Current Hungarian Lt Col Police Uniform

[Gordon Craig]

From old, lets jump to something very new. This is a current uniform of the Budapest Police Force. The rank is equivalent to Lt. Colonel in English. Two rank stars on the collar tabs. Police in Hungary come under the Ministry of the Interiror. The ministry continued to used the HUPR five pointed star for quite some time after the change of regime in 1989. At a later date, and I don't know exactly when, they adopted the six pointed star in use by other uniformed services. This six pointed star harks back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited May 9, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

The arm badge.

[Gordon Craig]

The visor cap worn with this uniform.

[Gordon Craig]

A closer view of the collar tabs.

[Mike Dwyer]

Very, very nice Gordon. I notice they have the old spiked helmet they used to wear under the A-H Empire embroidered on their patch. :jumping:

[Gordon Craig]

Mike,

Good eye for detail. Unfortunately, there are none of those original helmets available. Would love to have one. This is not my main area of collecting, but here is what I believe to be accurate about Hungarian police and their badges.

There are three main sections to Hungarian police and they would be listed by their headquarters as;

1-ORFK - Orsz?gos Rendőr Főkapit?nys?g - National Police Headquarters

2-BPFK - Budapest (Rendőr) Főkapit?nys?g - Budapest Police Headquarters (I am using Budapest (BP) as an example of a city or town police force.)

3-PMFK - Pest Megyei Rendőr Főkapit?nys?g - Pest County Police Headquarters (I am using Pest county as an example here. Other counties would use their county name in place of Pest.)

The arm badge on this uniform probably indicates the officer was assigned to a desk job at the BPFK in Budapest.

For those who may be interested, there is a book in print on "The Hungarian Police Arm Badges". It is called "A magyar rendőrs?g karjelv?nyei 1947 - 2000"and was written by Lud?nyu Gyula (last names are printed first in Hungary) and published in 2001. I've shown a picture of the cover below. The book is rather basic showing colour pictures of arm badges, their physical size and their year of introduction which may really be all of the info you need.

The RA on the badge shown on the cover stands for Rendőri Akad?mia - Police Academy and was only worn from 1947 until 1949.

Regards,

Gordon

[Markgraf]

Hungarian policeman 1940

This type of spiked helmet called "Zrínyi-helmet" (official designation 1909 pattern). Used oficially until 1946.

[Mervyn Mitton]

What a lovely helmet - they should re-adopt it for street duty - it would be as distinctive as the British helmet.

Gordon - your post is what was intended when this Forum was started. Uniforms and equipment from around the World would be so interesting -

unfortunately, this area is being overlooked. Let's try to get at least two new posts a week ? Mervyn

p.s. I see a number on the belt buckle. Was that the policeman's number - or, a unit number ?

[Gordon Craig]

Mervyn,

I would love to see two posts a week on this topic. I have some things to post but finding the time is always the problem. I'll see what I can come up with by this weekend. We have just returned from two weeks holidays and the other forums I moderate need some attention as well.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Markgraf,

Thanks for the interesting photograph. I've seen some repros of these caps in Budapest but never a real one. That would be quite a find.

Regards,

Gordon

[Markgraf]

What a lovely helmet - they should re-adopt it for street duty - it would be as distinctive as the British helmet.

p.s. I see a number on the belt buckle. Was that the policeman's number - or, a unit number ?

It would be great - the recent hungarian police uniforms are terrible (but at least the amorphous baseball cap is no longer used)

The only "policeman" who wears today this helmet is a bronze statue in the city center in Budapest:

The numer on the belt plate is the service number (constables and NCO's only). Trough the big-size belt plates the contemporary slang called the policemen "tin bellys".

And a little extra:

Hungarian police helmet (so-called Panama helmet) 1947-50

Photo from here:

http://magyarrendor....um.org/content/

The on-line photo archive of the Hungarian Policeman magazine.

[Markgraf]

Markgraf,

Thanks for the interesting photograph. I've seen some repros of these caps in Budapest but never a real one. That would be quite a find.

Regards,

Gordon

Gordon,

Excuse me, I forgot the source of the photo: http://www.fortepan.hu/

A huge on-line photo colection with very intresting pictures.

In my collection is a police tableau but without helmets

These helmets are rare indeed - in the Hungarian Military Museum can be seen a real one on a fully-equipped police mannequin.

M

Edited September 1, 2011 by Markgraf

[Gordon Craig]

Markgraf,

Interesting tableau of pictures of Communist era police uniform. I've been to the Military museum in Budapest many times but I don't remember the police mannequin you mentioned. I'll have to go through my photos of the museum and see if I can find any pictures of it. If memory serves me correctly, there is an authentic "Panama hat" in the Police Museum in Budapest.

