The US Embassy in Budapest marked the 48th anniversary of the return of the Holy Crown to Hungary by the Carter administration in a post on X, stating that the transfer symbolized ‘our respect for Hungarian history and culture’ and ‘was an important milestone in American–Hungarian relations’.
‘At the beginning of the 250th anniversary of American independence, we pay tribute to the friendship between our countries and to the history of the Holy Crown, which is one of the many shared historical moments between the United States and Hungary,’ the embassy concluded in its statement.
The Holy Crown of King St Stephen is one of Hungary’s most important national and Christian symbols. Traditionally associated with Hungarian statehood, sovereignty, and the country’s integration into Western Christianity, the crown was removed from Hungary at the end of the Second World War and placed under US protection, later being stored at Fort Knox during the Cold War.
The issue of the crown’s return became politically sensitive in the 1970s, as Hungary’s communist leader János Kádár repeatedly requested its repatriation. The debate intensified in November 1977, when US President Jimmy Carter announced plans to return the crown to Budapest, arguing that the move would improve American–Hungarian relations and encourage economic and political liberalization in the Soviet-aligned country.
Carter’s decision prompted strong opposition in the United States, particularly among Hungarian American communities and religious organizations. Congressional hearings held in November 1977 revealed widespread concern that returning the crown would symbolically legitimize a communist regime accused of suppressing political freedoms and persecuting religious institutions. Critics stressed that the crown’s Christian and national significance made its transfer to a Marxist government morally unacceptable.
‘After extensive debate, the Holy Crown was formally returned to Hungary on 6 January 1978’
Others, including some former Hungarian political leaders living in exile, supported the return, arguing that the crown could offer hope to the Hungarian people and strengthen pro-Western sentiment inside the country. After extensive debate, the Holy Crown was formally returned to Hungary on 6 January 1978.
Shortly afterwards, Hungary received most-favoured-nation trade status from the United States, facilitating increased economic ties at a time of growing financial strain in the country. Supporters of the decision later argued that the repatriation contributed to improved bilateral relations and, over the longer term, to Hungary’s peaceful transition following the collapse of communism.
Today, the Holy Crown of King St Stephen is displayed under the dome of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, where it remains a central symbol of Hungarian statehood, national continuity, and Western Christian identity.
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