‘Their book collections were also incorporated into King Matthias’ library, now known as the Bibliotheca Corviniana. This can be considered the first royal library to be consciously established and developed. It began to flourish especially after Matthias’ marriage to Beatrix, daughter of the King of Naples (1476). The queens always had prayer books for personal use, the possession of which was part of being a pious queen. However, the educated Beatrix completely transformed the court of Buda, and in her wake came the great representatives of the Italian Renaissance.’
The HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science has announced that their new, state-of-the-art facility in Sopron, Hungary is entering the test phase within a few weeks. It can help with space developments, medical diagnostics innovations, biophysics and materials science experiments, the institute wrote.
Speaking at the opening event of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) for secondary school students at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), State Secretary Varga-Bajusz highlighted that Budapest has always been a hub of science, creativity, and innovation. She believes that this competition will showcase these qualities to the world.
The Walt Disney Company has decided to discontinue one of its most popular theme park rides, Splash Mountain, due to progressive activists labelling it as ‘racist’, and replaced it with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure based on a little-known movie about a black princess. Disney has been already losing money on its film releases and most of its profits were generated by the experiences segment of the company, which too could be in jeopardy now.
Eight prominent British and American public figures have published an open letter in the Financial Times calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks in Ukraine. According to one of the authors, their letter was influenced by Viktor Orbán’s peace mission launched last week.
Climate change has a significant impact on global agriculture, with environmental changes collectively causing further long-term food inflation in the future. This can be mitigated through adaptation, modernizing agricultural irrigation systems, breeding new stress-tolerant crop varieties, and using precision tools, according to an article by researcher of the MCC Climate Policy Institute Erik Kovács.
A rare opinion piece has been published by Die Welt recently discussing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s peace mission that kicked off last week. The article concludes that Orbán ‘deserves a chance’ and is doing more for peace than those in Washington and Brussels who criticize him.
The Metrodome Group, active in the Budapest real estate market since 1996, is opening its first representative office in Israel to offer investment opportunities in the Hungarian capital to Israeli investors. Among the many positive arguments in favour of Budapest, one that stands out is that Hungary remains one of the safest countries for the Jewish community in Europe.
According to Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Education Yevhen Kudriavets, 3,500 educational institutions have suffered some kind of damage and nearly 400 have been completely destroyed since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Currently, Ukraine’s first underground school is being built in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, with the aim of children being able to attend in-person classes from September. Altogether, ten underground schools will be built across the region, five being already under construction and expected to open in the autumn.
‘The first units of the First Crusade, and then the main army led by Godfrey of Bouillon, did cross the Hungarian Kingdom, but by then King Coloman was on the throne, the successor of Ladislaus. It was also well known that the only Hungarian-led crusade to the Holy Land was launched in 1217 under King Andrew II. Yet Hungarian medieval narrative sources record one more. They tell an interesting and controversial story about King Saint Ladislaus…Given the fact that the Hungarian king died on 29 July 1095, almost half a year before the first Crusade was announced at the Council of Clermont in November 1095, modern scholarship quickly lost confidence in the historicity of the account.’
Budapest residents and tourists visiting the capital will enjoy the most spectacular fireworks display ever. More people will be able to enjoy the play of fire and light than before: instead of the previous 4.3 km, it will be visible for over five kilometres along the Danube, extending all the way to Margaret Island, and this time covering three central city bridges instead of two.
‘The movie thus comes to a happy ending for the family involved (apart from the horrors experienced by the minors), but we are not relieved after watching it. Not only because we know that this is a true story, which makes it even more harrowing to follow. But also because by the end of the movie, we also learn (if we were not already aware before) that child sex trafficking is a huge global social issue, and one of the fastest growing businesses (comparable to drug trafficking) affecting millions of children, with millions of abusers and the U.S. authorities not seeming to be truly committed to eradicating it.’
The latest print issue of Hungarian Conservative features a full section dedicated to the demographic crisis and family policies which aim to solve it; as well as a posthumously published article by the late great Dr David Martin Jones, and an exclusive interview with Lord David Frost, the Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union in the United Kingdom. Pick up your copy now!
Visitors to the palace garden can expect a relaxing, popcorn-filled movie night on 5 June. Before the screening, those with a combined ticket can tour the palace’s thematic exhibition, which offers an interactive experience exploring the history of Freemasonry, its Hungarian connections, and the life of the Festetics family.
