Postai és Távközlési Múzeumi Alapítvány Évkönyve, 1998

Rövid tartalmi összefoglaló angol nyelven

ous committees, he was appointed Under-secretary at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport at the age of 36 and Minister at the age of 38. Six years later, 1892, his death was mourned by the nation. On 20 November 1892, a statue by Antal Szécsi was erected to his memory on the axis of Rákóczi út, in the square named after him.

One hundred years later, his statue, shifted to the side of Thököly út, is in a state of neglect surpassed only by historians’ treatment of him and his absence from national public thought.

Passed over in all aspects of historical treatment, no doubt as a result of the series of historical failures that best the country after his time, we must consider whether the history that has been written for us presents true picture. The 105 years since Gábor Baross’ death show how bad it is.

The 8-10 lines he merits in school history books, buried among the story of the dualism era, are so grey and schematic that it would take an exceptionally alert student to detect anything of interest in them. Living as we are in the current period of great historical changes, we could learn much from Gábor Baross’ deeds.

As European Union membership impends, the legislation following the Compromise [with Austria in 1867], which was drafted not to effect legal harmonisation, but to promote the national interest and the public good, should be essential reading for every politician. It would be instructive to hold up the accomplishments of state administration to Gábor Baross’ measure. Good laws need good organisations to enforce them. State bureaucracy in Europe west of the Leitha was highly-qualified, honest and dedicated, in contrast to Eastern Europe’s corrupt, authoritarian bureaucracy. Such an honest corps of public officials is what is needed now, too. Gábor Baross’ 1887 decrees against nepotism and introducing a compulsory application system and that of 1888 launching training and applied research in public affairs were produced in this spirit.

Public service is equivalent to the service of justice and the public good. Gábor Baross, speaking at the opening of the Pozsony-Porpác-Szombathely railway line on 8 November 1891, addressed this theme thus: “... it must be stressed that whoever carries out his duties in public affairs, by effort great or small, but with honest intention and patriotism, has no right to claim recognition or reward for so doing. ”

Revival of the memory of Gábor Baross could imbue us with new hope for the first century of the new millennium. I am very pleased that tomorrow he will be remembered in one hundred and fifty towns and villages by the unveiling of memorial plaques on streets, squares and the walls of institutions that bear his name. His depiction on stamps and telephone cards reaches practically the whole nation. We can hope that the younger generation will find in him an example on one of our history’s dedicated and successful personalities.

Klára Lukács: Lajos Kossuth’s Post Office Bond

One of the Stamp Museum’s most precious possessions, and a unique relic of the last century is the first design for the Hungarian Post Office Bond. It was produced in 1848, about the time of the Kossuth banknote. It is supposed that the designer, Mór Than, was sent to Lajos Länderer, who was responsible for producing the banknotes. The first Hungarian postal bond was thus produced in the Mint.

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