Hungary The Hungarian "Medal For Peace"

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

I picked up this medal today because I had seen it around but never bothered to pick one up for research. As usual, buying the medal introduced all kinds of questions. Charles thought it was on the wrong ribbon and I thought I had info on it home. Charles had a point and I had no info. I did have a picture from a recent auction that showed The Peace Medal suspended from a rectangular metal bar while mine is suspended from a ribbon in the Hungarian National colours and in the standard triangular fold. Charles was told by a dealer last year that this medal was given out for promoting peace along the Hungarian/Austrian border in approximately 1989/90. The medal in the auction was dated as being from 1960 so we have a conundrum here. What is the rue heistory of this medal? It does not show up in any of my reference boks.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited March 23, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The medal from the ebay auction.

[Ulsterman]

nothing I have here, but -a wonderful research opportunity (do i hear article here?).

[Richard S]

I have no Informations about this medal.

:-<

[Zsolt]

Hi Gordon!

You can find this medal in the blue book on page 121 (text only without picture) Under the title "B?k??rt jelv?ny". This medal was instituted by the National Peace Council (Orsz?gos B?ketan?cs). It was avarded for the people who worked active in the hungarian and international peace movement, made a lot for peace, socialism, solidarity and friendship between nations. It was avarded for 120-200 persons in a year at the 9 May.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Zsolt

[Zsolt]

The medal in the standard box.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Zsolt

[Zsolt]

Outside of the standard box.

[Zsolt]

The leather luxury box.

[Zsolt]

The outside of the leather luxury box.

[Zsolt]

The bottom of the leather luxury box (with blue velvet!).

[Ulsterman]

When was it founded?

I did a google search and found a writer or two who seem to been awarded with it.

[Zsolt]

It was founded in 1969 October.

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks for the great info. I'll read up on it in the blue book. Great photos. I was aware of the medal with the blue suspension piece but I had never seen one with the ribbon until I bought one. Are the two different suspensions mentioned in the book and the time period each was used? If not, do you know anything about the two different suspensions?

Regards,

Gordon

[Zsolt]

Gordon,

I think, Your medal is a home-made piece. The ring may have broken down from the metal bar, and somebody applicated it into a trifold ribbon.

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Anything is possible. Would you send me a picture of the back of the blue suspension piece please. If the loop that attaches to the medal is glued onto the suspension piece that would make sense.

Regards,

Gordon

[hunyadi]

last year I was offered a cased one for pocket change

[Zsolt]

The hanging loop was soldered to the metal bar.

[Zsolt]

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks for the pictures of the back of the suspensions bar. I can see the mark now where the original loop was on my suspension bar. It was very faint and obviouslt not soldered into place as well as the one you pictured. So I have a "personalized" piece which to me is just as interesting as a completely original one. The original owner could not have soldered the loose piece back into place without damaging the enamel on the front so what he/she did was probably for the best.

Regards,

Gordon

[Ulsterman]

Yeah-I actually like your peice better Craig, it has more personality and history.

Still, I'd like one in a case-with a document of course!

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt covered the medal pretty well but I have a few more things to add.

1-The medal was founded in October of 1969 at the VIIth Congress of the Hungarian National Peace Council.

2-Those presented with this award were given a one time cash payment of 2000 Fts.

The Hungarian National Peace Council would have represented Hungary at the meetings of the World Peace Council. This organization was formed in 1949 in order to promote peaceful coexistance and nuclear disarmament. From the start it was alleged to be a front organization of Communist parties due to its advocacy of unilateral disarmament in western countries and the active participation and funding of the Council by the Soviet bloc. The WPC admitted in 1989 that 90% of its funding came from the Soviet Union. By 1971 the WPC consisted of members from 104 countries with approximately 600 delegates.

The covert support of the Council by the Soviet and Communist Bloc was matched by the covert operations directed against it by the CIA and other Western Agencies.

I think we can safely say that these medals probably continued to be awarded in Hungary until the change of regime in 1989. By this time, the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse and the WPC went with it. I do not have the date of the founding of the Hungarian National Peace Council but for arguments sake we could say it came into existance the same year as the WPC-1949. Since the medal was founded in October of 1969 and was to be awarded annually on the 9th of May the first year of the award would have been 1970. The number of medals to be warded each year was to have been between 120 and 200. To make a rough estimate of the number awarded over the life of the medal lets say that an average of 160 would have been awarded each year. I have arbitrarily decided that 1997 would probabaly be last year it could have been awarded. This means 160x27=4320 as a probable number awarded.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited March 23, 2007 by Gordon Craig