Last modified: 2023-06-03 by 
zachary harden
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Here is a page with approximately all historical Coat of Arms of Hungary.
Shields are not really historicals and for 1868-1918 it shows the
middle Coat of Arms.
István Molnár, 17 April and 1 July 2001
Countries on the used Coat of Arms:
1848-1849 small Hungary
1848-1849 middle Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia,
Transylvania
1849-1860 no Coat of Arms
1867-1882 small Hungary
1867-1882 middle Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia,
Transylvania
1882-1915 small Hungary
1882-1915 middle Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia,
Transylvania, Fiume
1915-1918 small Hungary
1915-1918 middle Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia,
Transylvania, Fiume, Bosnia
1918-1919 small Hungary (without crown)
1919 red star
1919-1946 small Hungary
1938-1944 middle Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia,
Transylvania, Fiume, Bosnia (only on war flags)
1946-1949 small Hungary (without crown)
1949-1956 Rákosi Coat of Arms
1956-1957 small Kossuth type Coat of Arms
1957-1989 Kádár Coat of Arms
Since 1989 - small Hungary (with crown)
Istvan Molnar, 25 June 2001
The Coat of Arms of Hungary today was used before the 1848/49
Revolution and War of Independence too. It was used in different
form in different shield. It was the "little Hungarian Coat
of Arms".
After the dethronement - April 1849 - there used the Coat of Arms
without the Crown, but it was not official.
After the defeat in the war of Independence, people of Hungary
used this Coat of Arms (Coat of Arms without crown) as 'Kossuth
Coat of Arms'.
In 1849-1867 Hungary was under direct Austrian occupation. After
1867, a compromise (between Hungary and the Habsburgs) made the
Coat of Arms of Hungary became the Coat of Arms that is used
today (as the little Coat of Arms).
In November 1918 the new government removed the crown. In April
1919 the red government removed the national symbols. After the
fall of the communist regime the little Coat of Arms was renewed
and it was used until 1946, except under the Szálasi regime.
In 1946-1948 the Coat of Arms of Hungary was the little Coat of
Arms without the crown.
In 1948-1949 they used the little Coat of Arms in Baroque style
shield (named Kossuth Coat of Arms).
In 1949-1956 they used the Rákosi Coat of Arms.
In 1956-1957 they used the Kossuth Coat of Arms but it was not
official - I didn't find any resolution about it.
In 1957-1989 they used the Kádár Coat of Arms.
In 1989-1990 the people used the small Coat of Arms with or
without the crown. The conservative parties (FKGP, MDF, KDNP)
wanted the small Coat of Arms with the crown, the liberal parties
(SZDSZ and FIDESZ (?)) wanted the small Coat of Arms without the
crown. The Parliament of Hungary readopted the small Coat of Arms
with the crown in 1990. Hungarian 'small' Coat of Arms
(using in this shield form from 1886) was used therfore before
1848-1849, 1867-1918, 1919-1946, 1990-today.
Kossuth Coat of Arms (using in different shield form): 1849,
1918-1919, 1946- 1948.
Kossuth Coat of Arms (using in "classic" shield form):
1948-1949, 1956-1957.
Rákosi Coat of Arms: 1949-1956.
Kádár Coat of Arms: 1957-1989.
István Molnár, 5 April 2006
kussut.gif)
image from <www.fortunecity.com/victorian/wooton/34/hungary/kosscim.gif>,
located by István Molnár
Used:
19.04.1849-13.08.1849
16.11.1918-21.03.1919
01.02.1946-20.08.1949
1956-1957
See also <www.fortunecity.com/victorian/wooton/34/hungary/kosscim.html>.
István Molnár, 11 November 2000
You can find a Kossuth Coat of Arms on the page of the
Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation <www.hungaria.org>. If
you click on the shield, you can find a larger and beautiful one
and a description:
"This is the so-called "Kossuth Coat of Arms", as
introduced by Louis Kossuth, Governing President of Hungary, in
1849. The Kossuth Coat of Arms is based on the "Small Coat
of Arms" of Hungary which was determined by a Royal Order in
February 9. 1874, confirmed in 1895 and 1916. The two major
differences between the Kossuth Coat of Arms and the Small Coat
of Arms of Hungary are that the Kossuth Coat of Arms.
1./ has a more distinct shield-like outline
2./ does not carry the Hungarian Holy Crown on the top.
The heraldic right side of the Kossuth Coat of Arms is divided by
red and white stripes seven times representing the seven
Hungarian tribes that arrived in Transylvania in 896 A.D. and are
called the "Árpád-stripes". The four white stripes
represent the four main rivers of the historic Hungary: Duna,
Tisza, Dráva, Száva. On the heraldic left side, the three green
hills represent the three main mountains of the historic Hungary:
Tátra, Fátra, Mátra. On the middle hilltop, from an open
crown, the "apostolic" double cross emerges which was
awarded by pope II. Sylvester to I. Saint Stephen, the first
Hungarian king (1000 A.D.), in recognition of his mission to turn
the pagan Hungarians to Christianity. The red background, the
white "apostolic" cross and the green hills constitute
the colours of the Hungarian national flag: red, white and green.
