Date of issue: 13 November 2006

The 1956 Summer Olympiad was held in two parts. Australia won the right to organise the games but the strict quarantine laws forbade the import of horses, so the equestrian events were staged separately in Stockholm between 10-17 June 1956. The games were officially held in Melbourne between 22 November and 8 December 1956. Hungarian sportsmen and -women had to prepare for and travel to the games in an exceptionally difficult period of history. Indeed as a consequence of the events of the uprising in Hungary several athletes were prevented from travelling and the form of others was detrimentally affected, while all who lined up at the start were emotionally jaded. The Hungarian delegation was in a testing situation; an undeclared war was being waged in their homeland, and thousands were dying and fleeing abroad. Despite these events, the Hungarian sportsmen and -women performed brilliantly.

Gold medallists: László Fábián, János Urányi (canoe/kayak) - men’s fencing, sabre team: Aladár Gerevich, Jenő Hámori, Rudolf Kárpáti, Attila Keresztes, Pál Ádám Kovács, Dániel Magay - men’s waterpolo team: Antal Bolvári, Ottó Boros, Dezső Gyarmati, István Hevesi, László Jeney, Tivadar Kanizsa, Dr György Kárpáti, Kálmán Markovits, Mihály Mayer, István Szívós Snr., Ervin Zádor - Rudolf Kárpáti (fencing) - Ágnes Keleti (gymnastics) - women’s gymnastics, portable apparatus team: Andrea Bodó, Ágnes Keleti, Alice Kertész, Margit Korondi, Erzsébet Köteles, Olga Tass - László Papp (boxing).

Silver medallists: men’s fencing, épée team: Dr Lajos Balthazár, Barnabás Berzsenyi, József Marosi, Dr Ambrus Nagy, Dr Béla Rerrich, József Sákovics - Ferenc Hatlaczky (canoe/kayak) - István Hernek (canoe/kayak) - Ágnes Keleti (gymnastics) - József Kovács (athletics) - women’s gymnastics team: Andrea Bodó, Ágnes Keleti, Alice Kertész, Margit Korondi, Erzsébet Köteles, Olga Tass - Lajos Parti (canoe/kayak) - Imre Polyák (wrestling) - Sándor Rozsnyói (athletics) - Éva Székely (swimming).

Bronze medallists: Imre Farkas, József Hunics (canoe/kayak) - men’s fencing, foil team: Mihály Fülöp, József Gyuricza, József Marosi, József Sákovics, Lajos Somodi Snr, Endre Tilli - Lajos Kiss (canoe/kayak) - Ferenc Mohácsi, Károly Wieland (canoe/kayak) - Olga Tass (gymnastics) - Gyula Tóth (wrestling) - György Tumpek (swimming).

The design of the numbered block’s stamp shows a portrait of László Papp while in the surrounding frame there are the Hungarian Olympic gold medallists from Melbourne. A special feature of the jubilee block is that the names of the gold, silver, and bronze medallists and their disciplines are visible under UV light, as is the legend “1956 Melbourne”. The names of the medal winners also feature on the first day cover. The design of the commemorative postmark is a stylised depiction of the badge of Hungary’s Olympic athletes.

The issue of the stamp block was made possible by the co-operation of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and the photographs for the graphic design were provided by the archives of the Hungarian Museum of Sport.

Source: Hungarians at the Olympic Games, 1896-2004

Order code:
2006244030011 (block)
2006244060012 (FDC)

Date of issue: 13 November 2006
Face value: HUF 500
Number of copies: 120,000
Printing method: offset
Perforated size: 30 x 40 mm
Trimmed size: 100 x 65 mm
Printed by Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Designed by Attila Elekes