A Beginner’s Guide toHUNGARY: its geography, history, and touristic sites. This presentation was created by Bence Gánti for the Integral European Conferences (IEC) and for general use, to give visitors of Hungary a basic info about the country. After IEC a 3-day integral sightseeing tour is organized usually, this pps also includes some of the visited sites. Bence Gánti is an internationally known integral psychologist and conference organiser from Hungary. www.integraleuropeanconference.com

1. A Beginner’s Guide to
HUNGARY
Its geography, history, and touristic sites

2. LOCATION: Hungary is in Central Europe (not Eastern Europe).
Geographically and culturally, it’s in the middle zone between
West and East, North and South.
An INTEGRATIVE PLACE between the West and East.

3. Hungary has a population of 10 million people.
Its capital is Budapest, with 2 million people.

4. Hungary was a big country for 900 years—
one of the biggest in Europe,
the size of today’s France or Spain.
It became small only 100 years ago, after the 1st
World War, when the winning powers cut it up to
pieces in the Trianon Treaty, closing World War I.

5. The original Hungary, “Big Hungary” (Magna Hungaria), before the 1919 Trianon
Treaty, which took away 75% of territory. The light green below is Hungary today; the
darker green is the territories that were annexed and given to neighbouring countries
in 1919.

6. The big pink chunk to
the right that went to
Romania is called
TRANSYLVANIA or
ERDÉLY in Hungarian.
Till today, original
Hungarians live there,
speaking Hungarian.
Hungarians consider
it an authentic, old
Hungarian territory,
even if they don’t
want it back, because
European peace is
more importnant to
everybody since
WWII.

7. The Term “Hungarian” and MAGYAR
Hungarians never use this word: “Hungarian”!
Nor do they say “Hungary.”
They use the word “magyar,”
as Hungarian is magyar in their language.
Hungarian: MAGYAR / Hungary: MAGYARORSZÁG

8. MAGYAR
To hear it: click on the audio button.

9. GY
This is one sound.
To hear it: click on the audio button.

10. ORSZÁG
means country
To hear it: click on the audio button.

11. S - she
SZ - see

12. MAGYARORSZÁG
(means “Hungarian-country”)
To hear it: click on the audio button.

13. HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY
Do you see a BRAIN shape?
This brain is called The Carpathians or
Carpathian Mountains, a 1500-km-long
mountain range.
The green area in the middle is the
lowlands between the mountains and is
called the Carpathian Basin.
This is where Hungary is, in the
Carpathian Basin.

14. The BRAIN shaped
Carpathian Mountains
in the middle of Europe.
In the middle, the
lowlands is today’s
Hungary .
Also a few countries of
the region are marked
for orientation (not all).
Transylvania
Hungary
Italy
Romania
Ukraine
Russia
Poland
Austria
Germany

15. HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY
The historic Big Hungary contained the
Carpathian Mountains and the basin, and also
the Adriatic Sea and the Dalmatian coast, that is
today in Croatia. It was the Kingdom of Hungary
between 1000 and 1919 A.D.
The current Hungary, Republic of Hungary, also
“small Hungary,” is in the basin area only,
containing smaller mountains on its northern
border (green) and landlocked with no sea
connection.
The upper Carpathians are now in Slovakia and
called Tatra. The Eastern part to the right is in
Transylvania in Romania, and the lower southern
part is in Serbia.

17. HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY
Hungary has
1) Northern Mountains
2) Lowlands, called ALFÖLD
(meaning lowland)
3) A big lake: BALATON, one of
Europe’s biggest lakes
4) The DANUBE River
and 6 neighbour countries.

18. HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY
BUDAPEST (BP) is the
capital and sits where the
lowlands meet the
mountains.
That is why the Pest side is
flat, and the Buda side is
hilly.
In the middle of BP flows
the Danube.

19. BUDAPEST
The Danube River flows through the middle of the city. The left side is called Buda and
the right side is Pest. Together it is Budapest. Pest is where the lowlands end and Buda
is where the Northen Mountains starts. That is why Pest is fully flat and Buda is hilly
and green.
BUDA
PEST
DUNA
(Danube)

20. BUDAPEST
The Buda Castle (on
the left) and Pest City
(on the right) were two
separate settlements
till the 19th century.
Grof Széchényi
connected the two in
1849 by building the
first bridge, Lánchíd
(meaning Chain
Bridge). See it in the
center of the photo.
Since then we have it
as one city: Budapest.
BUDA
PEST
DUNA
(Danube)
LÁNCHÍD - Chain Bridge

21. HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY: PILIS MOUNTAINS AND THE DANUBE BEND
Two noted
areas are just
north of
Budapest:
The Pilis
Mountains
and the
Danube Bend

22. Mountains
To hear it: click on the audio button.

23. The Pilis Mountains have a heart
shape! It is considerd a spiritual
area, both for traditional Christians
and for post-modern spiritual
seekers and esoterics.
Many do ceremonies and retreats
here.
It is a historically significant area,
and also is a popular hiking and
sports region.
PILIS MOUNTAINS

