Who Collects Communist Hungarian ODM's

[gjw]

Hey all, does anyone collect Communist Hungarian Orders, Decorations and Medals?

Would love to see your collection.

Thanks as always!

Greg

[steveBobby]

My collection of communist Hungary is not extensive at the moment, but I maintain a lot of interest in the subject. I will show mine.

Yours

Steve

 

[Gordon Craig]

gjw,

Here are a few of my Hungarian pins related to the Hungarian Red Cross and health organizations.  I don't have any of my medals in picture form at the present except on one of the uniforms in my collection.

Regards,

Gordon

 

 

Edited March 26 by Gordon Craig

[Philip.S]

gjw,

 

Here are a couple of my civilian awards, the first image contains some interesting decorations, the second some more common ones:

This image is slightly blurry, I apologise, here are the words I reckon are almost impossible to read:

~SZAKMA IFJU MESTERE

~SZTAHANOVISTA (year: 1953)

 

I have a later variant of the "Szakma Ifju Mestere" arriving hopefully this week as well!

 

Philip.S

 

[Gordon Craig]

Philip.S

Good to see some of your collection.

Regards,

Gordon

[Philip.S]

Gordon Craig,

My pleasure. That's a gorgeous uniform! Do the decorations and helmet belong to it as well?

 

Regards,

 

Philip.S

[Gordon Craig]

Philip.S,

I put those medals/badge on the uniform.  They fit the time frame of the uniforms are authentic medals/badge.

Regards,

Gordon

[Philip.S]

Gordon Craig,

Thanks for letting me know!

 

Philip.S

 

[Gordon Craig]

Another area of Hungarian artifacts to collect is pennants, flags etc.  This area is outside my collecting interests but I have acquired a few over the years and they might be of interest to those who read this thread.

First of all in the civilian field (from WIKI so I don't have to type so much);

Hungarian Young Communist League

 

Hungarian Young Communist League KISZ Hungarian: Magyar Kommunista Ifjúsági Szövetség
Emblem
Founded	21 March 1957
Dissolved	22 April 1989
Headquarters	Budapest, Hungarian People's Republic
Membership	800.000
Ideology	Communism Marxism-Leninism Kádárism
Mother party	Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
International affiliation	WFDY
National affiliation	Patriotic People's Front

The Hungarian Young Communist League (Hungarian: Magyar Kommunista Ifjúsági Szövetség, KISZ) was a communist youth movement in the Hungarian People's Republic that was attached to the ruling Socialist Workers' Party.

History

It was founded on 21 March 1957 (on the anniversary of the Hungarian Soviet Republic's declaration in 1919), following the break of 1956 Hungarian Revolution. It claimed to represent all the country's youth and sought to educate young people politically and to supervise political as well as some social activities for them. KISZ was the most important source of new members for the party. Its organizational framework paralleled that of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party and included a congress, central committee, secretariat, and regional and local committees. Membership was open to youth from the ages of fourteen to twenty-six years, but most of the full-time leaders of the organization were well over the age limit. In the 1980s, KISZ had about 800,000 members. Membership was common among students (96% at universities, 75% in high schools) but was lower among young people already working (31%). It was mandatory for university admittance.

In April 1989 delegates to the organization's national congress voted to change the name of the organization to the Democratic Youth Federation (DEMISZ). According to declarations adopted by the congress, the newly refashioned federation would be a voluntary league of independent youth organizations and would not accept direction from any single party, including the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. The members of the last KISZ Central Committee, however, filled strategic positions in the economy of the 3rd Hungarian Republic, e.g. Imre Nagy (Caola Inc. CEO), Lajos Csepi (president of the Hungarian Privatization and State Holding Co.), János Gönczi (Malév CEO), Mihály Enyedi-Nagy (founder of Media-ship in 1991), Pál Jendrolovics and Sándor Szórádi (Budapest Investment Inc. CEO), György Szilvásy (Altus Inc. CEO, from 2006 leader of the PM's Office). The former prime minister of Hungary, Ferenc Gyurcsány, had served as the president of the central committee of the University chapter of KISZ between 1988 and 1989. After that the organisation changed to Hungarian Democratic Youth League (Hungarian: Demokratikus Magyar Ifjúsági Szövetség, DEMISZ).

 

A pennant for KISZ.  The English translation reads - 

THE FLAG OF THE KISZ KOZPONTI COMMITTEE IS AN EXCELLENT SMALL ORGANIZATION

I think this pennant was an award for excellence (Kivalo) to a specific unit or area of KISZ.  The gold band across the pennant is embroidered in heavy metal gold thread.  The pennant is double sided but the reverse is plain.

 

The second pennant is from the Hungarian Danube Flotilla. 

 

It is a red flag with green  triangles in each corner and a bordure of alternating white and green isosceles triangles. The coat of arms of the People’s Republic of Hungary is shifted to the hoist.
Source: [ped79a]; p.45
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 March 2009

When I googled some images about Hungarian military flags, I came across this picture. It was the Senior Commander's Pennant in pre-1990 period.
It was reported as Supreme Commander Pennant by Klaus-Michael in 2009, but I think this title is misleading, because it was the former Senior Commander's Pennant.
Zoltan Horvath, 04 October 2014

While there is some doubt as to the actual name of the pennant it would appear to be flown from the mast head of a Danube patrol boat carrying a senior officer.  I brief youtube video on the Danube Flotilla.

 

 

[Philip.S]

Gordon Craig,

Those two flags are beautiful. Thanks for sharing them!

 

Philip.S

 

[Gordon Craig]

Philip.S,

Your welcome.  Glad that you liked them.

Regards,

Gordon

[Philip.S]

Gentlemen,

 

Although my collection lacks these, I do have two examples I can present: Table medals. 

The two in my collection seem scarce, although their inscriptions make them sound rather common?

so, 25, and 30 years spent at work: each table medal has a diameter of roughly 7.5cm. The reverse is completely blank. Case wise, both are identical, therefore I will only show one.

To avoid spamming this thread with images, I will only describe the other aspects: the hinges are exposed, and of the same metal and colour as the latch, the case beneath the medal features a small hole, presumably for support.

 

Philip.S