Herend porcelain, which is one of Hungary's acknowledged symbols which it is a value and a privilege to own, as well as pálinka and grape marc pálinka, which are already regarded as the nation's unique specialities, are from today officially Hungaricums - announced Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas following the meeting of the Hungaricum Committee in Herend.
The Minister stressed that Herend porcelain, pálinka and grape marc pálinka are the first Hungaricums to be included in the Hungaricum Collection on the basis of special adjudication. Pálinka is a national drink, a true Hungarian speciality; the way it is created, its production and unique taste are part of both Hungarian everyday life and celebrations.
In the words of Sándor Fazekas, "the workers at the world's largest porcelain manufactory preserve values and create value; this porcelain embodies Hungarian genius. The product of centuries of craft production can now occupy its rightful place". The manufactory and the porcelain produced here is a common treasure that belongs to all of us, and of which the Hungarian peoples can be proud. All three of the products that have been acknowledged today are national values we can be rightfully proud of.
The majority of Herend Porcelain Manufactory belongs to the workers, but 25 + 1 shares are owned by the state. This is an excellent example of how the local community and the state, who represents the wider community, are able to work together for many years in the interests of achieving important common goals.
At the press conference following the decision of the Hungaricum Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics said that in reality it is Hungary that is a Herendicum and not Herend a Hungaricum, because for the past 200 years the handmade quality, design and technology that have made the manufactory world famous have been not simply the treasures of Herend, but those of the whole nation.
Herend porcelain has been part of Hungarian heritage since 2002, said CEO of Herend Porcelain Manufactory Attila Simon, emphasising that to this day, the company's porcelain is hand made under strict quality control and may only be manufactured in Herend. Mr. Simon also stressed that the manufactory has 64 million different products, the company is profitable and is 75-percent owned by its workers.
Zsolt Horváth MP reported to the Committee on the achievements of the Hungaricum movement in Veszprém County. Among other moves, they have set up a Hungaricum Club with headquarters in Herend, and have launched a new website to promote the country's values called www.szeresdamagyart.hu. On an experimental basis, they have also trained "value guardians" within the framework of the "Youth in Action" programme, whose job is to protect and help the work of value-creators so that the given product may be included within the value depository.
The Hungaricum Committee has been working for months to compile a list of national values, and the law encourages local communities to collect national values that exist in their immediate vicinity. The Hungaricum Act was adopted by Parliament last spring and the Hungaricum Committee began operating last autumn. So far, cultural, intellectual and constructed heritage have been added to the list by law, but from now on, anything can become a Hungaricum as a result of "outside" initiatives: pálinka and grape marc pálinka were proposed by the National Pálinka Council, while Herend porcelain was suggested by the Herend Porcelain Manufactory Co. Today's decision means that the number of Hungaricums has now risen to fifteen.
(MTI, Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)
