It was the site of a victorious battle by the Honvéd army units against the Habsburg forces. – B: 1064, 1031, T: 7456. Vác, Bishopric and Chapter of

1) Relic repository: holder of the house-cap worn by King István I (St. Stephen) (997-1038). It is a crystal dish in a silver holder. The underside of the lid is adorned with the picture of the Annunciation, dated from the 14th century.

2) The Cross of King Nagy Lajos (Louis the Great)(1342-1382): The 34 cm tall cross was made for the king in Hungary between 1370 and 1382. The 33 cm high base originates from the 15th century.

3) Purse of King István I (St. Stephen): It has several parts. The one, from the 11th century, is made of red silk. The front part is decorated with the picture of the Savior, with the prophet Isaiah and Archangel Michael. The reverse originates from the 12th century with this old Slavonian inscription: “Your blessing stay with us, now and for evermore”. On the side: “God be merciful to us now, and bless us, show us his face and have compassion”. The gold ribbon and the gold fringe are of a more recent date. The purse was donated by the wife of King Mátyás II (Matthias) (1608-1619) to the Viennese Capuchin Museum.

4) House-cap of King István I (St. Stephen): Made of light cherry-colored silk material. Its decoration is completed with rich gold embroidery, portraying foliage on both sides, illustrated with two-headed bird figures. It originates from the 11th century. The wife of King Mátyás II donated it to the Viennese Capuchin Museum.

Hungarian treasures in the Hofburg:

1) Cavalry sword: dating from the Hungarian settlement era (896 AD), made in the 9th century in Etelköz for Chieftain Árpád (Etelköz, between the Rivers Etil - now Volga - and the Lower Danube). The saber is 90-cm long; the hilt is decorated with silver, gold and precious stones. The blade was made of red copper, and has floral and animal figure decorations. The damaged edge of the blade suggests it was more than an ornamental piece. The shape perfectly corresponds to the sabers from the Hungarian settlement era. It was taken to Germany in the 11th century, to be displayed among the emblems of the Imperial might. Today it is displayed in a glass showcase as Säbel Karls des Großen (The Saber of Charlemagne).

2) Vestments of the Knights of the Order of István I (St.Stephen): The green velvet hand- woven mantle – decorated with gold and ermine – was made in Vienna in 1764.

3) Hungarian herald’s uniform and staff of office: a rich, silver-embroidered, gold lamé coat was the gala dress of the king’s herald; it originates from the 18th century.

4) The Bocskai Crown: of Turkish origin, a 23-cm high gold crown, decorated with emerald and turquoise stones. In 1605, Turkish Sultan Achmed presented it to István (Stephen) Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania (1557-1606). Bocskai added an additional small cross to the top.

5) Hungarian jewelry: gold belt, necklace, earrings, clips, and hairpins, made in Hungary in 1881, as a present from the City of Budapest for Crown Prince Rudolf’s and Princess Stephanie’s wedding.

6) The Cross of the Order of King István I (St. Stephen): a gold cross, decorated with precious stones from the latter part of the 18th century. It is the work of a Hungarian goldsmith.

Hungarian weapon collection of the Museum of History of Arts:

1) The sword of King Mátyás I (Matthias Corvinus), (1443-1490): a magnificent saber with a gold hilt According to researchers, King Mátyás donated it to the city of Raguza; earlier, it was mistakenly thought to be the rector’s sword from that city.

2) The armor of King Lajos II (Louis) (1516-1526): donated as a gift to the 9-year-old Lajos II in 1615, by King Miksa (Maximilian).

3) The helmet of Miklós (Nicholas) Zrínyi (1508-1566): a slender, twelve-layered headgear (helmet of the “Hero of Szigetvár”), decorated with gold motives on a blue base.

4) The cavalry sword of Miklós Zrínyi: The slightly curved blade has a long edge. On the silver hilt, the Zrinyi family’s coat-of arms, with the initials ‘N.C. de Z’ and the year 1567 are engraved.

5) The helmet and armor of István (Stephen) Báthori) (1571-1576): The armor was made in 1560. In the middle of the chest is the slightly oriental-styled picture of the crucified Jesus. The decoration on the pointed helmet is done in the same style

6) A heavy broad sword of King Mátyás II (1608-1619): The blade originates from the 15th century. The scabbard supports the Austrian burgundy crest; the Silesian and Hungarian national coat of arms, as well as the name of King Mátyás II are engraved on it. On the other side, the Hradistye city crest and the following inscription are visible: Arma Regiae Civitatis Hradist, 1608.

The Hungarian collection of the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum, Wien (War History Museum, Vienna):

1) The painting of Pope Pius VII, depicting the journey from Fontainebleau to Rome in 1814. It illustrates the Pope’s voyage, from the Taro Bridge on the French-Naples border, escorted by the Hungarian Hussars, acting as his bodyguards.

2) The pontifical flag of the Hussars: Donated by Pope Pius VII to his Hussar cavalrymen, who escorted him. The beautiful, artistically, superbly-embroidered silk needle-point flag portrays the Holy Father as he kneels at the front of Patrona Hungariae, decorated with the Hungarian crown and with this inscription: Hungariae Patrona Pium comitatur ad Urbem - O Felix tanto Roma sub auspicio! (To my faithful Hungarian protectors, who escorted me to the Eternal City - as a special favor from the blessed Rome). On the flag, bright figures, dressed in Hungarian clothes, hold the triple crown atop the pontifical crest.

3) The uniform of General Géza Fejérváry: the full dress uniform and the winter gala coat of the general.

4) Hungarian flag of the Hussars: The 5th Hungarian Cavalry Regiment’s flag from 1814, with the picture of the Blessed Mary.

