Fraternity-Testvériség, 1978 (56. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1978-01-01 / 1. szám

Congratulations are extended to Mr. Elmer E. Vargo, National Secretary for successfully passing the three examinations required for the title, emblem and certificate of Fraternal Insurance Counsellor.

On September 9, 1977 the Board of Directors passed the following resolution: “A motion was made and seconded to authorize the Executive Committee to negotiate the sale of the Kossuth House located at 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. for the amount of $1,500,000. If the amount is lower, then a referendum vote will be called. Unanimously passed.” On February 1, 1978 the Executive Committee received an offer to purchase the Home Office building for the amount of $1,300,000. Upon the recommendation of our Financial Counselor on February 18th the offer was presented in writing to the Board of Directors for approval. The Board approved the sale and it also authorized the President and the Secretary to sign all the necessary documents approved by the Legal Counselor. After the settlement, the HRFA may use the Kossuth House rent free as Home Office for 90 days. The Board of Directors will make a feasibility relocation study and appoint a Building Committee for planning the new Kossuth House as our new Home Office building.

NOTICE — NEW ADDRESS

We wish to call to the attention of our Cleveland area membership the new address of our Cleveland District office.

Hungarian Reformed Federation of America 5360 Broadview Road Parma, Ohio 44134 Phone (216) 459-2888

Please contact the office for any additional information you may require.

THE HOLY CROWN RETURNED TO HUNGARY

The news and television media in the United States and Western Europe from November, 1977 gave extensive coverage to the issues involved in returning the Holy Crown to Hungary. Publicity was given to the history of Hungary which is closely related to the history of St. Stephen’s Crown. Since the year of 1000, Hungary became an integrated part of Western Christianity and Western civilization. In the year of 1000 Pope Sylvester II. was glad to respond to the request of Stephen by sending him a crown to become the first King of Hungary. It was a token of recognition and appreciation that Stephen chose the western version of Christianity as the new faith for the pagan Hungarians settled in Central Europe. The Holy Crown of Hungary is not only the historical symbol of the radical change made in the direction of the new policy, but also the steadfast faithfulness to tlie new way of life, totally disregarding the cost of sacrifices it meant throughout the past centuries.

Hungary, because of its geographical location became the cross road between the East and the West. Hungary became the bulwark of Western Christianity. Whenever the pagan invading forces from the East threatened the safety of the Holy Crown, it was either buried in Hungary or taken West for safekeeping. Even in 1849 when the cause of the Hungarian revolution for independence and freedom became hopeless by the invading Russian troops, Louis Kossuth had the Crown buried at Orsova and fled without it to safety to Turkey. At the end of 1944 the jewel-studded golden crown, a svmbol of Hungarian independence was taken westward by the 12 guards in obedience to the instruction of the government for safe-keeping. As the Russian troops were moving from the east to the west through Hungary, so also was the Crown moved westbound for safety. Thus, it was moved to Veszprém, then to Kőszeg; crossing the Austrian border on March 27, 1945 to Mattsee, then to Zellhof; Seeham to Augsburg’s Interrogation Center of the U. S. Seventh Army; then to Weisbaden and Munich: finally in 1953 to Fort Knox, Kv.

In Germany Patrick J. Kelleher, an art historian had the privilege to study the Crown and its history. Dr. Kelleher, the former curator and present Director Emeritus of the Princeton Museum of Art and History wrote his famous book: “The Holy Crown of Hungary,” published by the American Academy in Rome, 1951. On January 24th he lectured on the "Famous Hungarian Crown of St. Stephen” in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.

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