Publication about Count Ödön Széchenyi – now also in English

The publication about Count Ödön Széchenyi (the founder of the Hungarian National Firefighter Association) published earlier this year, is available in English. The two part document can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.

Part 1: About the life of the Count in Hungary, written by dr. Imre Berki

Part 2: About the life of the Count in Turkey, written by dr. Gábor Fodor

The publication was funded by the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities.

Turkish news about the Hungarian Fire Brigade Association

On October 5, 2020, Tibor Dobson, fire brigadier general and president of the Hungarian Firefighter Association, met with Honorary Turkish Consul Osman Sahbaz. The meeting was reported by several Turkish news sites.

Newspaper articles pointed out that Count Ödön Széchenyi, the first president of the Hungarian National Fire Brigade Association, also strengthened Turkish-Hungarian relations, as he did a great deal not only in Hungary but also in Turkey to advance the matter of modern firefighting.

Ildikó Hegymegi, the economic manager of the Hungarian Firefighter Association , Honorary Consul Osman Sahbaz, and Tibor Dobson fire brigadier general, President of the Hungarian Firefighter Association on the occasion of the meeting in Budapest.

Turkish delegation at the Hungarian Firefighter Association

At the invitation of the President of the Hungarian Firefighter Association, on October 5, 2020, within the development of Turkish and Hungarian relations, Osman Sahbaz, Honorary Consul, arrived at the Budapest headquarters of the association to discuss the possible future meetings of the two countries' fire delegations. The main topic of the discussion was the 150th anniversary of the Hungarian organized fire brigade and the different characteristics of the Turkish fire brigade founded by Count Ödön Széchenyi from Hungary, given that in Turkey the municipal fire brigades belong to the local governments.

The memorial plaque of Count Ödön Széchenyi was inaugurated in Istanbul

A commemoration was held on October 7, 2020 at the Istanbul Fire Museum in honor of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Hungarian National Firefighter Association founded by Count Ödön Széchenyi and the establishment of the Hungarian and Turkish organized fire brigades.

Due to the threat of a pandemic, it was not possible for the Hungarian fire brigade to travel, so the organization was represented by Veronika Lakatos, First Deputy, and Dr. Gábor Fodor, Director, on behalf of László Keller, Head of the Consulate General of Hungary in Istanbul. At the event, a bronze plaque of Count Ödön Széchenyi, modeled by the sculptor Zoltán Kovács and made in the workshop of the goldsmith Tamás Szabó from Szeged, was inaugurated, and Turkish copies of the biography were handed over. The biography was written by Dr. Gábor Fodor, director of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Istanbul, and Dr. Imre Berki, director of the Central Museum of Emergency Management.

The memorial plaque and publications were donated by the Hungarian Firefighter Association from resources provided in 2019 by the Municipality of Budapest and the Ministry of Human Resources. The event was attended by the leaders and representatives of the Consulate General and the Municipality and Fire Brigade of Istanbul, where they read out the greetings of Brigadier General Tibor Dobson, President of the the Hungarian Firefighter Association.

The event was also attended by Remzi Albayrak, Head of the Fire Department of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, Kerim Altug, Director of the Ataturk Library and the Fire Museum.

Greetings from Brigadier General Tibor Dobson on the occasion:

Dear Consul General,

Ladies and gentlemen!

Dear Turkish Firefighter Comrades!

This year, the Hungarian Fire Brigade Association celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding by Count Ödön Széchenyi, who established the organized fire brigade in both Hungary and Turkey. We can all be proud that, in addition to creating professional values ​​for security, it has further strengthened the historical friendship of the Turkish and Hungarian people, the professional cooperation of our firefighters, mutual respect and esteem in a cross-border way. We prepared with events worthy of the 150th anniversary, at which we, together with our Turkish friends, planned the solemn commemoration in both Istanbul and Budapest. Although the pandemic has rewritten our plans for this year, I sincerely hope that we will have the opportunity to make up for it in the foreseeable future. In view of the current situation, I have asked the Consul General to present a memorial plaque about Széchenyi Pasha to our museum as a symbol of the friendship of our peoples and our appreciation for the Turkish firefighters. With this work, we also express the strong comrades 'unity of the Turkish and Hungarian firefighters' community, which will remain forever in all circumstances. I am convinced that we will continue to go forward together from a glorious past to a worthy future. I am closing my thoughts with our historical slogan:

"Glory to God, help one another!"

Istanbul, 29 September 2020

Brigadier General Tibor Dobson