William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2012-01-01 / 1. szám

Until 1527, the venue for coronation ceremonies was the Church of the Virgin Mary in Székesfehérvár. During the period of the Ottoman occupation (1564-1790), the Archbishops of Esztergom crowned new sovereigns, first in Pozsony and then in Buda. The cross on the crown is thought to have been bent in the 17th century when, following a coronation, the lid on the royal chest hit the top of the crown.

Charles IV of the House of Hapsburg (1916-1918) was the last king of Hungary. After him, the coronation insignia was preserved in the Buda Castle until 1944. In 1945, the Crown Guard smuggled the coronation regalia westward and it was finally given over to the U.S. Army. After World War II, the crown and coronation insignia—the orb and scepter as well as the coronation mantle-were stored in the U.S. at Fort Knox.

Following the decision to return the crown, the coronation regalia was brought to Hungary on the President's plane. During the ceremony in the Hungarian Parliament on Jan. 6,1978, U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance quoted a letter written by President Jimmy Carter:

"If is with a genuine sense of pride that I am able to return to the people of Hungary this priceless treasure, which the U.S. has been privileged to shelter since the terrible devastation of the Second World War. I see in this act the reaffirmation of the traditional bonds of friendship between our two peoples."

The Coronation Regalia was preserved in the National Museum from 1978 to 2000. Act I of 2000, which was passed on the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian state, decreed that the Holy Crown, scepter, orb and sword be guarded in Parliament. The coronation mantel remains in the Hungarian National Museum.

At the free elections of 1990, six political parties won seats in the National Assembly which held its founding session on May 8. József Antall was elected to lead the first democratic government. Occupying Soviet troops withdrew from Hungary in 1991. Hungary established new alliance relationships and joined NATO in 1998. It became a member of the European Union in 2004.

István Deák, Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, recalled flying to Hungary on Air Force One with the crown and enjoying cigars and drinks during the trip. He also remembers his days as a Radio Free Europe reporter. He admits that the crown itself is a sacred relic and symbol of Hungarians but says it represents more than other countries' crowns because Hungary exists under the rule of the Crown. "This is the Hungarian Empire, the land of St. Stephen, the ruler in the name of the Holy Crown," he says. But, ironically, Deák says:

"The crown was never wont by him and is therefore really not St. Stephen's. It is a gift of the Byzantines. We do not know even how tlte cross is attached. However, it represents the Hungarian state and signifies that the King and the nation are equal. Both have equal responsibility. When St. Stephen sat on his horse and slashed his sword in four directions, the people swore allegiance in exchange for his protection. The crown was taken out of the country by crown guards, and in 1938 was displayed first behind a glass wall. Both Protestant and Catholic contingencies were present, but experts were not allowed to examine it. In 1945, it fell into the hands of the American Army and traveled to Fort Knox, Kentucky. President Jimmy Carter thought reconciliation could be achieved if the crown was returned and so it was in 1978. There were enormous protests by Hungarian-Americans who felt that the Communists would melt it down. The protesters felt that it should not be returned because Hungary was not yet entirely free. Even a lawsuit was filed to prevent the return of the crown. Notwithstanding strong Congressional opposition led by Congresswoman Rose Okar of Cleveland, Ohio, President Carter ignored such protests and went ahead with the return of the crown. Some attributed his reelection defeat to this act."

Bob King, staff director of the Foreign Affairs Committee under former Congressmen Tom Lantos (D-CA) and now an employee of the Department of State, said that there were many reasons for the decision to return the crown at that time. The Carter administration wanted to examine relations with Central Europe and improve them. Hungary was moving in a more liberal direction in its domestic policy. Carter also felt that it had been long enough after 1956 that people had put aside that historical event and that Communist Party leader János Kádár had sufficiently improved conditions in Hungary. Carter also felt that if the crown was returned, the national and historical traditions of Hungary would be emphasized. "Carter always wanted to do the 'right thing," King said, and thought that Hungarians should hold their own crown.

However, there were certain conditions put on the return. First, Kádár and the Communist Party should not be present at the

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