Why Hungary's Crown Jewels Were Once Stored in Kentucky

This is going to blow your mind! I couldn't believe it when I heard it just a few days ago. Did you know that a piece of Hungarian history (that dates back to the 12th Century) has ties to Kentucky? I know that sounds crazy, but it's true, incredible, and stunning.

I spent the last couple of weeks visiting three countries in Central Europe: Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. I realize that, for most people, vacations mean sitting at the beach or poolside at an all-inclusive. For me, quite frequently, vacationing means diving into history instead of a Bahama Mama. So, I put together a solo tour that included some historic stops like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, The Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest, and the Hungarian Parliament.

By the way, let's talk about that building for a second! Inspired by a similar structure in London, it's incredibly beautiful, though admittedly a bit over the top outside AND inside.

I mean, check out this staircase. Uh, excuse me. Check out this 96-step grand staircase.

And, fun fact. You're only allowed to walk up that staircase if you're someone notable. Needless to say, my tour group and I were roped off from it, but I was still able to snap that photo.

I also got a photo of the interior of the legislative chamber, which is uniquely impressive and ornate.

I want to run for public office in Hungary just so I can work at one of those desks.

Get our free mobile app

There was one particular area of the building though in which we were not allowed to take photos. Inside the towering dome of the Parliament building, The Holy Crown of Hungary is on display. This thing dates back to the 1100s. Not only is it guarded by soldiers with weapons, it's overlooked by statues of sixteen Hungarian monarchs.

Though we couldn't take photos inside, they did share some of the history of the crown with us. It's also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen- named in honor of Stephen I. He became the King of Hungary around the year 1000.

Pretty cool, right? Well, it gets even cooler. That crown eventually ended up here in the Bluegrass State. Yeah. Here! In Kentucky.

After World War II, the Hungarian Crown Guard took the coronation jewels and hid them. They wanted to keep the goods out of the hands of the Soviet Army. The crown and its companion pieces were handed over to the U.S. Army in occupied Germany. After that, in 1953, everything was transferred to the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox!

Wait! What? Really??? Yes!

And the crown stayed there until 1978. That's when President Jimmy Carter decided that the Hungarians, despite the fact that they were still under Communist rule, should have their crown jewels returned to them. So, then Secretary of State Cyrus Vance returned them all- including the crown- to Hungary, where they have been on display since.

Honestly, when I visited the Hungarian Parliament last week, I fully anticipated to be the only Kentuckian in the room. As it turns out, I wasn't. That Hungarian crown has a little 'Bluegrass' in it too.

The Best Reviews From People Who Had The Worst Time Visiting The White House

You think people are impressed visiting the White House? Think again. Visitors who have toured the White House grounds have taken to Yelp to voice their displeasure about everything from the size of the building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. to Secret Service being rude to them when they got lost.

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll

Filed Under: Fort Knox