Hungarian collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (History of Art Museum)

1) The ceiling painting by Mihály (Michael) Munkácsy in the entrance hall of the Museum is entitled The Apotheosis of Art. It portrays a Renaissance Hall, with angels flying through the open dome. In the middle of the 10x10 m painting, the old Master Titian corrects the work of a young painter. Two architects are portrayed on the left and, on the right, Michelangelo is standing in the foreground. In the background, the artist immortalized himself. After the death of academic history painter Hans Makart, the ruling dynasty commissioned Munkácsy to paint the fresco, which was completed in 1889.

2) Treasures from Szilágysomlyó (now Şimleul Silvaniei, Romania): The 2.5 kilograms of gold pieces were excavated in 1797 in the outskirts of Szilágysomyó.

3) Nagyszentmiklós Gold Treasure (now Sânnicolau Mare, Romania): In 1799, at the estuary of the River Maros by Nagyszentmiklós, twenty-three gold dishes weighing ten kilograms were found.

4) Mátyás (Matthias) relief: the marble relief, portraying King Mátyás I (Matthias Corvinus), is a 1490 creation of a master sculptor from Northern Italy.

5) Vestments of the Hungarian Order of Dragons: gold radial crosses are embroidered on a blue velvet background. It is dated in 1444. – B: 1020, 1031, T: 7685.

1) Pálffy Mansion – built in 1875 for Baron Khuen-Bélássy, Chief Master of the Horse. His granddaughter married Count Pálffy, who inherited and renovated the building in 1875. In 1953, an additional floor was converted into a cultural center.

2) The Hungarian Coat of Arms of the Hofburg – The oldest Hungarian coat of arms in Vienna, originated in 1536, can be found on the walls of the Hofburg. It consists of an eagle with the shield of Árpád on its breast.

3) Old University. (Dr. Ignaz Seipel Pl.) – from 1453. Hungarian names appear in the register of the Alma Mater Rudolphina. In the Register of the Hungarian Nation (Liber Nationis Hungariae, 1453-1629), out of its former students, 74% were Hungarians, including such notables as Tamás Bakócz, Batthyány, Garai, Majláth, Nádasdy, Pálffy, Vitéz, Wesselényi, etc.

4) Pazmaneum. (14 Boltzmanngasse) – The Hungarian Roman Catholic Seminary moved into the building in 1901 from their former endowment institution. On the façade of the building, there is an inscription: “Petrus S.R.E.Card. Pazmany Aepp. Stig. Fund. Anno MDCXXIII.” (Cardinal Péter Pázmány Established the Institution in 1623).

5) Statue of the Holy Trinity – It was built in 1687-1693. The Hungarian coat of arms along with the Austrian Imperial Crown is found on the statue.

6) Esterházy Mansion. (4 Wallnerstrasse) – Palatine Pál (Paul) Esterházy built the mansion in 1695. It was remodeled in the 18th and 19th centuries. The inscription on the façade is: “Soli Deo Gloria. Domus Haec A.S. Leopoldo Marchione Austria olim Habitata et Sucessu Temporis ad Nobilem Familiam Esteras Devolte.” According to legend, the hunting lodge of Count Lipót (Leopold) stood on this same plot.

7) The Hungarian King Hotel (6 Schullerstrasse) – In the 17th century there was a sign on the house, which read: König von Ungarn (King of Hungary). The house became a Hotel in the 19th century, and the original sign was kept. Hungarian noblemen used to stay in the Hotel and many rooms are named after noble families.

8) Hungarian Chancery (4-6 Bankgasse) – The Hungarian Treasury bought the building from the Windischgrätz and Strattmann families in 1746. There is a tablet on the house with the inscription: ”DICUNDIS ET FACI UNDIS HUNGARIE REBUS MAGNNQUE REGIS SIGILLO SACRAE QUAE MODERNAM INDUERE FORMAM”. Presently it is the property of the Hungarian Embassy.

9) Theresianum. (15 Favorittenstrasse) – Jesuit priests taught in the building between 1746 and 1773. In the first part of the 19th century, Premonstrian priests taught here and, after 1849, it became a public school. Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780), established a scholarship for 10 Hungarian youths of noble families. The school usually had 4 -5 Hungarian students every year, including famous men, such as: György (George) Festetich, Count Ferenc (Francis) Széchenyi and Tivadar Puskás.

10) Trautson Palace (Palais Trautson, 7 Museumstrasse) – It was the palace of the Hungarian Royal Bodyguards from 1760. The Transylvanian Estates bought the building in 1783. The following year, they combined it with the Hungarian Chancery located in the adjacent building. After the defeat of the War of Independence of 1848-1849, the Austrian Government assumed control and converted it into an office building. Between 1853 and 1875, the Council of the Austrian Empire used the palace. After the Habsburg Empire collapsed, the building became the property of the Hungarian Embassy.

11) Birthplace of István (Stephen) Széchenyi (6 Lovelstrasse) – Count Ferenc (Francis) Széchényi rented the place in 1788. Two of his children, Zsófia and István, were born there. The original building was demolished and Prince Montenuovo built a new palace on the same plot.

12) Döbling Monument – In the park of the old Mental Institution, there is a monument with an inscription: “Count István (Stephen) Széchenyi, the greatest Hungarian, lived here from September 7, 1848 until April 8, 1860”. Later, another tablet with the sentence: “Your ideas are living 1960”, was placed on the monument.

13) Schönbrunn Palace – The decorative gate of the park and the fountain system was made according to the plan of Hungarian architect Farkas Kempelen.

Vikár, Béla