Szeged Celebrates Its Nobel Laureate

News of Albert Szent-Györgyi receiving the Nobel Prize reached Szeged almost instantaneously, as a good friend of Szent-Györgyi, Aladár Beznák, a physiology professor from Budapest, who happened to be on a study trip in Sweden at the time, was actually at the Karolinska Institutet when the decision to award the prize to Szent-Györgyi was made. Recalling the ensuing telephone conversation with Szent-Györgyi, Beznák was quoted in the daily paper Pesti Hirlap as saying, “I could sense that he was very moved […] His voice trembled upon hearing the news […]” (October 30, 1937). The first written congratulatory message Szent-Györgyi received from anyone in Hungary was a telegram from the Minister of Religion and Education, Bálint Hóman. The official notification from Stockholm also arrived promptly: a brief telegram conveying the news was delivered by the end of the day, followed by a more detailed message outlining the grounds for awarding the prize to Szent-Györgyi.

That night, in Szeged, Szent-Györgyi’s apartment on the Bank of the Tisza River was buzzing with life. The news spread like wildfire. “I spent hours on the phone, unable to step away from it. I hardly had any time to rest that night. Standing there with the phone in my hand, I was surrounded by close friends, while my beloved students gathered in the street outside, singing to let me know how happy they were for me. Even the Gypsy musicians of Szeged showed up in the still of the night, and their beautiful music was a clear indication that they were playing from the heart.” (Broadcast on Hungarian national radio on November 6, 1937, and quoted in the daily Magyar Hirlap on November 7, 1937.) Journalists, too, began reaching out to Szent-Györgyi in person or by phone, and the following day, local and national newspapers featured lengthy editorials on Szent-Györgyi’s sensational win that resonated worldwide.

“The academic recognition I have received crowns achievements born of a lifetime of struggle,” Szent-Györgyi said, speaking of the prize (as quoted in the daily paper Pesti Napló on October 29, 1937). “Winning the Nobel Prize has given me immense joy, as it is not only a form of recognition but also ensures that I can continue my existing research in the future,” he stated (as quoted in the daily paper Budapesti Hirlap on October 29, 1937).

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Early in the morning, Szeged saw the national flag hoisted on both the university’s central building and the city hall. Soon after, flags adorned every university building. Rector József Gelei canceled all lectures for the day. A veritable procession headed toward the Institute of Medical Chemistry building at the square in front of Szeged’s Cathedral. Upon his arrival in the square, Professor Szent-Györgyi was met by a crowd of students who welcomed him with an unceasing standing ovation. As he entered his institute, he was greeted by his colleagues with loud cheers and a flurry of flowers.

It was also here that the University Council paid its respects (top left photo). Led by the rector of the university, all Council members were present without exception. Surrounded by students and journalists, Szent-Györgyi was warmly greeted by the rector.

In the bottom left photo, Szent-Györgyi is seen with a group of students. The woman standing to the right of the professor and handing him a bouquet is Éva Varga, a student from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

At noon, two cars from the city’s fleet pulled into the square, with County Commissioner György Imecs and Mayor József Pálfy seated inside. The two officials conveyed the city’s compliments and announced that the city was considering conferring honorary citizenship upon Szent-Györgyi and constructing a family house for him. Ultimately, Szent-Györgyi did not receive such a gift from the city; instead, he purchased a house at his own expense in Újszeged (New Szeged), a part of the city just across the Tisza River.

In the evening, the university hosted notable meetings held by the two faculties with which Szent-Györgyi was most closely associated. On the one hand, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences passed a resolution to confer an honorary doctorate on Szent-Györgyi. On the other hand, the Faculty of Medicine proposed commissioning a plaque and a medal to commemorate the Professor’s Nobel Prize.

During the day, Béla Liebmann, a renowned photographer from Szeged, visited Szent-Györgyi at the Institute and took several series of photographs of the scientist, including one capturing him working in his lab.