Arms of Gödöllö

Gödöllö, Hungary, 1933

The 4th World Jamboree was held in the Royal Forest of Gödöllõ, 11 miles from Budapest, and was attended by 25,000 Scouts from 34 nations. It was notable for the excellent weather which was enjoyed and the assembled Scouts were thankful for the shade which the trees of the Royal Forest afforded. Scouts who attended this gathering will remember particularly the pleasing sight of B.-P. making his rounds on the camp site on a magnificent brown charger. It was also most noticeable that the whole Hungarian nation had cooperated to make the event a success.


  Grassalkovich Mansion House
The Royal Residence
at Gödöllõ, c.1910
The Royal Residence at Gödöllõ today

The Hungarian state presented the lands and the palace at Gödöllõ to Emperor Francis Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth as a coronation gift. From that time on, the royal family stayed there in mainly in spring and autumn. Gödöllõ and its Royal Forest were a particular favorite of the Empress Elizabeth.

An arbor in the Royal Forest
at Gödöllõ
Statue of the Empress Elizabeth in the Gardens at Gödöllõ

Statue of a Scout
at Gödöllõ


The first statue of a boy scout in Gödöllõ was erected on the l0th anniversary of the 1933 jamboree on October 17, 1943. This work of the sculptor Lõrinc Siklódy stood opposite the barracks of the Guard until 1948. Following the period when the scouting movement was suppressed, the idea of setting the statue in its place again emerged. Since the original statue, even after a long search, was not discovered, the Committee established for erecting the statue decided to have Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobl’s statuette entitled the Boy scout enlarged. The enlargement of the 50 cm high statuette was done by a student of Kisfaludy Strobl, István Paál. The new statue of a boy scout standing on the original pedestal was unveiled on April 23, 1994.

The grave of Count Paul Taleki is at Gödöllõ. He served as Camp Chief at the IV World Jamboree, and was twice Prime Minister of Hungary. He was a friend of Baden-Powell’s and a patron of Scouting in his country.

The information and photographs in this section are from the Guide to Gödöllõ and the History of Gödöllõ developed by Ildiko Faludi, Albert Kresz, and Zoltan Toth.
 


link-1933-wj4-sjb.jpg (2889 bytes) In 1933, the Boy Scouts of America published 1933 Scout Jamboree Book.  This report tells the story of American participation in the 4th World Jamboree. It was written by James E. West, Chief Scout Executive and William Hillcourt and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London.  It continued a series begun with the publication of The Scout Jamboree Book after the 3rd World Jamboree in 1929.
Return to Bela’s Story:Scouting in Hungary, 1929-1937
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Gödöllö, Hungary, 1933
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Copyright © Lewis P. Orans, 1998
Last Modified: 11:30 AM on December 28, 1998