Gloomy Sunday, which became to be known as the ‘Hungarian Suicide Song’ was originally released in 1933. The words were written by poet László Jávor, while the music was composed by Rezső Seress, born 124 years ago today. Seress ended up taking his own life himself, at age 68.
The Hungarian Science Festival has been organized since 2003, commemorating the fact that on 3 November 1825, István Széchenyi offered one year’s income from his estates to establish the Society of Scholars, which is considered the predecessor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA).
Since the stadium is located within a rural community, the impact of its external facades may be limited. However, its internal architecture, expressed through elements such as soaring roof extensions that break the monotony of the exterior shell, creates an intimate and captivating atmosphere. These glimpses into the arena’s interior offer an enticing taste of the intense battles happening on the ‘pitch.’
The largest national minority living in the capital city is the Chinese; while the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war led to the Ukrainians becoming the second largest minority in Budapest.
The recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East may soon lead to the opening of another front, where Israel would clash with Hezbollah. But what is this Lebanese Shia organization, and how did it come to be?
When the Soviet intervention against the Hungarian Revolution was placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council, the Soviets immediately vetoed it: their argument was that it was no more than a ‘reactionary uprising’ supported by the US. The French, meanwhile, were of the view that not only the UN Charter had been contravened in Hungary, but also the Paris Peace Treaties, and even the Warsaw Pact that served the legal foundation for the invasion. On the other hand, the United Kingdom questioned whether the use of Soviet military forces stationed in Hungary under a valid treaty and at the behest of the Hungarian government could even be called an intervention at all.
It was Pope Gregory III (731-741) who formally instituted the feast of All Saints on 1 November when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome; he then required the Feast of All Saints to be observed annually. Surprisingly, this celebration was originally confined to the Diocese of Rome. It was not until Pope Gregory IV (827-844) assumed the Throne of St Peter that the feast was extended to the entire Church on that day.
On the day before Pásztor’s death, the commemoration of the Vojvodina massacre of ethnic Hungarians in WWII took place in Csurog on Sunday, 29 October.
Zsolt Semjén, in front of nearly a thousand people at the István Square inauguration ceremony, spoke about how Petőfi’s worldview, which was built on folk-national values and Hungarian interests, has withstood the test of time. He emphasized that this vision continues to resonate with new generations today.
5,500 photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, submitted a total of 44,000 images to this year’s Hungary 365 photo contest, more than ever before. Winners will be awarded in five different categories this year.
‘The speed and eagerness with which Hungarian clubs sought to return to their old identities, with all the loyalties and connections they represented, demonstrated the power of these emotional and social meanings. And it was just as clearly a mark of the utter failure of the Party to co-opt and utilise the power of football for its own purposes. The Party abandoned the micro-management of football, paralleling its wider realisation after 1956 that, while its authority was still non- negotiable, it could and would not protect and justify it through the politicisation of society or the ideological mobilisation of the people.’
Albeit Hungary does not traditionally celebrate Halloween in its North American sense, the connection between the Hungarian commemoration of the dead and Halloween is stronger than one might think.
Protestantism has been inextricably intertwined with Hungarian national consciousness and thirst for freedom. The Hungarian Protestant Bible translators made the Scripture accessible to Hungarians in their mother tongue, and also contributed to the development and preservation of the language. Practising Protestantism was also in defiance of the Catholic Habsburgs and Austria: Protestants were willing to suffer martyrdom rather than renounce their faith, as the fate of the Hungarian Protestant galley slaves demonstrates.
To mark the completion of the renovation of the Roman Catholic church, built in 1737, a mass was celebrated by Bishop of Székesfehérvár Antal Spányi. In his remarks at the Tárnok church, State Secretary Miklós Soltész lauded the collaborative effort that made the renovation project possible.
The famous British unorthodox feminist, Mary Harrington recently visited Budapest to talk about ‘reactionary feminism’ and progress at a Danube Institute event.
‘For Gyula Tellér, humanity, nation, education, and critical thinking were the core values. First and foremost, he believed in humanity, as well as in civilization and its achievement. He believed in the human being as an individual who is able to contribute to society, and who takes responsibility for his own actions.la
Gábor Margittai and Anita Major, in charge of the new MCC Institute, talked about their prior research into people with Hungarian ancestry living in different parts on the world; as well as their plans for the new research centre. Meanwhile, MCC has also opened a new campus in Dunaszerdahely (Dunajská Streda), Slovakia.
Recent Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, a Hungarian biochemist living in the United States and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Szeged, stressed to Hungarian news agency MTI that it is not awards that serve as motivation for her research but rather the awareness that people are suffering and solutions must be found to help them.
In an interview with Hungarian news website Index, Mazsihisz Chief Rabbi Róbert Frölich declared that Budapest and Hungary as a whole are ‘an island of peace’ for the Jewish community.
The national narrative that Hungary is the bulwark of Christianity and Western Civilization was formed in the battles won on the lands of present-day Serbian Vojvodina, also known as Vajdaság in Hungarian.
Christianity has permeated most of the Western world’s cultural accomplishments. Its influence can also be detected in many literary works of a very peculiar genre: the imaginary universes of great scale and depth of speculative fiction.
Pál Teleki, prime minister of Hungary in the interwar era, was probably one of the most tragic figures of twentieth century Hungarian history. He was torn between his conscience and geopolitical reality, a tension he could only resolve by ending his own life as a shocking act of protest.
Israel have always had few allies in the Middle East in its fight for self-preservation. However, one small ethnoreligious group is an exception. The Druze have sided with the Jewish state ever since its inception, adhering to a ‘covenant of blood’ between Jews and the Druze.
Jankovics, best known for creating the classic animated TV series Hungarian Folk Tales (Magyar Népmesék, 1980–2012), was born 81 years ago today. This piece celebrates the long and illustrious career of the great Hungarian cartoonist and film director.
Lajos Koltai’s film, produced by the Szupermodern Film Studio with the support of the Hungarian National Film Institute (NFI), portrays the life and work of Ignác Semmelweis, the world-famous Hungarian obstetrician who challenged traditional theories and sought to combat one of the most devastating diseases of the 19th century, puerperal fever.
‘Everything changed in his life when the immaculately dressed Lugosi stepped into the film spotlight. His forbidding way of welcoming people, the aristocratic touches, his charms and menacing looks all clearly define what everyone sees as Dracula—Béla Lugosi’s Dracula—then as well as now. This was his achievement and accolade alone, as no future vampires came anywhere close.’
The Hungarian-Dominican Vincent Valerio-Bodon was released from the 17-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakes after playing a pre-season game for the team. Had he been able to make it in the NBA, he would have gotten into a very exclusive club of Hungarian players.
Experts once again examined the country’s 174 districts and Budapest, to to assess their liveability based on factors like education, healthcare, culture, crime, the job market, shopping opportunities, and housing affordability.
Hungary is not just a great country to live in, but also a nation with rich history that sparked the attention of many excellent historians from all around the world. A list of books about Hungarian history definitely worth reading.
The galleries exhibiting at the largest stands include Hungary’s acb and Erdész Gallery, Germany’s M Beck and Art Affair, Columbia’s Adrian Ibanez and Romania’s Jecza. Hungary will be represented by close to 50 exhibitors featuring some 300 artists.