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Nearly 80 years after its origin, an important written document of 20th-century Hungarian history has moved from letter to artifact status, to be preserved by the Hungarian Money Museum, Turizmus.com reports.
In World War II, the German invasion forced the employees of the central bank (Hungarian National Bank) to take action, and on January 23, 1945, they evacuated the state’s assets, including the 30 tons of gold on the so-called “Gold Train,” to avoid it falling into the hands of the Germans or the Soviets as spoils of war.
Statue representing the Gold Train at the Money Museum. Photo: Pénzmúzeum
On arrival in Austria, the management of the central bank contacted the U.S. forces in the form of an official letter to the commander of the U.S. forces, asking them to preserve these assets until the end of the war.
It was Frigyes Tarnay, the Chief Deputy Governor of the Hungarian National Bank, who, together with his partner, delivered the letter to the U.S. military command, risking his life.
Photo: Facebook/Pénzmúzeum
Frigyes Tarnay Jr. recently approached the Hungarian National Bank to offer this document, which is not only an important relic of his family’s history, but also of the history of the 100-year-old central bank.
As a result, Frigyes Tarnay’s sons living abroad donated the letter to the Money Museum in a ceremony on May 21, 2024.
Photo: Facebook/Pénzmúzeum
Although its existence and contents were already known to historians, the letter is an important historical document, as well as a banking history document, as a single original. The donated artifact will be subject to a conservation survey, which will determine how it will be restored.
Via Turizmus.com, Featured image: Facebook/Pénzmúzeum