Hungary participated in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , with a delegation of seven athletes. His National Olympic Committee, Magyar Olimpiai Bizottság , was founded on December 19, 1895, and the delegation was headed by Secretary Ferenc Kemény . Since the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I did not attach any importance to the Olympic Games project, there was no official state support from the delegation and committee. At the same time, however, the Hungarian Minister of Culture Albert Berzeviczy acted as the committee's president.
According to the political realities of the time, the delegation included athletes from all countries of the Hungarian crown , such as the wrestler Tapavicza of Serbian descent and the athlete Szokolyi Slovak. The Austrian half of the Dual Monarchy provided its own delegation.