Posthumous Ybl Prize

Text: Barnabás Winkler

In 2010, after an initiative by architect Barnabás Winkler, the Association of hUngarian Architects recognized the oeuvre of 17 Hungarian architects with a posthumous Magyar Ybl Prize which was originally founded as one of the state recognitions of arts in a decree of the Ministerial Board on November 6th 1953. Regulations concerning these prizes have been modified several times during the past few decades. Formerly it had several degrees, and thus their number varied year by year to recognize the artists. The regulations concerning nomination and the identity and criteria of the people eligible for it have also been changed on several occasions. Decrees of the ministerial board and government decrees annually enhanced the system of governmental recognitions. The Ybl Miklós Prize which was awarded annually except for the period between 1957 and 1959 is regarded as the most prestigious award of Hungarian architects as such. In the era between 1953 and 1989 there were so outstanding professionals amongst our active architects who had not received this recognition since its foundation even though they had well deserved it. Some of them had been left out because they were not Hungarian citizens, whilst there were others whose architectural excellence could not overcome their political judgment. On several occasions decisions about the award were postponed by decision-makers till the next year, but by then they died and were thus left out of nomination and vanished in oblivion even though they would have well deserved this recognition. The initiative of the founders of the prize has been successful. Although after several decades’ delay, a total of 17 excellent architects and their outstanding oeuvres received now posthumously the most prestigious recognition of the profession.