24. World religions
significance:
The
PAULINE ORDER
in Christianity comes
from here!
PILIS MOUNTAINS

25. The medieval
SAINT HERMIT OF THE PILIS
SZENT ÖZSÉB
THE PAULINE ORDER WAS FOUNDED
HERE IN THE 1200s.

26. SZENT ÖZSÉB
Blessed Eusebius
Lived in the Pilis mountans and founded
the Pauline order in the 1200s.
He was a succesful priest from a wealthy
family from nearby Esztergom, the
capital of Hungary before Buda. Later,
with the permission of the bishop, he
gave away his possessions and became a
hermit.
He retreated into the caves of Pilis and
meditated for years in soltitude.

27. SZENT ÖZSÉB
Blessed Eusebius
One day he had a vision, seeing many
small fires merging into one big fire in
the sky.
He understood it as God’s calling to
gather other hermits in the Pilis, to
estabilish a monastic community here.
They built the first monastery there and
the hermits joined. Thus was born the
Pauline Order of Christianity in the
1200s, with the Pope’s blessing.

28. The walls of the original monasteries of the
Pauliners in the Pilis mountains.
Above: The ruins at Pilisszentlélek village.
Right: Ruins at Klastrompuszta village.

29. ESZTERGOM

30. ESZTERGOM is an important town in the Danube
Bend, at the northwestern foot of the Pilis
mountains (upper-left corner of the heart
shape).
Its significance:
Esztergom is the official seat of the Catholic
Church of Hungary, and the seat of the
archbishop. The cathedral is a religious and
touristic place to visit.
The Hungarian State was founded here by I.
István King (Stephen I of Hungary) in 1000 A.D.
Esztergom was the capital of Hungary until the
late 1200s when it moved to Buda.
Also Szent Özséb was from Esztergom and moved
to the Pilis caves form here.

31. DOBOGÓKŐ
The peak of Pilis:
DOBOGÓKŐ is the
peak of Pilis, and is
located in its center.
It is a quiet,
meditative resort
site used by many
traditions.
Locals say it is an
energy vortex, a
spiritual power
place.
It is also a popular
tourist destination
due to its superb
views and hiking
trails.

32. Meaning of the name: “beating stone”
DOBOGÓ- BEATING
KŐ - STONE

33. DOBOGÓKŐ

34. IEC Tour participants in 2023 having quiet time in DOBOGÓKŐ

35. The Pilis Mountains have a heart shape! It
is considerd a spiritual area, both for
traditional Christians and both for post-
modern spiritual seekers and esoterics.
Many do ceremonies and retreats here.
It is a historically significant area, and also
is a popular hiking and sports region.
HUNGARY’S GEOGRAPHY: THE DANUBE BEND
In Hungarian: DUNAKANYAR
The Duna River (Danube) comes from the west and
goes to the east. Here at the Danube Bend it turns
down to the south through a couple of curves.
The biggest horseshoe shape curve is the scenic
Visegrád area, a touristic site to visit along with the
Visegrád castle, Visegrád town, and Nagymaros
town.
Danube west to east
Danube
north
to
south

36. DUNA - THE DANUBE RIVER
The Duna river (Danube) comes from the West and
goes to the East. Here at the Danube bend it turns
down to the south through a couple of curves.
The biggest, horseshoe shape curve is the scenic
Visegrád area, a touristic site to visit along with the
Visegrád castle, Visegrád town and Nagymaros town.
The Danube River (Duna in Hungarian) is the 2nd largest
river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows
2,850 km (1,770 mi) through 9 countries. See the red line
on the map to the left. It originates in the Black Forest in
Germany (lower left photo), where it is yet a small creek.
It reaches Hungary midway through its journey, having
already become a wide river with ships (middle photo,
Budapest). It ends in Romania, where it flows to the
Black Sea (lower right photo).
Notice on the map’s red line the sharp turn in Hungary—
that is the Danube Bend.

37. DANUBE: SHIPS
The Duna river (Danube) comes from the West and
goes to the East. Here at the Danube bend it turns
down to the south through a couple of curves.
The biggest, horseshoe shape curve is the scenic
Visegrád area, a touristic site to visit along with the
Visegrád castle, Visegrád town and Nagymaros town.
The Danube has a lot of ships in Hungary. Both touristic and cargo. The most
famous are The Viking Cruises, extensivly advertised in the USA and other
Western countries.
VIKING CRUISES
in Budapest
Heavy
international
cargo shiping in
Budapest

38. The other gem of Hungary:
Lake BALATON

39. Largest lake in Central Europe.
Hungary’s #1 tourist destination and
summer holiday scene. Beach, sun,
sports, and huge summer festivals.
Season: May to September, peak July,
August.
In season:
Air: 24-35 C, Water: 22-27 C.
78 km long, 6 km wide, 235 km
shoreline, 600 square km surface, over
50 towns and villages on its shoreline.
Protected, unpolluted clean water, large
population of plant and animal species.
Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur

40. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur
BALATON -
Fun and beach

41. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur
BALATON -
SPORTS

42. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur
BALATON -
SUMMER FESTIVALS - Orange

43. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur
BALATON -
SUMMER FESTIVALS
– post-modern:
EVERNESS FESTIVAL
with INTEGRAL IN IT!

44. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK and
IEC Hotel
Azur
BALATON
as the venue for
IEC!
Held in Siófok town at
Hungary’s biggest
hotel, Hotel Azúr.

45. Lake BALATON
SIÓFOK
and IEC
Hotel
Azur
BALATON as WINE REGION: lots of wineries and wine
tasting tours. Romantic Toscana-like landscapes with
charming villages.

46. Everybody’s favourite in Hungary:
BALATON

47. HUNGARY’S HISTORY
Magyar történelem

48. The magyars (Hungarians) were originally a tribal society that migrated from
Central Asia to today’s Hungary around 800 A.D. That was the red-tribal era with
shamans, horse riding, yurts, and archery.
RED TRIBAL
ERA
400-800 AD
Hungary was founded 1000 years ago exactly in 1000 A.D. by István King, and
settled in today’s territory. It became a Christian, feudal medieval kingdom till the
1800s. This was Hungary’s amber (blue) phase.
AMBER (blue)
MEDIEVAL ERA
1000—1800
AD
ORANGE /
AMBER MIXED
ERA
1900-1989
The 1800s were the era of modernization, industry, science, technology,
democracy. A move from amber (blue) to orange, the Reform Age. The Habsburgs
slowed it down and created the Austro-Hungarian monarchy—a mixed amber-
early orange state. Then the two world wars and the Soviet occupation also
maintaned amber, while also modernizing in the socialist era between 1945-1989.
During socialism, the worldview was modernist-scientific, atheist, 20th century,
but the regime was authoritarian, socialist amber.
1989-today: The fall of socialism, the system change. Hungary became a capitalist,
progressive, democratic state, and joined the EU, NATO, and the Schengen Zone.
Usually with leftist governments, but currently with a right government (in 2023).
ORANGE
MODERNIST
ERA
1990 —TODAY
GREEN – since 1996
TEAL – since 2006
Hungary’s postmodern era started with the system change in the 90s.
The integral movement started around 2006 with Integral Academy.
IECs started in 2014.

49. Tribal Era: MAGYARS
come from the Hun tribes, ca. 400 AD

50. HUN TRIBES (200 BC – 800 AD)
The Huns were nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, between today’s China
today’s China and Europe, appearing between 300 and 500 A.D. Their exact origin
exact origin is unknown, but it is somewhere in today’s Mongolia or East China,

51. The MAGYARS (Hungarians) are the
westernmost descendants of the Hun tribes,
who made it to Europe and settled there
around 800 A.D.

52. 200 BC – 800 AD
Hun Tribes

53. Hungarian
Predecessor:
Attila the Hun
400 AD
Attila is a common first name
today in Hungary. The name
comes from one of the most
famous Hun leader from the
5th century, Attila the Hun.

54. Attila’s reign covers all of today’s
Hungary and the (later, medieval)
historic Big Hungary (pink area on
map). From here he raided and
controlled most of Europe – arrows on
the maps show their raids.
He and his Huns were feared and called
in Europe, “the whip of god.” Finally the
Roman Army with allied forces stopped
him and the Huns.
That was the last expansion of Huns to
Europe. The next wave was the return
of the Huns in the form of magyars
around 800 A.D., who then peacefully
settled in today’s Hungary.
Hungarian Predecessor: Attila the Hun, 400 AD

55. Hungarian Predeccesor:
Attila the Hun
400 AD
What made them undefeatable?
The magyars had a special combat tactic:
backward archery.
They shot their bows and arrows backwards from
their horses, surprising their enemies.
An early form of paradox intervention.
This backward archery is a symbol of ancient
Hungarians.

56. The Magyar Tribe Forms
800 AD
According to the official history – held by the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences and what they teach in schools – the magyar tribe was formed
around 800 A.D. by Árpád the Chieftain with 7 Hun tribes (from the
hundreds), coming together and merging into a larger holon, a new
supertribe, the magyar.
This is the famous
BLOOD CONTRACT
(vérszerződés)
The leaders of 7 tribes had a big cup with red wine and dripped some of
their blood into it, then drank from it, expressing that from now on they are
one tribe.
The tribe leaders were:
Álmos, Előd, Ond, Kond, Tas, Huba, Töhötöm
Today we see their statues at the center of Budapest’s Hero’s Square.

57. BLOOD CONTRACT
800 AD
Árpád leads the 7 tribe leaders in forming one tribe, the
magyars, by sharing their blood in a cup, around 800 A.D.

