The most famous Hungarian families, whose success is based on traditions

According to nlcafe.hu, building companies while being faithful to traditions can be very successful. This is best shown by historic Hungarian brands, which have been in the hands of the same families since their foundation and which pass on the tradition from generation to generation.

Hungary is rich in famous and successful dynasties in the field of art, business, politics and science. Even though the careers of these families are very different, there’s one similarity: their success is not only owed to their inherited talent, but also the preservation of family traditions.

Zsolnay family

Miklós Zsolnay, the founder of one of the most famous Hungarian brands, was a talented, creative and quite innovative artisan. He didn’t only start a successful factory in his pottery manufacture found in Lukafa in 1853, but also a brand that has been passed on from generation to generation. Both of his sons (Ignác and Vilmos) followed in his track, and their children (Vilmos’s two daughters and Ignác’s one son), were also tied to the factory.

Vilmos Zsolnay – Photo: Wiki Commons By User:Dencey

Legend has it that the fourth generation basically grew up in the factory, because their parents made a lot of effort to perfect their artistic talent – which generally characterised the family members and which made the Zsolnay brand unique and matchless – while teaching them the tricks and secrets of production and business.

The Museum of Applied Arts decorated with Zsolnay ceramics – Photo: Wiki Commons By Misibacsi

Zwack family

227 years have passed since Dr Zwack first presented his famous beverage to Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary. It is believed that it was the emperor who named the liquor-like drink, which was served as a cure to help digestion.

After tasting it, he called it “ein Unicum”, in other words: a unique specialty.

Photo: www.facebook.com/ZwackUnicumMúzeum

Even though József Zwack only founded the first Zwack factory fifty years later, he didn’t forget the words of the king and named the beverage Unicum. The tradition has been the unquestionable base of the Unicum brand and the Zwack family since then. All five generations had some kind of connection with the famous factory.

The onetime factory – Photo: www.facebook.com/ZwackUnicumMúzeum

Auguszt family

The most famous Hungarian confectioner dynasty has been pampering guests with the most delicious desserts for five generations. Since the opening of the confectionery in 1870, the business has always been led by the family. Even though there were children in all generations who wanted to follow different paths, they all ended up in the confectionery sooner or later.

The onetime confectionery – Photo: www.facebook.com/AugusztCukrászda

For instance, the son of the founder Elek Auguszt, József, wanted to be an artist, but he respected his family so much that he ended up not only learning his father’s profession, but also developing it. Moreover, he opened new shops in Krisztinaváros and on the Hidegkúti Road.

József also stepped out of the frameworks of a simple confectionery, and he became the army’s first official chocolate subcontractor during WWI.

If you visit the Auguszt Confectionery found in Fény Street, you’re guaranteed to find fifth generation offsprings behind the counter and in the kitchen.