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Rezső Gallai was a Hungarian supercentenarian. His age has been validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO). He is the oldest Hungarian man ever, and the nation’s sole documented male supercentenarian.
Rezső Gallai was born in Szombathely, Vas, Hungary, on 29 January 1904. His mother, Teréz Galajda, lived in Miskolc with her sister. She became pregnant by a lawyer’s clerk but kept it a secret from everyone. When the time came to give birth, she traveled far away to Szombathely. He was born there, but shortly afterward his mother and her husband moved on to Vienna, leaving the child behind because she was unable to care for him. He was placed first in an orphanage, then later with foster parents in Pápa. He only learned the truth about his origins at the age of 18, after a long investigation.
He lived with his foster parents until the age of 12. When World War I broke out, his foster father was drafted into the army. His foster mother could no longer care for him, so he was sent to a children’s home in Veszprém.
One day, he caught sight of countesses riding horses. Later, at the shelter, the children were asked who wanted to become a horseman. He volunteered immediately. This decision eventually led him to Alag, where large racing stables flourished in the 1920s. He later became a jockey. In 1924, during a race in Vienna, he deliberately tripped another rider at someone’s command. Although he won the race, the jury noticed the foul play, stripped him of his victory, and banned him from racing for life. He walked all the way from Vienna back to Pápa, where he visited his former foster parents. All he asked of them was a place to stay.
Determined to support himself, he looked for work and became a cobbler. But he never grew to love the trade—he had to work tirelessly, day and night. In 1926, he moved to Győr, though finding employment there was not easy at first. He had the option of working as a janitor, but he was determined to secure a pensionable position—something that at the time was available only to state employees. In his house lived a river engineer who offered him a job as an adjutant, which he gladly accepted.
By the late 1930s, however, pensionable jobs were reserved only for those who had served at the front. Around this time, he was also required to Hungarianize his name, choosing the surname Gallai. He enlisted, and during World War II he reached Bryansk with the occupying troops. He was injured in a partisan attack, and was brought to Budapest to a hospital where he was able to recover. He never went back to the front.
After the war, he retired from the successor of the river engineering department, the Water Management Directorate, but he continued to work there well into old age—remaining active until the age of 94.
He married in 1928 and had a son, who defected in 1956 and later died abroad. After his first wife passed away, he remarried. He shared his life with his second wife for 32 years. His second son passed away in 2012.
Rezső Gallai passed away in Győr, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hungary, on 25 September 2014, at the age of 110 years, 239 days.
Following the passing of 110-year-old Janosne Kudasz on 19 March 2013, he became the Oldest Living Person in Hungary. Upon his own passing, he was succeeded by Mária Höffner.
On 24 April 2014, following the passing of Arturo Licata (Italy), he became the Oldest Living Man in Europe. Upon his own passing in September, he was succeeded by Philippe Vocanson (France).
Gallai’s age was verified by Stefan Jamin, and Tamás Bényei, and was validated by the ESO on 8 March 2020.
* “Peltzer Géza: Rezső bácsi 108 évesen is jó egészségnek örvend” – vaol.hu, 4 February 2012
* “A 110 éves Rezső bácsit, az ország legidősebb férfijét köszöntötték Győrben – fotók” – kisalfold, 25 January 2014
On his 110th birthday. (Source: origo.hu)
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