Today, the Hungarian city of Sopron celebrates “Loyalty Day” – a date that commemorates the historic referendum of December 14, 1921. At that time, the inhabitants of Sopron and eight surrounding communities voted by a majority to remain part of Hungary, thereby bringing about the only revision of the Trianon Peace Treaty, which was perceived as traumatic. This year’s anniversary takes on special relevance with the sensational rediscovery of the “loyalty chalice,” which is intended to revive an old tradition.
Exhibition of the Sopron Archives on the referendum in the Town Hall (photo: Hungary Today)
After the end of World War I, the Treatys of Saint Germain (1919) and Trianon (1920) assigned Sopron and the entire region that later became Burgenland to Austria. Hungarian guerrilla fighters, supported by local students, offered resistance to the Austrian takeover starting in August 1921, with the skillfully maneuvering Hungarian government pulling the strings in the background to improve its diplomatic position. The military conflicts, which culminated in the short-lived proclamation of the Lajtabánság (Banate of Leitha), led to the Venice Protocol (October 1921) under Italian mediation.
This agreement provided for a referendum on the affiliation of Sopron and eight villages. Despite the city’s German-speaking and Austrian-influenced tradition, the eligible voters, which included women and men aged 20 and over, voted in favor of Hungary on December 14, 15, and 16, 1921, with a majority of 65.1 percent (15,334 to 8,227 votes).
The official handover to Hungary took place on January 1, 1922. The Hungarian National Assembly honored the decision by awarding Sopron the title Civitas fidelissima (The Most Loyal City) and later declaring December 14, the official Day of Loyalty.
The anniversary in 2025, will be marked by a rediscovery of national significance. At the beginning of May, the “Loyalty Chalice” (Hűségserleg) – a gold-plated silver chalice from 1926 – was found in the Sopron Archives. It had been considered lost since 1945, and was found in a previously unexamined box in a safe.
The cover of the Chalice of Loyalty (Photo: Hungary Today)
The Chalice of Loyalty (Photo: Hungary Today)
The chalice was a donation from the Hungarian noble family Széchenyi, initiated by Count Bertalan Széchenyi, as a token of gratitude and respect to the loyal city. It bears the inscription: “To the Civitas Fidelissima as a sign of gratitude from the Széchenyi family.”
The inscription on the Chalice of Loyalty (photo: Hungary Today)
The Chalice of Loyalty (Photo: Hungary Today)
The discovery is much more than a historical sensation. It offers the chance to revive an almost century-old tradition that was interrupted in the 1940s.
The now restored founding document of the chalice from 1928, which was presented on December 12, at an event held by the Sopron Archives, lays down the rules for the traditional preservation of the memory.
The chalice must be displayed publicly every seven years at a loyalty banquet (Hűséglakoma), during which a distinguished person must give a loyalty speech (Hűségbeszéd). Those present should drink from the chalice to the health of the city and the fatherland.
The founding document of the Chalice of Loyalty (Photo: Hungary Today)
The founding document of the Chalice of Loyalty (Photo: Hungary Today)
The seven-year cycle is closely linked to the city’s history. The referendum took place in 1921, and the chalice was inaugurated in 1928. The next seven-year celebration, as stipulated in the statutes, is due in 2026.
The Sopron Archives hopes to be able to present a restored Chalice of Loyalty worthy of public display next year and to continue the tradition of the loyalty feast.
This year, the celebrations surrounding Loyalty Day in Sopron took on a particularly sweet note with the introduction of a new dessert that symbolically complements the revived tradition of the Chalice of Loyalty: the “Harmony of Loyalty” (Hűség harmóniája). This pastry is the result of a unique collaboration between the Sopron Archives and the local Hoffer confectionery, founded in 1936.
The dessert “Harmony of Loyalty” (Photo: Hungary Today)
The Archives provided the confectioners with two historical recipes that served as inspiration for the dessert. The aim was to reinterpret the tutti frutti cake (Tutti-frutti szelet), which was on the menu of the Loyalty Feast in 1935, on the occasion of the last documented seven-year celebration of the Chalice of Loyalty.
The “Harmony of Loyalty” is thus not only a culinary experience, but also a tangible piece of living history that invites the citizens of Sopron to experience the past of their city with all their senses.
This culinary bridge brings the memory of the 1921 referendum and the deep connection with Hungary associated with it into the present in a dignified and enjoyable way.
The dessert “Harmony of Loyalty” (Photo: Hungary Today)
The rediscovery of the chalice strengthens the collective memory of the region and gives Civitas Fidelissima Sopron back a tangible symbol of its historical connection to the Hungarian nation.
Featured image: Hungary Today
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