58. Hungarian Conquest, 900 AD
After the blood alliance, the
magyars migrated from East to
West, to today’s Hungary, with
all their people and animals
and settled down there.
We call it the Hungarian
Conquest (official English
term). Hungarians call it
“homeland-take”
(Honfoglalás), not conquest,
because there was no war
involved, just simply a settling
down in the new land.
“Homeland-take” as depicted by famous
painter Feszty ››

59. ALTERNATIVE THEORY:
The Double Landtake
Other historians say that the landtake (conquest) was
not a one-time migration to the Carpathian Basin but
that there were two waves. Magyars had already
arrived around 600 A.D., then another wave came in
with Árpád around 900 A.D., and that is why it was a
peaceful process.
Whatever the truth is, by 900 A.D. magyars took the
Carpathian Basin.
They were now ready to form a European state.

60. 1000 AD
Founding of the Hungarian State
by István a Király
(King Stephen I)

62. 1000 AD - Founding of the Hungarian State:
ISTVÁN IS CROWNED BY THE POPE
István a Király (King Stephen I) established the
Hungarian nation. He is the father of the nation.
Hungarians were already settled, but still a nomadic
w3, red society with shamans and a chieftain system.
István decided to convert Hungarians to Christianity
and integrate with European culture. He went to the
pope, who gave him the holy crown, and thus he
became the first King of the Hungarians. With this
act in 1000 A.D., he formed the Hungarian kingdom,
the Hungarian state, MAGYARORSZÁG. And with this
act, and with him, the Hungarian AMBER (BLUE) ERA
began. This was the shift from RED TO AMBER (BLUE)
in history.

63. 1000 AD - Founding of the Hungarian State:
ISTVÁN IS CROWNED BY THE POPE
The #1 National Day in Hungary:
August 20th
This is St. István Day, celebrating the
birth of Hungary.
On this day, big fireworks are displayed in
Budapest over the Danube and Gellért-
hill, and the hymn is played.

64. Fireworks over Budapest, on the 20th of August, each year.

65. István’s Medieval System, from 1000 till 1850 AD
Medieval castles and villages with houses
(instead of tribes and yurts)
Every village must have a church
(instead of shamanism)
Private property
(instead of everything shared in tribes)
Feudal system – kings, nobles, army, peasants
(instead of tribal chieftain and people)
Amber (blue) law and order
Ban of shamanism

66. The Hungarian Crown
This is the original crown,
from István’s head. It has
been used through the
centuries and is now
preserved in the Parliament
building in Budapest, under
the central dome in the
middle.

67. Hungary’s Original Capital:
ESZTERGOM
also today’s cardinal, archbishop
ESZTERGOM
BUDA PEST
István was born in
Esztergom, he created
Hungary there, and
that was also the
capital of Hungary, a
multicultural
metropolitan city at
that time.
The Esztergom
Cathedral (see photo)
is still the main seat of
the Christian Catholic
Church in Hungary,
and the archbishop’s
seat.
Péter Erdő is a Hungarian Cardinal of
the Latin Church of the Catholic
Church, who has been the Archbishop
of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate
of Hungary since 2003

68. The “Saint Right”
The mummified right hand of István in Budapest
István’s right hand was miraculously preserved after his death. The Roman
Catholic Church then made him a saint; therefore we call him Saint
Stephen, and the main cathedral in Budapest is the Saint Stephan
Cathedral in downtown Pest. His right hand on public display in the
cathedral!

69. Further periods of Hungarian history:
1200 AD Tatar / Mongols
1400 AD Mátyás király (Matthias the King) and the Hungarian Renaissance, Visegrád
1500 AD Turkish Ottoman occupation – 150 years
1700 AD – Habsburg rule
1800 – Reform Era, from amber (blue) to orange, modernization
1848 - War of Independence and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
1918 World War I / 1942 World War II
1945-1989 Socialism, Soviet influence
1989 System Change
1990 – TODAY: Democratic capitalist Hungary in EU, NATO, Schengen

70. Storytelling continued:
AFTER ISTVÁN

71. Mongol “Tatár” Invasion
1200
In the thirteenth century, the
Mongolians burst into
Hungary. It was the era of
Genghis Kahn. Hungarians call
it "Tatárjárás," which means
coming of the Tatars—the
raiding Turk allies of the
Mongol tribes sent by Ghengis
Kahn. The Mongolian/Tatár
occupation lasted only a couple
of years and they were finally
driven out and the country was
freed.

