Neat Stuff Room # 2, Adolph
March 23/ 2022
Over 10 years ago, many drug companies sent physicians to conferences, sometimes near home, but sometimes requiring significant travel. I was asked if I were interested in a world medical meeting in Budapest, Hungary where a new blood pressure medication was to be launched. I jumped at the chance, partly because I had never travelled to Europe. The usual pattern was to send the physician, by first class air, hotel, meals and incidental cost… All covered. The cost of flying from Windsor, Ontario to Budapest, Hungary, return first class was very expensive. I discussed this with my local drug representative who suggested I could trade my first-class airline tickets for two tickets round trip regular fair.
My wife, who also had never been to Europe, was now able to accompany me. We decided to make a major trip out of the opportunity. After 3 days in Budapest, we boarded a train to Vienna, Austria. After several days there we rented a car and travelled to Autobahn to Salzburg A where we had rooms in a 14th century castle… What an experience. We explored Saltsburg, including the Sound of Music tour and a trip into nearby Bavaria in Germany. More stories abound from these experiences. However, back to Budapest, it was time to leave the next morning for the train station. Before this, I definitely wanted to purchase a significant souvenir of our first and only, trip to Budapest. Buda and Pest are separated by the mighty river Danube. Buda is perched on a high ridge looking down over the river to Pest on the other side. I was told that the Roman empire extended to Bud and Roman artifacts are frequently found. Hungary has a convoluted history belonging to several empires over the last hundreds of years. More recently, Hungary was conquered by the Germans in World War 2, until thrown out by the Russians near the end of the war. Russia, the USSR, occupied Hungary many years. Hungarians are very independent and revolted. The Hungarian uprising, October 23rd- November 10th/ 1956. Russia brutely put this down and prevailed. Public discussion about the revolution was suppressed in Hungary for more than 30 years.
Communist rule in Hungary came to an end in 1989 by peaceful transition to a democratic system. This followed a second Hungarian revolution in the 1980’s. October 23rd, 1989, the Hungarian Republic was born.
This recent history partially revealed itself as I was hunting for an appropriate souvenir. There was an older shop just down the street from our hotel that had me very curious. At the back of the store were a series of dusty shelves, filled with various knick-knacks. One corner cabinet had various Hungarian painted Easter Eggs, which were appealing, but not really what I wanted. Behind these eggs, were 5 or 6 Babushka Russian dolls, which had been regulated to the rear. I stood as tall as I could on my toes and saw a dark, dust covered metallic structure behind the dolls.
I reached far back to retrieve it. To my surprise, it was a steel bust of Adolph Hitler with old German script under its base. What a find this was!
In a space of less than 10 minutes, my outstretched arm crossed the Hungarian Republic 1989 until present, preceded by the communist Hungarian Peoples Republic 1949-1989, preceded by the Stalinist Russian occupation 1945-1949, preceded by the Nazi occupation that ended in 1945.
I was thrilled with this find and was able to purchase it from the bored store keeper for $50, US. I consider this a bargain. My wife was not thrilled about my purchase, so I had to stow it away into the recesses of my suit case to get it home.
It remains one of the “highest attention grabber” of the many artifacts that I have in my neat stuff room.
Much more to follow.
