Hungary Order of the Holy Crown of Hungary

[gjw]

Hi all, does anyone have any info on this order and its attached medals? Pics would be nice also.

[hunyadi]

Hello -

Dont have a photo of one. But here is a brief translation from "Nagy Magyar Kitunteteskonyv" 2005.

Order of the Holy Hungarian Crown 1943

Order was insituted by Regent Admiral Miklos Horhty on March 17th 1943 to recognise the efforts of forein individuals who assisted Hungary durign the war effort. It was also intended to be awarded at the conclusion of the war to foreign individuals who further assisted the Hungarian nation. The order was broken down into 8 classes. 5 "classiscal" forms and 3 medal forms. Each class came in two distinctions. 1) with swords to be awarded to soldeirs who either through direct bravery or through battle plannning asssited the Hugnarian war effort. 2) For foreign civilains who throgh their diplomatic, economic, or personal service rendered help to the Hungarian nation.

1st class (large cross)was a white enameled cross with a central image of the Holy Hungarian Crown the cross was 56mm from tip to tip and was suspended on a red 100mm wide shoulder ribbon (sash). With the addition of a green enameled laurel wreath running between the arms of the cross gave the distinction for wartime issue (all awardd examples of this class have this feature for natural reasons) for the award to soldeirs the addtion of crossed swords and the laurel wreath are added betwen the arms. In addition to the sash order a breast star with rays that reach out 90mm from tip to tip and central to the 8 rays of the star is a white enameled cross 50mm in diameter with a central image of the Holy Hungarian Crown. This also follwos the form of having laurel wreath for wartime and the additon of crossed swords for soldeirs.

2nd Class (middle cross star) is a cross worn at the neck the cross is 52mm in diameter and also an 8 rayed breast star 80mm in diameter with a 40mm cross central to the star

3rd Class (middle cross)is a cross worn at the neck the cross is 52mm in diameter

4th Class (officers cross) is a pinback cross 50mm in diameter

5th Class (knights cross) is a 42mm cross suspended from a red trifold ribbon

(these are the end of the "classical" forms)

6th Class (gold) 42mm gilded cross hung from a red trifold ribbon

7th Class (silver) 42mm silver plated cross hung from a red trifold ribbon

8th Class (bronze) 42mm bronze cross hung from a red trifold ribbon

All classes follow the addtion of wreath for war, swords for solders, or without for civilain.

Sorry again - no photos

[gjw]

Thanks so much - very informative!!!!

Anyone else?

Greg

[Henry 24th]

Hello gjw and hunyadi

Unlike Hunyadi, I do have pictures...see below. Based on his description above, I believe this to be the second class set awarded to Military entities, as both neck order and breast star have the swords present. Ironically, I was going to post this set in hopes that someone would be able to inform me on what they were.

The recipient of this set was in fact a German officer on the eastern front in 1942. What his involvement with the Hungarian troops was is still a mystery.

From what I was able to find on the internet, it is not known how many of these awards were issued during the war. Hopefully, someone else out there can shed a little more light on the subject.

Hunyadi, to your knowledge, are the Orders of the Holy Crown rare?

HFJ

[hunyadi]

Hi Henry -

If the officer was awarded the Order then he was probably in direct contact with the Hungarian troops in Army Group South. If you know his unit, it can probably help. He may have been an officer on the Don River Front whose unit was put in between the Hungarian and Romanina divisions (who began to fight eachother while the Russians on the other side of the river looked on with bewildered glee!) However he could not have been awarded it in 1942 as the award was not created until 1943. But there may have been some retroactive awards I am sure.

As for rarity - it is very rare as the Horthy government was disbanded in late 1944 - so the award was only distributed for about a year. At this time, to my knowledge there is no concrete paperwork that tells how many were awarded, but a resarch trip to the Hungarian Military Musuem is in the cards for this week.

[Henry 24th]

[Henry 24th]

[Henry 24th]

[Henry 24th]

[Henry 24th]

[Henry 24th]

Hi Henry -

If the officer was awarded the Order then he was probably in direct contact with the Hungarian troops in Army Group South. If you know his unit, it can probably help. He may have been an officer on the Don River Front whose unit was put in between the Hungarian and Romanina divisions (who began to fight eachother while the Russians on the other side of the river looked on with bewildered glee!) However he could not have been awarded it in 1942 as the award was not created until 1943. But there may have been some retroactive awards I am sure.

As for rarity - it is very rare as the Horthy government was disbanded in late 1944 - so the award was only distributed for about a year. At this time, to my knowledge there is no concrete paperwork that tells how many were awarded, but a resarch trip to the Hungarian Military Musuem is in the cards for this week.

Hello Hunyadi

Thanks for the very prompt reply.

As for being awarded the orders retroactively, he was removed from the front in Aug. 1942. Therefore the orders would have come after his frontline service, or, possibly from some other function he may have had with the Hungarians after 1943. Will PM you on this before you leave, if you don't mind.

HFJ

[Carol I]

Here are some images from the UBS auction.

Commander 1st class with swords and war decoration

[Carol I]

Commander

[Carol I]

Officer with swords and war decoration

[Carol I]

Knight with swords and war decoration

[hunyadi]

Hmm - with a date of 1942 on the reverse of the medal, I am going to assume then that this was an order created in 1942 but not authorised until 1943. So there were probably some very 'retroactive' awards. Much as I have seen with the Fire Cross - insituted in 1941, but can be found with the marks of 1938 and 1940 on them for the returen of Upper Hungary and Transyvania...

[Henry 24th]

So then, based on Post#2 and Post#12 is the Order actually refered to as the "2nd Class" or "Commander 1st class with swords and war decoration".

HFJ

[hunyadi]

HFJ - I can only go off of my Hungarian book which translates it to (as the type you have) as "A Magyar Szent Korona-rend Kozepkeresztje CSillaggal, Hadidiszitmennyel es Kardokkal." In English - "The Hungarian Order of the Holy Crown Middle Cross [with] Star, War Decoration and Swords." So - commanders cross - I am sure that it may have been called that as well at some time by someone.

[Herman]

It seems that Otto Skorzeny was awarded a Commanders grade of this Order for his action late 1944. His awards which were at his funeral in 1975 shows this Order. 

 

Regards

Herman