72. Buda Castle – from 1200
The Buda Castle was built in the 1200s and became Hungary’s capital after
Esztergom. Since then, Buda has remained the capital (and from the 19th century
forward, Budapest). István was born in Esztergom, and Esztergom was the
metropolitan capital of Hungary between 1000-1200. The Tatar destroyed
Esztergom, so King Béla IV built the Buda Castle and moved there.
The Buda Castle in the 13th century and today, in Budapest

73. Mátyás Király: Matthias -
1400
Renaissance, Visegrád Castle
Mátyás Király - Hunyadi Mátyás,
Matthias the King, is the most important
medieval “good king:” he brought the
Renaissance from Italy to Central Europe
and created the Renaissance culture in
Hungary. Being the King of Hungary and
also Bohemia (Czechoslavakia) and
Serbia, and the Duke of Austria, he
established educational institutions and
created the biggest Renaissance library
in Europe, after the Vatican, the
Bibliotheca Corviniana in the Buda
Castle. It had Europe's greatest
collections of secular books: historical
chronicles and philosophical and
scientific works. The world-famous
Corvinus Scrolls are today part of the
UNESCO World Heritage.

74. Corvinus Scrolls - UNESCO World
Heritage: Mátyás’ library in the Buda
Castle had Europe's greatest
collections of historical,
philosophical, and scientific works.

75. TODAY:
Two touristic sites are connected to Mátyás King:
The Matthias Church in the Buda Castle
(He lived in the Buda Castle, and this
church was named after him.)
The Visegrádi Vár (Visegrád castle)
This was his and his wife’s (King and
Queen’s) summer palace and fortress.

76. VISEGRÁDI VÁR (The Visegrád Castle)
Mátyás’s (Matthias’) summer palace was in Visegrád, and is now a prime scenic
tourist place in the Danube Bend.
It has two castles: uphill is Fellegvár on the mountain top—Sky Castle—for the army
(left image), and downhill is the summer palace for the royals to reside in (right
image).

77. The Turkish Occupation
1500-1600
Ottomans in Hungary
In Hungarian history an important period is the Turkish occupation
of Hungary. When the Ottoman Empire expanded, it reached
Europe, and in spite of excessive fighting, they took Buda.
They stayed for 150 years. We call this the Turkish Occupation:
1541 – 1700.
Then the Turks wanted to take Vienna too, but the Hungarian and
Habsburg forces allied and expelled the Turks from Hungary. With
that move, they also expelled the Ottomans from Europe.

78. The Turkish Occupation, 1500-1600
Ottomans in Hungary
See the brown patch on
the map. It is important
also in Europe’s history
that Hungary stopped the
Ottomans from taking
Europe, and finally pushed
them back with the
Habsburgs.
HUNGARY
Hungary was the farthest
point in Europe that the
Ottoman Empire ever
reached!

79. Notable Sites Today
Remaining From the
Turkish Occupation

80. Notable Sites Today
From the Turkish Occupation:
#1: THE TURKISH BATHS
Hungarian Turkish Baths are unique in the world. Only in Hungary do they have hot
thermal water in them. In Turkey, they are massage places, but there are no pools
inside. THE BEST ONE IS “RUDAS” IN BUDAPEST! (the one on the picture)

81. Notable Sites Today
From the Turkish Occupation
During the Turkish occupation a Sufi saint, a dervish from the
Bektashi order, lived here in Buda, with high spiritual realization.
His name was Gül Baba. His name means Father of Roses,
where rose refers both to his realized state and to the rose that
he wore in his robe.
The hill on which he was buried in a tomb was named after him,
RÓZSADOMB, which means The Hill of Roses, or literally
translated, “ROSE HILL”. Today Rózsadomb is the “Beverly Hills
of Budapest,” the most expensive and fancy district in Budapest,
in the Buda Hills.
Gül Baba’s 600 years old shrine is standing there undisturbed
since his death. The shrine is also the northernmost pilgrim
place of the Muslim world in Europe.
GÜL BABA AND RÓZSADOMB IN BUDAPEST
Erdogan and his wife at Gül Baba’s
tomb in Budapest.
The 16th centrury Sufi dervish Gül
Baba’s Shrine in Budapest’s Rose Hill,
Rózsadomb.

82. The Habsburg Era:
the 1700-1800s
After the Habsburgs and
Hungarians expelled the Turks in
1700, the Habsburgs took over
and put their kings in power in
the Hungarian Kingdom. About
10 kings ruled over 200 years,
starting in the 1700s with the
queen Maria Theresia (Mária
Terézia), and ending in the 1900s
with Franz Joseph (Ferenz
József).
Habsburg kings
Maria Theresia
Franz Joseph

83. Modernity starts
The Hungarian
Reform Age: 1800s
In the period of 1825-1848,
in only 23 years,
the evolutionary shift
from AMBER (BLUE) TO ORANGE took place:
the end of feudalism and the start of modernism

84. Modernity starts: The Hungarian Reform Age:
early 1800s, 1825-1848
• Industrial age, steam machines, factories
• Abolition of feudalism
• Foundation of modern society
• Human rights reform, equality
• Civic society
• Constitution
• Parliament, elections, democracy
• Free press
• Hungarian Hymn (still the current hymn)
• Creation of Budapest (building the Chain Bridge)
• Modern Hungarian language (spoken today)
In 23 years,
incredible!
A creative
emergence of a new
evolutionary level,
orange.

