Dutch distinction for a DE BTK lecturer

Gábor Pusztai, head of Dutch Studies at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen (DE), has received a prestigious Dutch award. The Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau (Knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau) was presented by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hungary on behalf of King William-Andrian.

The Order of the Order of Oranje-Nassau, one of the six classes of the Order bearing the King’s name, was founded in 1892 and is awarded for services to Dutch culture, mainly to Dutch citizens, but exceptionally, as in the case of Gábor Pusztai, also to foreigners.


The petition was submitted to the Order by Professor Judit Gera, Professor at the Institute of German Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University, and Michiel van Kempen, Professor at the University of Amsterdam.

Ambassador Désirée received and welcomed Gábor Pusztai at a ceremony held on 12 September at the residence of the Dutch Embassy in Budapest.


Prior to the ceremony, Michiel van Kempen and Judit Gera said in their tribute that the award recognised Gábor Pusztai's entire professional career, his work at the Department of Dutch Studies at the University of Debrecen and his academic and teaching activities in the field of promoting Dutch language and culture.

In addition to the family members, the ceremony was also attended by a delegation led by Róbert Keményfi, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Debrecen, including Róbert Barta, Director of the Institute of History, Márta Kántor-Faragó, Adjunct Professor of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Sándor Maticsák, Head of the Department of Finno-Ugric Languages, Béla Baráth, Rector of the Reformed Theological University of Debrecen and László Gonda, Vice-Rector General.

Together with Gábor Pusztai, a total of four people in Hungary currently hold the title of Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Press Centre - BZs
Photo by Márta Kántor-Faragó, Michiel van Kempen