On March 15, 1848, the Hungarian Liberation Fight erupted against
the Habsburg oppression. The first Hungarian Government was
formed led by the first Hungarian Prime Minister, count Louis
Batthyány. The "Small Coat of Arms of Hungary" was
re-instituted, even though Hungary was a republic now. In
December 1848, Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand V, reigning in Hungary
as well, resigned and Franz Joseph became the new Emperor. The
Hungarian Government declared Franz Joseph's proclamation as
being the Hungarian king illegal and, as a result, dethroned the
Habsburg Dynasty from the Hungarian throne. Louis Kossuth was
appointed as Governing President of Hungary. Hungary was
confirmed again as a republic and Louis Kossuth, as one of his
new measures, established a new Coat of Arms for Hungary, which
did not have the Hungarian Holy Crown on the top. This formation
is known the "Kossuth Coat of Arms" which later has
become associated with the general idea of freedom fight for
Hungary (e.g., the freedom fighters during the Hungarian uprising
in 1956 also used the Kossuth Coat of Arms as their insignia).
It may be controversial why Louis Kossuth removed the Hungarian
Holy Crown from the Small Coat of Arms of Hungary. It could be
theorized that he wanted to emphasize that Hungary is not a
kingdom anymore, but it probably would have been better if he
does not touch the Holy Crown. The Hungarians are, as they have
always been, very sensitive about their crown. They do not
necessarily look at the Holy Crown as the representation of the
official state administration as a kingdom, but, according to the
Holy Crown Theory, they consider the Holy Crown as the
representation, the embodiment of entire Hungary, as a Father
Land. Something which is above anything, be it an emperor, a king
or the official state of administration; something which is from
God, in which Hungary, as an entity resides.
Whatever was Kossuth's assumption for removing the Holy Crown
from the coat of arms, he later overwhelmingly proved that, as
every good Hungarian, he is aware of and respects the importance
of the Holy Crown. He kept it in special care, protected by
guards, rescued it from Budapest to Debrecen, in January 1849,
and when the Hungarian Liberation Fight eventually fell in 1849,
it was him who hid the Hungarian Holy Crown and the Coronation
Jewels into a wooden box and dug it in a willow forest, near
Orsova, Transylvania.
He showed that the Hungarian Holy Crown was as important to him
as it is to all of us, Hungarians, because he knew what we all
know that the Holy Crown is everything, the dearest for us all,
something that we love, respect and protect with all of our
power.
András Szeitz, University of British Columbia
1949.gif)
image by Željko Heimer
The "Rákosi Coat of Arms" was used in 1949-1956.
see Rákosi's Flag (1949-1956)
István Molnár, 11 November 2000
1957.gif)
image by Željko Heimer
The "Kádár Coat of Arms" was used in 1957-1989
(1990). see Kádár's Flag (1957-1989)
István Molnár, 11 November 2000
Here is a scan of this
Coat of Arms from a book called "Flaggor i färg"
(swedish title) though it is written by a Dane. The danish title
would be "Flag i farver". The english title would be
"Flags in coulor". The author is called Christian Fogd
Pedersen. The copy that I have was printed in Sweden in 1981 by
the publishing house Almqvist & Wiksell Förlag AB,
Stockholm, Sweden.The first issue was printed in Denmark in 1978
by the publishing house Politikens Forlag,
København(Copenhagen), Denmark.
Björn Mattsson, 15 June 2002
1945b.gif)
image by István Molnár, 2 December 2002
16 October 1944 - 8 May 1945 - Hungary was under direct German
controll. The Hngarian Quisling was Ferenc Szálasi, "the
leader of the nation".
This version of the Hungarian Coat of Arms was in official use
from 27 January 1945 to 8 May 1945 only in the German occupied
Hungarian territories later in Germany.
This version of the Coat of Arms was in official use on the State
Seal. Around the Coat of Arms there is an inscription:
'MAGYARORSZÁG NEMZETVEZETŐJE' means 'THE LEADER OF THE NATION OF
HUNGARY'.
Resolution: 23/1945.M.E - This resolution modified the 3970/1915.
M.E. resolution about the Hungarian State Coat of Arms and The
Hungarian State Seal.
Source: Hivatalos Közlöny 6. szám 1945. január 27.,
Sopron - in Gosztonyi Péter: A magyar honvédség a második
világháborúban (The Hungarian Army in the WWII); Európa
Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1995
István Molnár, 2 December 2002
hist.jpg){kind=link}
1957a.jpg){kind=link}