Remarkable Hungarians
Four outstanding Hungarians on stamps
István Örkény (1912–1979) Kossuth Prize holding
writer, chemist, the coeditor of Újhold (New Moon); recognised in world
literature as the father of Hungarian grotesque prose. He graduated as a
pharmacist and then as a chemical engineer. After the war he mainly
worked as a dramaturge and a writer. His One Minute Stories, which
created a new style, were first published in 1967. His extraordinarily
brief, compact, philosophical and grotesque writing style was not only a
novelty in Hungary but in world literature too. His drama titled The
Tóts was staged in 1967 and subsequently translated into many languages.
It was this work that brought him worldwide acclaim.
György Solti (1912–1997) conductor, pianist. After
his studies at the Music Academy he was a musical coach for the Budapest
Opera House. In 1942 he won the first prize of the Geneva pianist
competition, and through this made his name. After World War II he
became the chief musical director for the Bavarian State Opera and then
for the Frankfurt Opera, and he was later employed by the London Royal
Opera House. He managed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de
Paris, and the Berlin and later London symphony orchestras. He is
regarded as an outstanding record conductor; he won 31 Grammy awards,
was granted the title of honorary doctor by several European and
American universities, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Géza Ottlik (1912–1990) writer, literary
translator. During the war he was recruited as an air raid warden, and
he saved many persecuted people. At the end of the war he set out the
rejuvenation of Hungarian intellectual life following the traditions of
the literary periodical Nyugat (West). Until 1946 he worked for
Hungarian Radio as a dramaturge. He had radio lectures titled 25 Years
of Hungarian Literature, translated radio dramas and wrote. From 1945 to
1957 he was the secretary for the Magyar PEN Club. During the
prevailing years of dogmatic literary policy in the Rákosi era he was
sidelined in the Hungarian literary scene and supported himself by
translating. His enforced silence came to an end in 1957, when his
novella Rooftops at Dawn was published. He won the József Attila Prize,
the Kossuth Prize, the Szép Ernő Prize and the Örley Prize.
János Szentágothai (b. Schimert, 1912–1994) Kossuth
Prize holder, Hungarian anatomist. At the beginning of his teaching
career he elaborated new techniques related to research on degeneration.
In 1948 and in 1967 he was appointed correspondent and full member of
the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, respectively. In 1961
electron-microscopic brain research was first conducted at his
department. His most well known scientific work is a textbook
illustrated by him titled Atlas of Human Anatomy, which has been
translated into 13 languages. He was granted a mandate upon the
parliamentary election of 1990 and worked as a member of the committee
for foreign affairs. He died just a couple of months after his
appointment ended. (Source: wikipedia.org)
Order code: 2012160040011 (miniature sheet), 2012160060012 (FDC)
Date of issue: 6 July 2012.
Total nominal value: 420 Ft
Number of copies: 80,000
Perforated size of stamp: 30x40 mm
Imperforated size of miniature sheet: 140 x 60 mm
Printed by: Állami Nyomda
Photography: MTI Fotó, Magda B. Müller
Designed by: László Dudás