MCC Feszt will be returning to Esztergom for the fourth time this year. The event will feature distinguished speakers tackling world events, such as Minister of EU Affairs János Bóka of Hungary and American political strategist Chris Rufo, and some of the most popular Hungarian musical acts as well.
According to former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán aims to create ‘maximum discomfort’ for the new European Parliament with his newly established right-wing alliance, Patriots for Europe. Juncker harshly criticized the Hungarian PM as well as former US President Donald Trump in an interview with POLITICO.
Barnabás Varga, who sustained a scary head injury against Scotland in the last group game, is currently recovering in his hometown of Szentpéterfa in Western Hungary, where he was visited by his club’s in-house media team for an update on his condition. Meanwhile, Martin Ádám has not returned to his club Ulsan HD in South Korea, and his manager is reportedly in talks to terminate his contract with the club.
The KINCS survey conducted in May clearly shows that Hungarians understand and take seriously the demographic challenges of our time. 78 per cent of respondents believe that the EU faces serious demographic problems that 73 per cent think threaten Europe’s future.
Among the performers over the four days of the festival are Marshmello, Paul Kalkbrenner, Timmy Trumpet, James Hype, Purple Disco Machine, and from the underground scene, Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, Marceo Plex, Stephan Bodzin, and Nico Moreno.
According to the citation, the music of Transylvania-born acclaimed Hungarian composer György Kurtág (98) delves into the existential questions of the human soul, focusing on fundamental emotions such as love, sorrow, fear, anxiety, despair, and the desire for harmony and reconciliation. From short piano works to large-scale cantatas and operas, Kurtág’s art reflects the entire history of Western music, past and present. His influence on numerous musicians is remarkable, and his dedication to music and structural thinking serves as a beacon of humanity in the world of contemporary classical music.
The WHO found in a recent survey that physical activity done by adults has decreased by five per cent worldwide between 2010 and 2022. Meanwhile, in Hungary, the number of recreational athletes has nearly quadrupled in the last decade.
80 years after Native Americans became US citizens thanks to the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, the debate about the past treatment of native tribes by the US government is still ongoing, with some—typically on the left—going as far as characterizing it as ‘genocide’. With the 4th of July holiday coming up, these discussions may be flaring up on social media again.
‘The Bukele model is turning the neoliberal approach on its head. It advocates for a strong state, with the leader—in this case, the president of El Salvador—as the all-important controller of decisions in determining the country’s future. The budget of the state has ballooned, starting with the heavy funding of security services while simultaneously investing in social services, from the creation of neighbourhood social centres to the augmenting of pensions and investing into getting the Bitcoin into circulation.’
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution initiated by Hungary by full consensus to declare 19 May World Fair Play Day. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó called the negotiation process a huge success, resulting in a global coalition.
‘Hungary is preparing for an exceptionally active EU Presidency,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán notes in an opinion piece published by the Financial Times. In the article Orbán outlines the priorities of the Hungarian EU Presidency, with a particular focus on boosting European competitiveness.
While speaking at a public administration conference in Tata, Hungary, Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration Tibor Navracsics spoke of the ‘paradigm shift’ digitalization is bringing to Hungarian public administration. However, he also stressed that digital administration does not mean replacing government offices or the physical presence of public administrations, but rather expanding services.
More than 20 cyclists will represent Hungary, for whom the event is important to accumulate international ranking points. The slow start of the Hungarian stage will take place on Saturday at Carl Lutz quay, in front of the Vogue event ship, and after a sharp start in Budakeszi, the peloton will cover 138.5 kilometres to the finish line set up at the Pannonhalma Abbey.
With the 1960 US presidential race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon being so close, many scholars and commentators believed at the time that it was the first ever televised presidential debate that decided the outcome of the election. As a result, most campaign strategists deemed debating too risky for the candidates, thus no presidential debate took place in the US until 1976, when incumbent Gerald Ford debated Jimmy Carter.
As of today bottles, PET bottles, and aluminium cans can no longer be placed on the market in Hungary without a return deposit logo. Also from today three thousand REpont machines are becoming operational, mostly in the largest retail stores, while in a thousand smaller shops or kiosks consumers will be able to return the bottles manually.
Although no Hungarian films have been selected for the competition, there will still be Hungarian connections. According to the festival programme, Slovak–Czech co-production Emma and the Death’s-Head Hawkmoth directed by Bratislava-based Iveta Grófová, will compete for the main prize. One of the lead roles is played by Hungarian actress Alexandra Borbély, who was born in Nyitra (Nitra), Slovakia.