Hungary Hungarian Miners Uniform

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

Yesterday Charles and I visited the Fireman's Museum and had a very interesting time but that is the subject for another thread. After we left the museum there was still enough time to visit Ecseri Flea Market. We both picked up some items for our collection and I just happened to luck onto a Hungarain Miner's blue tunic. Charles and I had both seen a tunic like this in a family photo, which I thought I had in my archives but can not find right now, but had no idea what it was. Once we saw it in the flesh it was obvious.

The tunic is double breasted and has a double row of three brass buttons on the front. Each button has the crossed miners hammers so common in Europe. There are also three identical, although smaller, buttons on each sleeve cuff. On each arm is a black cloth sort of half circel device trimmed in light blue with a gold fringe hanging from it. In the centre of each of these sleeve attachments are brass, cross hammers. The hammers on the right sleeve are broken. On each collar are grey collar tabs, trimmed in light blue, with three gold stars resting on two rows of gold tress, and above that brass, crossed hammers. The hammers on the right collar tab are broken. The sleeve cuffs are trimmed in the same light blue as the other acountremonts. There is a pocket in each tunic skirt closed with a flap but no button. The tunic is lined with a linen type material in the same colour as the tunic. There is one interior pocket in the left breast. The sleeve are a plain off white cotton type material. There are no stamps in the tunic. There was once a tailors label at the neck but there is only a tiny scrap of this left and there is no information obtainable from it. There is one ribbom bar loop on the tunicbut the other one is no longer present. The tnic is very dirty and has several small holes, some where the ribbon bar would have gone, and signs of something being pinned on the lef tbreast at some time but there is no way of knowing what at this point.

It is common among European miner's uniforms for the trim colour to identify some specific type of work. There is an article on the web about The Academy of Selmec, Hungary. It says that mining was the first profession and devotes a section to uniforms. These colours will not necessarily be accurate for today but will serve to illustrate some colour combinations of the past. Because this school was operational during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire their uniforms reflect the Germanic tradition and were black.

There colour combinations were;

metal workers: black with claret velvet

mechanics: black with blue velvet

organizers: blue with blue velvet

teachers of technical subjects: black with brown velvet

For comparison puposes, the DDR miner's only used two colours;

Miners: black velvet with blue trim

Administrative personnel: black velvet with yellow trim

The Oroszl?ny Miner?s Museum (B?ny?sz M?zeum) is located close to Tatabanya, about an hours drive from Budapest. Decker lives in the area and his family appears to have had a long association with mining in that area. Perhaps he can add some more to this thread. You can also find related info on his thread on Miner's Medals. Here sre some pictures of the Hungarian Miners tunic which probably dates for the Communist period.

[Gordon Craig]

The shoulder/arm devices;

[Gordon Craig]

The buttons on the sleeve and the cuff trim.

[Gordon Craig]

The collar tabs.

[Gordon Craig]

The Miner's medals, from leaft to right, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The gold one is not in the correct case. This case is a strange colour because it was quite moldy when I got it and didn't clean up that well. See Decker's post for the award documents and other interesting facts. PICTURE REMOVED BY GORDON.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The cases closed. New photo on 25 May. 07

Edited May 25, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The bronze medal came with a T?RZSG?RDA pin stuck into the lid. For more info on these pins see my thread about them.

[Zsolt]

Hi, Gordon !

In Your photo are two bronze, and one silver grade Miners medal! The gold grade had red enamel!

Zsolt

Edited May 25, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Ulsterman]

That is GREAT!!!!! I love this forum.

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks. My mistake. Thanks for correcting it.

Regards,

Gordon

A correct set of miners medals.

Edited May 25, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Hauptmann]

Hi Gordon,

So happy to see the pics. You really lucked out!!!! As I've told Charles I've been tempted to grab a flight and head over just so I can hit the markets with you guys. You're sooooooo lucky!

Well, perhaps one day... have to get my Passport first... then make a ton of money so I can afford the trip and have enough to buy tons of goodies. Just don't buy up all the good stuff before I get there... or better yet, buy it all up between the two of you and send a huge shipment back with Charles that he and I can divy up!

Keep up the great work! And thanks so much for sharing!!!!

Dan

[Gordon Craig]

The reverse of the miners medals.

[Gordon Craig]

Thanks to Charles, I can add something to this thread. He brought me a miner's belt buckle a couple of weeks ago. No idea what the belt looks like that it goes on but at least I now know what one of their buckles looks like.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

The reverse of the buckle.

[Gordon Craig]

Here is a medal bar to someone who was obviously involved in the minig inductry.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

The reverse.

[hunyadi]

And KISz and the Munkasor!

[Ulsterman]

Oooh- a hard core Communist. Nice bar.

What's the third medal from the left?

[hunyadi]

Not 100% certian, but I think it was called the KISz Medal of Merit (????)

[Zsolt]

Not 100% certian, but I think it was called the KISz Medal of Merit (????)

Yes, this is a KISZ medal, Merit Medal for the Youth ( "Ifj?s?g?rt" ?rdem?rem). Constituted in 1971, on the VIII. congress of the KISZ. Awarded for 200-250 persons/year.

/ Blue book , p. 123/

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks for the answer. I should have mentioned that in my post. I'll have to get out the Blue Book and have a look at it.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

I would appreciate it if you would post pictures of the first type medal (the one on this bar) and the second type medal. The second type has a set of initials on the front. These are probably the medals designers initials. Do you know the name of the person who designed the second type medal?

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

To add a little bit from the Blue Book about the award of the "Ifj?s?g?rt" ?rdem?rem. The KISZ Executive Committee authorized the award of ths medal for people working for a long time, and with outstanding cooperation, with the Magyar ?tt?rők Sz?vets?g?vel (the youngest group of Young Pioneers) and for outstanding work and service in developing growth. No specific length of time was mentioned in the Blue Book so I imagine it would be up to the Executive Committee to decide who met the award criteria each year. No specific date was listed for when the awards would be presented but a good bet would be on a specific occassion/date on an annual basis. The medal came with a one time cash award of 3000.00 Forints.

Regards,

Gordon

[Zsolt]

Here is the 1st (right) and the 2nd (left) version of the Ifjus?g?rt medals.

Edited January 21, 2008 by Zsolt

[Gordon Craig]

Zsolt,

Thanks for posting these two medals. I don't remember getting a notification of your post hence the length of time in saying THANKS!

Since I started this thread, I have been searching for a picture of a man wearing a Hungarian Miners uniform. I knew that I had one as that is how I recognized it when I saw it hanging up in a Flea Market. Today, because I could not download pictures from my camera, I decided to delete some of my photos that I don't really need and see if that soves my problem. Lo and behold, while doing this deletion I found the miner's tunic photo! It is a family photo and I wish one of the children was not standing in front of the man in uniform because he is a highly decorated miner and it would be nice to be able to clearly see what awards he has. Perhaps with more study we will be able to do that.

Regards,

Gordon