Special Military Artifacts on Display in a City Filled with History

Hungary Today 2023.08.15.

In Székesfehérvár (central Hungary), one of the most important cities in Hungarian history and at the same time an outstanding military city, an exhibition of the Military History Institute can be visited from today, Magyar Nemzet reports.

The exhibition, titled “Treasury of Our Military Past-A Selection of the Museum of Military History,” will be held on the first floor of the Order House of the King Stephen Museum (Szent István Király Múzeum) and is the precursor to a major exhibition of the Institute and Museum of Military History in Székesfehérvár, opening in 2024.

The exhibition with about one hundred and fifty artifacts promises to be a real curiosity of military history.

As the institution said in a statement,

the exhibition, opening within the framework of the Székesfehérvár Royal Days, will present a selection of special, spectacular and valuable pieces from the collection of the Institute and Museum of Military History,

some of which are well-known and cherished relics of the museum, while other artifacts have rarely or never been shown to visitors.

Fact

The Székesfehérvár Royal Days is an internationally renowned all-arts festival in Székesfehérvár, the main venue of which is the historic city center. Organized around the feast of King St Stephen (20th of August, the official celebration of the founding of the state), the event has been held every August since 1996, but its origins go back decades.

Cavalry officer’s sabre from 1845. Photo via Facebook/HM Institute and Museum of Military History

The exhibition features an ornate collection of thrusting and slashing weapons from various centuries, artifacts of the newly established Hungarian armed forces of 1848-1849 (the years of the Hungarian Civic Revolution and War of Independence), the highest medals of the 20th century, eye-catching silver and porcelain ornaments, and decorative relics of the Hungarian Guard.

Officers’ uniforms from 1909. Photo via Facebook/HM Military History Institute and Museum

In addition to uniforms and equipment, the flag, the most important military symbol, will also play a major role in the five-room exhibition.

Fact

The national flag of Hungary is a horizontal tricolor of red, white and green (red-white-green). In this exact form, it has been the official flag of Hungary since 23 May 1957. The flag’s form originates from national republican movements of the 18th and 19th centuries, while its colors are from the Middle Ages.

The temporary exhibition will be open from 18:00 on Tuesday 15 August in Székesfehérvár and will remain open until 3 December.

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Via Ungarn Heute, Featured image via Facebook/HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum