History of the “Balassa prize and Balassa medal”

Janos Balassa (1814-1868) is one of the leading figures of the history of medicine in Hungary. He is considered as the founder of modern medicine in the country. In 1843 J. Balassa was appointed Professor of Surgery at the Medical University in Budapest. He was one of the most creative surgeons of his period, Janos Balassa used general anaesthesia for surgical procedures in Europe first time. His main interests were abdominal wall hernias and oto-laryngology.

            The most distinguished prize of the Hungarian Surgical Society is the “Balassa medal”, which is given yearly to the surgeon for a lifetime curative and research activity.

            “…the aim of the Balassa prize is to promote the progress of medical science in our country and in our language” is quoted from the founders of the prize.

            The history of the “Balassa medal” goes back to 1876. Janos Bokai, on the assembly of the Budapest Royal Association of Doctors, donated 100 Hungarian Forint for a prize of a lifetime curative activity of one of the members. He also suggested to  rename the prize about Janos Balassa as a memorial of his historical figure. Since Janos Bokai initiative launched a massive subscription by the other members of the society, 6000 Hungarian Forint was collected soon, which was a fortune at that time. In 1877, the “Balassa Prize of the Royal Association of Doctors” was awarded first time, and then biannually.

            However, the winner took not only the honour of the rest of the members of the Royal Association of Doctors but a decent amount of money, too. As it could have been predicted, the latter triggered some dispute around the award. Therefore from 1905 the organizers changed the award to “Balassa medal” and cancelled the financial contribution of the prize. The “Balassa medal” was awarded yearly from 1906 to 1943 afterwards (except 1919). The medal was made by Fulop Odon Beck, a prominent sculpture of the time. On one side of the medal the portrait of Janos Balassa can be seen, on the back there is a script ”Societas Regia Medicorum Budapestiensis” (Budapest Royal Association of Doctors).  

            Unfortunately after World War II the “Balassa medal” was not awarded until 1959. It was resumed by the Hungarian Surgical Society in 1960. Since then every year in May the “Balassa medal” is given to one of the members of the Hungarian Surgical Society as an honour of a lifetime activity in clinical and experimental surgery. Accordingly, the script on the medal changed to “Societas Chirurgica Hungarica”.