Géza Vadon

Géza Vadon was born as the son of a minister of the Reformed Church. He was one of Hungary’s outstanding high jumpers prior to World War I and one of the main competitors of Iván, Báró Wardener. At least beginning in 1907, he represented the Debreceni Torna Egylet (DTE) at the national level. His main discipline was the high jump, both standing and running, but he also excelled in the long jump and, in his early days, as a sprinter. He earned his first medal at the Hungarian Championships in 1907 winning silver in the high jump. In 1909 and 1911 he won gold at the championships, now in the colours of MAC from Budapest.

Vadon held Austria-Hungary’s national record in the high jump. He participated in several international competitions including the first Swedish-Hungarian athletics dual meet in 1914. He was entered for several jumping events at both the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games but did not compete at either Games.

In parallel to his sporting activities, Vadon studied at the Debrecen Music School until 1907 and gave concerts as an esteemed violinist. After graduation from secondary school in 1903, he also began to study law in Debrecen and Pest. In 1908, he earned his doctorate in political science. Vadon moved to Pest in 1910 and for the next decades pursued a career in the municipal administration in various departments, including dealing with social policy, public education and building construction. In 1940, he was appointed chief magistrate of the city’s District V. Under the rule of the Arrow Cross regime, he was dismissed in 1944 but reinstated after the end of World War II before he eventually retired.

In 1923, took an interest in violin making and learned the craft in a workshop. With time he produced more than 160 violins and other string instruments and became one of the best Hungarian violin makers of his time without ever working professionally. He did, however, pass the journeyman’s examination in 1928 and the master’s examination in 1936. After his retirement in 1945, he devoted himself entirely to violin making. In 1975, he published the book Hangszerész szakmai ismeretek (vonós) (Professional knowledge of string instrument makers).

In 1911, Géza Vandon was engaged to Ilona Csánki. She died, however, in 1912 before they ever got married. Eventually, he married the divorced Berta Olgyay in November 1918. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, he was a member of the Royal Hungarian Society of Natural Sciences, the Hungarian Geographical Society, the Association of Hungarian Friends of the Violin, and others.