Hungary Zalka M?t? Commemorative Medal 1956

[Ed_Haynes]

Just in. And I am very happy (in part because just 174 were awarded). But -- as Charles has told me-- this one is even more interesting. And I'd rather he explain what he has learned.

Over to you Charles . . . .

But, first, the eye-candy:

[hunyadi]

Well all - here is what I learned from a trusted source when I discussed this particular style medal with him. Its a cast medal for certain, and I was a little suspicious about the medal as the originals were like almost every form of award that the HUPR churned out - they were die struck, not cast.

The original SCW commemorative medals were commisioned in 1956 on the 20th annaversary of the conflict. In order to recieve the medal the individual had to apply for one and be confimrmed of thier service. Only 174 were approved in this manner. The State Mint then went and apparently struck 174 examples and then as the rumor has it - the dies were destroyed (Why would you need to make more? was the apparent train of thought) Originals were struck of 987 fine silver.

So - with the recipient getting one example, the SCW association apparently hired a private jewler to then make available copes that could be 'lost' and 'worn' with out mcuh fear. They apparently used a lost wax process with a bronze base and heavy silver plating. My source said that he had seen these examples of cast ones before and that they are generaly accepted as 'wearers copies'. He also shared that they were made in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Considering that there were 174 original recipients and then that probably not all recipients went and had a wearers copy made - its probably even more rare in quantity that the originals.

[Ulsterman]

wow-nice one Ed.

I just saw this.

I am jealous.

[Ulsterman]

Some tid-bits gleaned from the JOMSA (April, 1976):

(Paraphrasal)' the medal was awarded to Bela Kuns' operating groups both in combat AND for 'home front' activities. The plan for the medals' award was interrupted by the revolution of 1956 and first awards were made in 1957. More Soviet Russian citizens received the medal than Hungarians in 1957 AND in 1959 it was granted to 10 visiting Spanish communists. It was not awarded after 1959.

Hungarians served in the International Brigade in the 21st battalion ("Matthias Rakosi battalion") formed in June 1937 and which fought at a strength of @1,000. Among the battalions' veterans were Laszlo Rajk (later the country's Foreign Minister) who was the Battalions' Commissar. He was shot for allegedly spying for Horthy in 1949, along with many other of the battalions' veterans. Other veterans included Erno Gero and the president Munic

[hunyadi]

Interesting to see the events as they were known in 1976. Heck I was...well...young then. Interesting to see they mention 'home front' activites. The group by 1956/57 was pretty thin by that time. As your paraphrase states, 'More Soviet Citizens recieved it': this is becasue it was a certain prison sentence to return to Hungary as the Communist Party was illegal under Horthy and these volunteers were the die hards. (As a side note - the Rakosi Battalion as they were known was named so after Matyas Rakosi who had been condemned to death, but international pressure had reduced it to life in prison, so to bring more attention to his case, they named the Battalion after him - tragic as we will see later) So after the SCW, many escaped to the last bastion of communism, Stalins Russia. Many married Russian women, became members of the Soviet State Security, etc and as a result became Soviet citizens. Even Matyas Rakosi when he became the deputy prime minister in 1946 was a Soviet citizen, not Hungarian. (He was traded for captured Hungarian battle flags in 1940 from the Soviet Union - how the world might have been differnet had he been executed...Laszlo Rajk would have probably held the power instead) Rajk along with the others in the SCW were more 'pure' in their Lennin and Marx than Rakosi ever was, in the realm of political debate, Rakosi by 1948 / 49 had more contradictions in policies and idiology than one could count. As such the 'home grown' communists posed a threat to his power and his status, additionaly the SCW veterans knew how to organise and had seen actual combat - so he did what any other self respecting communist dictator would do - he executed them. Rajk was not shot however - he was hung by one executioner and then his neck was broken by another. His death took about 5 minutes, all the while his wife was forced to listen to his death in a cell just above the gallows. (In 1949 when Rajk and his wife were arrested, so too was their 4 month old boy. The State Security officers took him to an orphanage, gave him a russian sounding name. Even though Rajks sister-in- law was only one blakc away. It was the first time in Hungarian history where an infant was arrested) Kadar - one of the few who would not get arrested and tortured to confess till 1951 (he was a home grown communist who served Rakosi, but still had his pure intentions) fainted during the execution - of course he would go on to run the HUPR from 1957 until 1988.

Gero was typical of the 174 who got the medal - who had managed to survive - he was such a die hard Rakosi supporter, being one of three in the "Defense Council" formed in 1950, which was illegal and held in secret from the government. It consited of Gero (in charge of economic development) Farkas (miltiary) and Rakosi (party dictator) - Gero and Farkas knew how easily it was to be replaced - so they complied. From 1950 to 1953 the Defense Council controlled the nation...

By 1956 - so many were simply gone, lost party membership or dared to not even apply as in the past it had made one a 'target'. Similar actions had happened with the Hungarian Partisans Association. "Oh comrade, you know how to fight and were fighting against facsism? tell me what you think of comrade Rakosi?"

[Gordon Craig]

Ulsterman, Charles,

Interesting to see different "understandings" of the same events. The artcile from 76 wasn't incorrect. But it doesn't seem to explore all of the background behind some of the simple statements made in the paraphrse. Perhaps all of the facts weren't available at the time. The more we study the more we learn!

Regards,

Gordon

[Ulsterman]

Ulsterman, Charles,

Interesting to see different "understandings" of the same events. The article from 76 wasn't incorrect. But it doesn't seem to explore all of the background behind some of the simple statements made in the paraphrase. Perhaps all of the facts weren't available at the time. The more we study the more we learn!

Regards,

Gordon

No-it was a one page article merely outlining the existence of the medal. In those days information was scant. The author was a diplomat in Hungary though and had 'original sources.

It must be easy to find the 1959 newspaper article about the Spanish communists though. What was the Hungarian Communist Party newspaper called?

Edited January 31, 2008 by Ulsterman

[hunyadi]

"SAZABAD NEP" (Free People)

[Daniel Krause]

Interesting old thread!!

To keep it alive, here a piece which recently crossed my way.

Good or bad?

Nearly 50 grams, looks like silver.

 

Best,

Daniel

[922F]

Daniel's find bringing this topic back to life caused me to look at this thread for the first time.

I wrote the 1976 "Medal Collector" article referenced above [Ulsterman's January 30, 2008 post].   I confirm that not only were facts scarce when I wrote the piece but that 'official Hungarian sources' actively ignored/discouraged my inquiries.  From the above discussions, it appears that I saw a cast base metal 'copy' medal; not a silver original.  The original material submitted for publication was edited a bit for the article; don't recall [other than dropping the Spanish colors stripe from the ribbon description] whether any salient facts got omitted.   Knowing that editor quite well, I doubt that he cut anything worth-while; he explained that 'the printer' inadvertently skipped part of the ribbon description.    

Hundai's contribution certainly expands our understanding of this award and it's relative scarcity.  As Gordon noted, the more we study, learn and -- especially -- share, the better our collective [sic!] knowledge.