85. Modernity starts: The Hungaraian Reform Age:
early 1800’s, 1825-1848
It wasn’t through people rising against the rich
but
the intelligent rich themselves modernized the
country, liberating peasants, funding modernization,
and creating liberty and equality.

86. Modernity starts: The Hungaraian Reform Age:
early 1800’s, 1825-1848
Main figures:
Széchenyi
Kossuth
Deák
Kazinczy
Petőfi
and more
In every town and village, main streets and squares
are typically named after them today. They form
the national identity of Hungary today.

87. War of Independence
1848
In the peak of modernization, Hungarians wanted
to get rid of the Habsburg rule and King Franz
Joseph.
They didn’t want to kill him, just obtain freedom,
so they could complete modernization and
become an independent democratic state.

88. War of Independence
1848
Franz Joseph didn’t let it happen and called the
Russian army, with whom the Habsburg army allied
and broke up the revolution.
He basically said:
“Not so fast with independence, you stay under my
rule!”

89. Sándor PETŐFI
The war of independence started on March 15th, 1848, today’s second
most important National Day.
The 12 points of the freedom demands of the Hungarian People were
formulated, led by Sándor Petőfi, „the poet of the nation.”
March 15, 1948
National Day
Symbol of
Hungarian
National
Identity

90. Then in August 1848, fighting started
with multiple battles and events for over
a year on many fronts.
Finally the Habsburgs allied with the
Russians and overpowered the
Hungarians, winning the war in 1949.

91. RETALIATION
The Austrians executed all leaders of the revolution
in Arad town, the famous „12 Martyrs of Arad”
(Aradi vértanúk), many of them the progressive
modernizers.
COMPROMISE
Progressive reformist leaders who remained alive,
Deák and Andrássy, made a compromise with
Franz Joseph. They created terms that became
the basis for the to-be-born new order, the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

92. The 2nd most important
national day in Hungary:
March 15th
Birth of the modern
nation.
Remembring March 15th, 1948, when the Hungarians
fought for their independence from the Habsburgs and tried
to install an independent, modern, democratic nation.
Remembering the 1848 War of Independence

93. A historic moment in 1867:
The coronation of Franz
Joseph as Hungarian King in
Buda Castle’s Matthias
Church.
=
1. The end of the
Hungarian War of
Independence
2. The birth of the Austro-
Hungarian monarchy

94. Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy
1867-1918
In Hungarian, Austro-Hungarian monarchy
(Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia), in English,
Austria-Hungary or Austro-Hungarian Empire,
was a dual constitutional
monarchy and multinational state. It was a
military and diplomatic alliance of two
sovereign states.
Hungary continued its modernization and had
sovereignty in internal affairs. Only foreign
affairs and defense were in the hands of Franz
Joseph.
It was a mixed amber (blue) - orange phase in
history.

95. Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy
1867-1918
Two famous people in psychology
and spirituality from the Austro-
Hungarian monarchy :
Sigmund Freud
Rudolf Steiner

96. The 1st World War
started in the Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy, 1914
In 1914 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in
Sarajevo town, a Bosnian Serb student
assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to
the throne of Franz Joseph (red lightning
symbol).
The aim was to free Bosnia from the Empire (at
that time Bosnia was a southern province in it),
and get independence.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire held Serbia
responsible for this and started a war against
them in 1914 (yellow arrow). Then the whole
world got involved.

97. The 1st World War
Austro-Hungarian monarchy lost and dissolved in 1918
This terrible world war ended with the victory of the
Entente powers (UK, France, Russia, United States,
Italy, and Japan) and loss of the Central Powers: the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, and others.
This resulted in 3 things:
1. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fell apart and
ended.
2. Hungary was cut apart and today’s small Hungary
was created in the Trianon Treaty.

98. At the end of World
War I in France, the
winners cut Hungary
into pieces in the
Trianon Treaty.
75% went to
neighbouring countries,
25% remained Hungary.
That is today’s Hungary.
Thus, they took away
the size and power of
one of Europe’s biggest
countries.
This is one of the
biggest tragedies in
Hungary’s history.

99. After the 1st World War
1. Declaring the Republic of
Hungary
After the 1st World War and after the Austro-Hungarian monarchy fell
apart, Hungary became independent.
The Hungarian Republic was declared in 1918.

100. After the 1st World War
2. Miklós HORTY and another short
phase of “Kingdom”
Then Hungary again became a kingdom for a 20-year
period, as Franz Joseph’s former admiral, Miklós Horty,
took power. He restored law and order with a strong
hand, and declared Hungary again as a Kingdom.
Horty’s era was 1920-1944.
It was now modernity, so real kingdom didn’t come
back. He was the governor, not the king. Feudalism
was long over—this was parliamentarism and
industrial progress. He prevented the return of the
king (Charles IV) actually. Hungary was more like a
secular modern state and only kingdom in name. Miklós HORTY, Hungary’s governor
between 1920-1944.

