The evening was honoured by the presence of Magdolna Závogyán, State Secretary for Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation; László Hajnik, Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy of the Ministry of Defence; Vince Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Deputy State Secretary for Civil and Social Affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office; and István Hiller, historian and former Minister of Culture and Education. Also present were the heads and employees of several of our nation’s public collections.
Gergely Prőhle, Director of the Otto von Habsburg Foundation, welcomed our guests. In his introduction, he highlighted two significant anniversaries connected with Meiningen: Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen, Otto von Habsburg’s wife, was born 100 years ago, and the renowned Meiningen company’s first visit to Budapest was 150 years ago – and left a lasting mark on Hungarian theatre.
Representing Gergely Gulyás, Minister for the Prime Minister’s Office, Miklós Panyi, Deputy Minister, and State Secretary for Parliamentary and Strategic Affairs, welcomed the guests on behalf of the Foundation’s funding authority. He recalled the Foundation’s dual mission: to fulfil its vocation and mission by preserving its namesake’s intellectual and material heritage. It simultaneously manages a meaningful part of Hungary’s national heritage, participates in debates on the politics of historical memory and acts as a research centre for history science, an important shaper of our identity and sovereignty.
Afterwards, Gergely Prőhle presented various items that were entrusted to our Foundation last year. While sorting the Degenfeld bequest, we discovered the travelling altar of Joseph II, a gift from the Emperor’s mother, Empress Maria Theresa, for her son, who was often on the road. The biblical stories on the altar and the encased rare relics mark the religious and historical horizon of a monarch who disbanded monastic orders yet made allowances for the Protestant denominations.
Gergely Fejérdy, our Deputy Scientific Director, spoke about Miklós Horthy’s letter to Otto von Habsburg dated 24 August 1948. In this, the former governor essentially expressed his belief in restoring the Habsburg-Lorraine throne in Hungary, stating that once Hungary was liberated from Soviet occupation, Otto von Habsburg should lead the country. The document was primarily intended to promote unity among the anti-communist Hungarian political emigration but could also be interpreted as a kind of soul-searching of the 80-year-old governor.
The Degenfeld heritage also included King Charles I (IV)’s prestigious decoration, the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa. It was founded in 1757 and is unique in Hungarian collections since, throughout its history, only three Hungarians have ever been awarded this decoration: the renowned András Hadik, Count Ferenc Nádasdy and József Alvinczy (1793). The Grand Master of the Order, Charles I (IV), presumably offered this cross to Miklós Horthy in Buda Castle on 27 March 1921, on his first return to Hungary – revealed our Senior Archivist colleague, Ádám Suslik.
Regarding the photographic material, in 2024, we acquired valuable additions to our collection, as through Count Degenfeld, we were able to take a closer look at the family’s hitherto sparsely available day-to-day life. Among the recordings are photographs of Otto von Habsburg’s childhood, images of Archduchess Adelheid visiting Austria in the 1930s, and material from Otto’s 1934 road trip to Scandinavia with Major Count Alfonz Pallavicini. There is also documentation of the former Crown Prince’s travels and lecture tours to the United States during the Second World War, photos of Queen Zita and the family’s daily life in Canada in the 1940s, and photographs of voyages to Africa and the Middle East in 1947. A fascinating series of images from 1948, taken by Universal Pictures, were found in a sealed envelope, showing Otto at various Hollywood social events in the company of filmmakers, actors, and actresses. Szilveszter Dékány, Senior Collection Fellow of our Foundation, presented these treasures.
The evening concluded with Philipp Adlung‘s presentation. The director of the Meiningen Museums explained the cultural activities of the Saxe-Meiningen princely family with illustrations. Regina’s ancestor, George II – the “Theatre Duke”, who was patron, director, set and costume designer in one – transformed the tiny principality into a bustling intellectual centre at the end of the 19th century, whose influence extended across the continent.
The musical highlight of the event was Johannes Brahms’ Sonata in for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major (Op. 120 No. 2), performed by Zsolt Szatmári (clarinet) and Balázs Fülei (piano), both Heads of Departments at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, which is also celebrating its 150th anniversary.
Finally, our guests were invited to view the displayed objects and participate in the closing reception.
Photos by Márton Magyari
