the medieval times in Szekesfehervar, none of the immense treasures of the Arpad Dynasty are to be found. Somehow the Holy Hungarian Crown survived despite all the hardship and misfortune it was exposed to. At times it was lost, stolea buried, and was part of w artiine loot. The Hungarian royal coronation symbols are the Holy Crown, the septrum, the orb and the sword. Though they lost their importance as legal attributes. They are in the National Museum in Budapest. This PAGE 1

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