Are you a collector of Hungarian police uniforms?

Regards,

Gordon

[Markgraf]

Gordon: No. I collect pre-1945 military (mainly uniform) themed photograps from Hungary and all over the World

The policeman uniform can be seen in the 1918-1948 exhibition (Piavétól a Donig, Dontól a Dunáig), together with other contemporary paramilitary uniforms (gendarme, scout, levente etc.)

A small photo from the museum's hompage:

http://www.militaria.hu/hun/image.php?url=../kepek/kiall/piavedon/piave018.jpg

I wasn't in the Police Museum yet

M

[Gordon Craig]

Markgraf,

Thanks for the photo from the mueums web site. I remember that exhibit now. The police museum is very interesting and well worth a visit. There is no charge for admission and it is easy to get to from Keleti on foot.

Regards,

Gordon

[Mervyn Mitton]

I was most impressed with the Bronze of the old Police Officer - standing very firmly - as his 'original' would have done. However, what most impressed me is the fact that you can have this statue standing in the street , without fences. Anywhere - in Britain and I would give it 24 hours before the sword and the sword knot would have been broken or, damaged.

Going back to the original photo - I noticed that a whistle is being worn in the same way as the British Police. Hanging from a button hole - the chain exposed, and the whistle in an inner pocket.

[Markgraf]

Gondon: Thanks for the tip! I put it into my schedule.

Mervyn: Yes, this problem is also in Hungary. Btw the napoleonic Battle of Győr memorial vandalized by "metal collectors" in 2009 few months before the 200th anniversary. Fortunately the Policeman is still intact.

Just for fun:

Some intresting portrait from my police tableau. Six WWI combat veteran policeman, all of them are members of the Vitéz Order:

[Mervyn Mitton]

Markgraf - a nice early set of pictures - I see moustaches were in fashion ! The high collars - or stocks - are interesting. They are very hard to wear and restrict neck movement. The early police in Britain wore 4 inch high collars (10cm) and they were strengthened with leather - the idea was to stop strangulation which was common at the time - following the Indian cult of Thuggees.

Once we can actually get started on a theme or, Country, it is amazing how much detail we can discover - and how similar Forces are with equipment.

We must hope other members will follow on - after all, how difficult is it to ask an Officer if he minds having his photo taken ? I'm probably in albums all over the World - visitors in London were always asking if they could have a photo taken with me.

[Markgraf]

Mervyn: On the original tableau are 99 portraits - from these only seven without moustache (the tableau made in 1931).

As far as I know, the height of the collar must fit for the height of the neck (according the 1924 officer's regulation).

Btw I have a Belgian policeman portrait around 1900 - he has a much comfortable low standing collar.

Few months ago I was in Italy (in a small town in Lombardy), and the Carabinieri were very willingly for photography :)

[Markgraf]

Strictly not a police force, but a new uniformed security organization in Hungary: the Országgyűlési Őrség.(Parliamentary Guard) responsible for the security of the Hungarian Parliament Building.

His uniforms:

More pictures can be seen here.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Markgraf

[Gordon Craig]

Markgraf,

Thanks for posting pictures of the new uniforms for the Parliamentary Guard. I have some old uniforms of this organization in my collection. I should dig them out and post them. Does the guard still wear their ceremonial uniform when guarding the displays inside the parliament buildings? Do you have any pictures of these ceremonial uniforms?

Regards,

Gordon

[Laurence Strong]

This is an interesting thread. Why the "wings" on their chests?

Larry

[Markgraf]

Gordon: It's isn't just a new uniform, but a new organization. Formerly the Parliament guarded by the Köztársasági Őrezred (Republican Guard Regiment) but the unit disbanded in summer of 2012.

This was the Őrezred's ceremonial uniform (also abolished together with the unit)

Larry: That "wings" called "vállfődísz" in Hungarian (shoulder knot) a traditional Hungarian-style uniform element. Originally used on the Royal Hungarian Bodyguard's dress uniform before 1945.

[Laurence Strong]

Thanks for the info

Larry

[Gordon Craig]

Markgraf,

Interesting that the old Parliamentary Guard unit was disbanded. The insignia on this new unit looks closer to the military than on the old parliamentary guard. I did notice on the link you posted to other uniforms that the breast hanger still uses the Parliament Building as their emblem but it doesn't seem to show up any where else on their uniforms.

Regards,

Gordon