150 years of organised fire departments in Hungary

Count Ödön Széchenyi laid the foundations for organised fire departments in Hungary, with the recruitment of the first volunteers and creation of professional associations and finally the nation-wide collaboration of different associations across Hungary. As a result of his efforts, the Hungarian Firefighters’ Federation, the legal predecessor of today’s Hungarian Firefighter Association, was established in 1870. In Hungary, Firefighters’ Day has been officially celebrated on 4 May since 1991, in commemoration of Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.

In consideration of the significance of this anniversary the MNB will release a silver commemorative coin with a face value of HUF 10,000 and a non-ferrous metal coin of HUF 2,000 also entitled ‘150 Years of Organised Fire Departments in Hungary’