MHSZ and earlier incarnations

[Greg Collins]

The "MHSZ" was a paramilitary youth organisation not unlike the Soviet DOSAAF. The name changed several times:

1948-1949: MSZHSZ Magyar Szabadságharcos Szövetség = Hungarian Freedom Fighters Association.
1949-1956: MÖHOSZ Magyar Önkéntes Honvédelmi Szövetség = Voluntary Association for the Hungarian Defense.
1957-1967: MHS Magyar Honvédelmi Sportszövetség = Hungarian Defense Sport Association.
1967-1989: MHSZ Magyar Honvédelmi Szövetség = Hungarian Defense Association.

The rather large, cased MHSZ badges shown below date back to the '60's. They read "eredményes munkáért" = for succesful work. I am unable, at this time, to determine exactly what the badge qualifications were and how they differed considering the obvious differences in design of the badges.

[deValcourt]

"Ready for labor and defense" with an emphasis on political education? At least that's what I see in the first. The second seems to focus more on the military and political education. Perhaps a more leadership level of training (ROTC?).

Purely speculation based on visual data.:)

Phillip

[Greg Collins]

I just don't know for sure, Phil. They are both from the same period; both bear the same "salutation". The most notable difference that gives me some pause is that the first badge contains a PPSh crossed with a long handled hammer, which forms the primary part of the organizational logo- if there had been a glider in the background, the logo would have been complete. As you can see, the second badge bears an AK. This starts me wondering if the organizational logo was about to be changed at some point in the '60's- maybe to "update" the thing- that never actually happened.:confused:

[Greg Collins]

Here's a couple of very early MSZHSZ badges: a Bronze grade badge for motorcycling and a Silver grade badge for shooting. The Bronze grades are reasonably easy to get, although not cheap... the Silver grades are a bit difficult to find. There is one other badge that I know of in this series and it is for engineering. It has an anchor crossed with a hammer and another tool in the center. I keep looking...

[Greg Collins]

Here's a cased MHSZ "Good Worker" badge. It bears the logo of the organization, and the "MHSZ" is on a military flag-type design featuring the "wolf's tooth" on the edges.

[Greg Collins]

I believe these badges are correctly placed here with the MHSZ badges. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me and I will try to move them.

Saw this on auction the other day- apparently part of an estate- placed a bid and got it for the initial starting figure of less than $10. Anyway, it's 10 badges that the original owner had placed on a card: three Honvedelmert (Home Defense) badges- Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Silver badge has one "level" stick pin, while both the Gold and Silver have 3 level stick pins each. A very nice set at a pretty good price. Eventually I will probably remove the pins from the black card they came on but, for now, I think I'll leave them just the way the previous owner had them "racked-in".

[Greg Collins]

The Gold and Bronze details...

[Greg Collins]

A MOHOSZ membership badge from the Rakosi period (1949-1956). These are generally easy to find but in pretty bad shape. I looked until I came across this one... gilt still in place and with the famous Rakosi period "robin's egg blue" background. Someone took very good care of this badge.

[Greg Collins]

This took awhile to find- it was sold by a Hungarian as a Hungarian Naval Academy badge which, of course, it is not :weird. Anyway, it is an early MSZHSZ badge that, I believe, is for accomplishment in areas not covered by the two badges I showed in post #4. As you can see, the logo in the badge center is familiar (Soviet DOSAAF, DDR GST, Romanian AVSAT, etc.). It's a Bronze grade, which is the only grade I've seen to date.

[Greg Collins]

Like so many pieces in the collection, I found this Silver grade MSZHSZ (pre-Rakosi) Motorcyclist badge when I wasn't looking... go figure. As I have not, to date, found any Gold grade badges, I'm assuming that Bronze and Silver grades were pretty much it. With four of these badges to date, I believe I'm two away from a complete collection of these.