101. Miklós HORTY’s era
and entering the 2nd World War
Positive: He restored order, stability, progress, 1920-1940.
Negative: He allied with Hitler in 1941 and drew Hungary into the
2nd World War on the wrong side.
When he saw how ugly the war became, he wanted to jump out
and save Hungary, but Hitler didn’t allow it. Hitler organized a
coup against Horty. He put the Hungarian Arrow Cross Party in
power with their military leader, Ferenc Szálasi. An extreme right-
wing party, who led all the terrible holocaust deportations and
executions in Hungary.
Horty’s image today: very ambiguous. Progressive, leftist
Hungarians say that he was a negative figure, an authoritarian,
who led Hungary into the 2nd World War and allied with Hitler.
Many believe he was an anti-Semitist too, though some debate it.
Right-wing nationalist Hungarians see him as a positive figure, a
strong leader. Horty is a touchy subject in Hungary even today.
Szálasi the
holocaust
mass
murderer

102. 2nd World War, Holocaust
Hungary had one of the biggest holocausts in Europe
in 1944-45, carried out by the Arrow Cross party.
600,000 Jews were killed in just 10 months. In the
pictures we see Jews being escorted through
Budapest, then put on trains that went to Auschwitz.
When they didn’t have enough capacity, they started
to simply shoot people to death on the streets of
Budapest. Some were ordered to stand by the
Danube, take off their shoes (to be sold after), and
shot into the river.
This was the most horrific and inhumane part of
modern history.

103. The Jewish Ghetto in Budapest
In November 1944 they created the short lived but horrible Jewish Gettho in the district
behind the Grand Synagogue of Budapest. Forcing jews to live there locked up, then
deporting them to Auswitz or shot dead on the streets. They had to wear a yellow star, as
marked people. It was very inhumane: they crammed 70.000 people in this distrcit, 14
people lived in in one room, an they got only 150 gramm of food per day. The gettho was
liberated and finished with the liberation of Budapest in February 1945.

104. Touristicly notable:
from the Jewish Ghetto to Party Center of
Budapest!
A stunning
transformation
from the center of
death to the center
of life!
Király utca in 1944
‹(left) and 2023
(right)›
The gettho was abandoned after 1945 and in the
2000’s they converted it into Hungary’s most
famous new party center!
It is called THE RUIN BARS area or the GOZSDU
UDVAR area

105. Touristicly notable:
Party Center = RUIN PUBS!
ROMKOCSMA
Hungarian Postmodern
Starting from 2004, a new and unique style evolved in the former
Budapest Gettho district, that never existed before on the planet! This is
the Ruin Bar style, in Hungarian: ROMKOCSMA
Budapest’s ruin bars became an iconic part of the cityscape, and are
such a tourist attraction that as the Buda Castle or the Parliament
Building.
They combined the original ruin walls (hence the name) with retro
obejcts - as seats, tables, lamps, mimatch furniture – graffiti, and
modern elements. Ruin bars also took a more elegant turn then, with
fancy style, so you can select today between the original cheap grunchy
ones or the more upscale ones.
Some original, more grunchy ruin pubs

106. Touristicly notable:
Party Center = RUIN PUBS
Today there is more than 100! ruin bars in this area, you can
see them listed on this chart. Most famous is the Gozsdu
Udvar and Simpla Kert.
More elegant, upscale ruin pubs

107. PUB CRAWLING and BACHELOR PARTIES
The ruin bar district is famous by pub crowling and
bachelor parties, so much so that specialized travel
agencies organize it for fun seekers of Europe from
the UK, Germany, Sweeden, etc.

108. 2nd World War Holocaust Memorials
Budapest has a big Holocaust
Museum. A wall in the courtyard is
inscribed with the names of 60,000
of Hungary's approximately
600,000 victims of the genocide.
One of the most touching and
notable sites today is the Shoe
Memorial. In front of the
Parliament building in Pest, on the
Danube shore, is a memorial of
shoes, made from iron. This is
where people were shot into the
river.
The yellow cable
stones. If you walk in
Budapest on the
pavement you will find
yellow cubics with
inscriptions. They are
new installments and
mark the yellow star
houses and the names
of people who lived
there.
Apart from the former gettho being converted into party scene, there are also proper memorials
for the holocaust in Hungary.

