January 6 is a special date in Hungarian history. On this day in 1978, the Holy Crown, which had been kept in the United States for decades, returned to Hungary. Its return was an event of extraordinary significance not only from a historical perspective, but also from a political and diplomatic point of view.
To mark the occasion the U.S. Embassy in Budapest shared a post on its X platform:
Forty-eight years ago today, the Hungarian Holy Crown was returned to its rightful place. The 1978 transfer symbolized our respect for Hungarian history and culture and was an important milestone in American-Hungarian relations.
At the beginning of the 250th anniversary of American independence, we pay tribute to the friendship between our countries and to the history of the Holy Crown, which is one of the many shared historical moments between the U.S. and Hungary.
One of the most important symbols of Hungarian statehood, the Holy Crown left the country in 1945 when, at the end of World War II, the crown guard fled westward. The aim was to protect it from the ravages of war and from falling into the hands of a foreign power.
Finally, the Holy Crown and the coronation regalia came into the possession of the U.S. Army and were then placed in safe keeping in the United States, at the legendary Fort Knox – the same place where the U.S. gold reserves are kept.
Why did the Holy Crown remain in America for decades?
During the Cold War, the Holy Crown was also a symbolic hostage: the United States did not want to return it to a country under Soviet influence.
Although Hungary repeatedly requested the return of the crown, this only became a realistic possibility during a period of international political détente.
The turning point came during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. He believed that the Holy Crown belonged not to a political system but to the Hungarian nation, and therefore ordered its return.
The crown was brought back to Budapest by an American delegation led by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, which in itself was an extraordinary diplomatic gesture in the midst of the Cold War.
The Holy Crown arrived in Hungary on January 6, 1978, and was ceremoniously handed over at the Hungarian National Museum. The event was surrounded by enormous interest and for many signified the return of national self-esteem.
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Via Origo; X/U.S. Embassy; Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
The post The Holy Crown, Symbol of the Hungarian State, Returned Home 48 Years Ago appeared first on Hungary Today.
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