Himnusz, Szózat kontra Gotterhalte
Himnusz, Szózat versus Gotterhalte

Imperial and national symbols in the Hungary of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

Summary/Abstract: Gotterhalte, the Austrian imperial anthem, was composed by Haydn in 1797, and its lyrics were finalized in 1854. Two poems were in competition to become the Hungarian national anthem: Mihály Vörösmarty’s Szózat (Summons or Appeal), set to music by Béni Egressy in 1843; and Ferenc Kölcsey’s Himnusz (Anthem), set to music by Ferenc Erkel in 1844. In the end, the latter became the unofficial national anthem, and after the fall of the Monarchy the official state anthem as well. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian lyrics of Gott erhalte were changed to reflect the independence of the Hungarian state. However, the Austrian imperial anthem remained highly unpopular among Hungarians, as it reminded them of the defeat in the war of self-defense of 1848–49, and the oppression and retaliation following it. As a non-opposition Hungarian author wrote, „an active or passive dislike for Gotterhalte is a matter of national tradition, upbringing, taste, and manners for us.” Its public performances were often sabotaged at the turn of the century. The Hungarian opposition at that time, the Independence Party, regularly used these scandals to attack the government, and in 1903 they managed to topple Kálmán Széll’s administration. The sources used for this study were releases of the contemporary press and the papers of the Hungarian Parliament. The study aims to 1) summarize the history of Gotterhalte’s, Himnusz’s and Szózat’s creation and public use, 2) discuss the failed attempts to create a Hungarian royal anthem, and finally 3) to examine the conflicts generated by the use of the imperial anthem in Hungary, and among Hungarians, with an emphasis on the period between 1896 and 1903, particularly on the first years of the 20th century.

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