The memorial plaque remembering the granting of the first armorial warrant to the City of Košice in 1369 was today ( 11.05.2010 ) inaugurated by leaders of the cities of Košice and Miskolc at the premises of the Diósgyőr castle. The plaque shall remember the public of a significant historical event which took place in the Diósgyőr castle more than 640 years ago.
"What happened in this castle on May 7, 1369, is of great significance to the city of Košice. From among historical events related to the city of Košice, it was the day of May 7 that was recognized as the Memorial Day of the City of Košice which we have celebrated for sixteen years now. On this day, King Luis the Great went beyond the common practice and for the first time in history issued and sealed an armorial warrant to a city. The uniqueness of this act lies in the fact that according to present research and knowledge of heraldry in Europe it were the citizens of Košice that made their ruler issue an armorial warrant to a legal entity, the City," – said Mayor František Knapík. "I would like to thank you for the opportunity to enrich the City of Miskolc by a historical document located in the public place – multilingual brass memorial plaque made by sculptor Arpád Račko – remembering our common historical event," – said Mayor of Miskolc, Sándor Káli.
The text on the sides of the plaque reads: "KING LOUIS THE GREAT* ISSUES THE COAT OF ARMS TO KOŠICE* AS TO THE FIRST CITY IN EUROPE* IN DIÓSGYŐR ON MAY 7, 1369*. The inscription is in four languages – Slovak, Hungarian, English, and French.
The local governments of both cities agreed upon inauguration of the memorial plaque in May 2009. Decades of successful cooperation between Košice and Miškolc and the effort to accentuate historical connection between the cities as well as their cultural level of the time, culminated in inauguration of the memorial plaque as a proof and expression of well developed relationship between the cities.
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