02. June 2008.

Participants at Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt.’s regular general meeting held on May 28, 2008 were witnesses to a celebratory event. Senior managers of the porcelain manufactory greeted the oldest member of Herend's creative community, István Freund, a.k.a. Uncle Stefi, celebrating his 99th birthday.
The old craftsman was moved by Board president dr. Zoltán Gaál's words of congratulation, by the presented gifts and the long thunderous applause.
However, he remembers with most gratitude the surprise he experienced a few weeks before the official ceremony. He was asked by the manufactory to paint again (with the assistance of his former apprentice László Sebestyén) his masterpiece, an exquisite vase decorated with roses – a request he was happy to accept.
Of course, the vase was among the gifts that Uncle Stefi offered the same day to the Herend Porcelain Museum and posterity.

(Laudation :)

István Freund, ‘Uncle Stefi’, a son of Herend, was born on June 9, 1909.
He joined Herend Porcelain Works, managed at the time by Jenő Farkasházy, on May 10, 1923 as an apprentice. He completed his studies of 4 years in August 1927. He first worked as a decorator apprentice, then as an assistant decorator, and subsequently as a decorator and instructor. Later, in addition to working as a decorator and instructor, he filled a number of other positions as well. He worked as a pattern designer, administrator and even quality controller.
Uncle Stefi had an active career as a decorator at the Manufactory until 1969, for a total of 42 years. Subsequently, for decades he passed on his outstanding professional experience and painting skills to vocational students. He worked until 1993 well into his retirement to teach generations of Herend decorators. Altogether he spent 70 years at the Manufactory.
Thanks to his endless patience, enormous professional experience and human qualities he became an example to uncounted students and colleagues.
As decorator, he painted numerous so-called ‘SP’, special products. However, his most fond memories are of his first Parliament vase, made jointly with some of his colleagues.

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• István Freund