Menekülés Zentáról, 1944 : egy nõi díszmagyar viselet kalandos története Zentától Bécsig

The aim of the study is to present the calvary of a Southern Swabian-Macedonian family through the history of a female díszmagyar during and after the Second World War. The díszmagyar is one of the Hungarian national symbols that has undergone many centuries of development. The piece mentioned in the study is special because we can accurately describe the person who made it, the reason and circumstances of making, and the place and time, which is quite rare for such wear. The examined female díszmagyar was made by Madary Gabriella for the first anniversary of the „Délvidék” (southern territories) recapture in 1942. Her husband was Károly Király, the notary of the city of Zenta and the leader of the local Hungarian Party. As it emerged that Miklós Horthy visited Zenta because of the anniversary, the couple wanted to welcome the governor in a proper way, so they made the costume for themselves. The governor finally did not visit Zenta, but at the town hall the anniversary was celebrated, where Gabriella Madary participated in the newly made female díszmagyar, according to a contemporary photo. In 1944, Gabriella Madary and Károly Király left their beloved southern city in front of the burglar Serb and Soviet troops. They fled to Győr, where they were accomodated by relatives. In 1946 they moved to their house in Balatonboglár, where Károly Király died in the same year. His body was dressed into a díszmagyar for eternal tranquility in the local cemetery. After her death, Madary Gabriella’s female ornament was guarded and demised by her family. Her granddaughter, Erzsébet Török, appeared in this costume with her husband in a military ball at Vienna in a few years ago. Then, in 2018, he donated the costume to the Hansági Museum, where the adventurous, non-everyday costume became part of the permanent exhibition