109. Did you know:
ISRAEL WAS CREATED IN HUNGARY?
Another stunning fact is, that the idea of Israel was created by a Hungarian jew in Budapest:
Theodor Herzl who also lived in this district. Herzl was born and raised in Dohány street, and was
the rabbi there. Later he created zionism and proposed that the jews should move back to
Palestine and form their own state. Thus the idea of Israel was conceived.
Dohány
street
The
Dohány
street
synagoge
‹ Herzel’s
birth house

110. The Grand Synagogue of Budapest
Next to Herzl’s birthhouse, they built the Grand Synagogue of Budapest or the Dohány
street synagogue in 1854 that still functions today as a main Neolog synagogue.
IT IS EUROPE’S LARGEST AND THE WORLD’S 2ND LARGEST SYNAGOGUE
(after the Jerusalem synagogue).
Dohány
street
The
Dohány
street
synagoge
‹ Herzel’s
birth house

111. Ending the 2nd World War
in Hungary: The Siege of Budapest
Budapest was heavily bombed during the war, all bridges were down
and many buildings too. The Germans occupied Budapest in 1944
during the Holocaust time. The Russian Red Army reached Budapest
in the same year, and circled the city, attacking it from all sides. You
see this with red arrows on the map. Thus started the Siege of
Budapest that lasted almost 3 months, from December 24, 1944, till
February 13, 1945. The Germans lost and the Russians won. In the
following 3 months, Germans lost on all fronts until the Russians
defeated Berlin and Hitler committed suicide in May 1945.

112. After the 2nd World War, Hungary
became part of the Eastern block,
and fell under Soviet influence.
We call it the SOCIALIST ERA
of Hungary: 1945-1989

113. Hungary was not part of the Soviet Union.
It was a separate country.
On the map, orange shows the
Soviet Union as a country. As you
see, Hungary (green) was not part
of it.
Besides Hungary, these were
independent countries (grey on the
map): Poland, Czechoslovakia,
Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, former
Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia,
Serbia, Bosnia, Albania).
On the other hand, Ukraine,
Belorus, Lettvia, Litvania, and
Estonia were part of the Soviet
Union.

114. What was it then?
UNDERSTANDING
SOCIALISM
Hungary was under Soviet influence,
which was imposed, not self-chosen.
In 1944, Churchill and Stalin agreed
on a piece of paper about which
countries in Europe would go to which
zone of influence when they won:
East or West. Russia or Western -
Europe with the USA.
Thus the Hungarian People's
Republic Magyar Népköztársaság
was created as a one-party socialist
state. The Russians kept their army in
Hungary till 1989, to ensure their
influence.
DARK RED: RUSSIA IN THE SOCIALIST ERA (SOVIET UNION, USSR)
LIGHT RED: NOT RUSSIA, NOT USSR, but socialist states under
USSR influence.
TOGETHER: THE EASTERN BLOCK

115. HOW WAS LIFE DURING
SOCIALISM?
1.
DARK ERA
with
Rákosi
2.
The 1956
REVOLUTION
3.
PEACEFUL
ERA
with
Kádár
There were three part of the socialist era in Hungary.
The first was a dark, totalitarian, Stalinist dictatorship from the
end of WWII till the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. It was led by
Mátyás RÁKOSI, who created an oppressive regime with a
strong secret police who killed or tortured lots of people. It
was a paranoid and dangerous era.
Then the Hungarians stood up and created a revolution to get
rid of both the horrible regime and the Soviets, and free
Hungary. This is the famous ‘56 Revolution. It was put down by
the Russians and many fled the country.
After the revolution came tha Kádár-era, and with it life
became easier, and secret policing diminished. The
atmosphere was relaxed, quiet, and more liberal. We call it the
peaceful or light era of socialism, the 60s, 70s and 80s.

116. THE DARK ERA OF SOCIALISM
1945-1956: RÁKOSI
Hungary started with a multiparty
parliamentary system after WWII, but
Stalin intervened, and manipulated the
Hungarian regime killing leaders without
Hungarian consent or jurisdiction. He
forced the otherwise unpopular Hungarian
communist labour party to win and
installed a single-party communist
dictatorship under the leadership of
Mátyás RÁKOSI. A terrible era, from1949
to 1956. RÁKOSI created the feared
secret police, “ÁVH,” who prosecuted the
“enemies of the system.” It was also a
means to torture or kill political opponents
and anyone who criticized the system.
Mátyás Rákosi the Stalinist communist dictator
AVH, spies, paranoia, torture, killings

117. THE DARK ERA OF SOCIALISM
1945-1956
Three words are in every Hungarians’s mind, even
today, when remembering the darkest era of
socialism: “ÁVH,” “The black car,” and “Andrássy
Street 60.” “The black car” came to people’s homes to
take them away. They took people to Andrássy Street
60, the headquarters of AVH, the secret police, where
they were interrogated, tortured, or killed. Many
people never returned home and their families didn’t
even know why their loved one was taken and what
happened to them. Today that house is a museum,
called The House of Terror in downtown Pest.

118. UPRISING: The Hungarian Revolution of 1956
On the 23rd of October, 1956, Hungarians couldn’t bear the
oppressive socialist system any longer and revolution broke
out. It started with protests by university students who wanted
Rákosi gone, the Russians out, and a free Hungary. AVH shot
the student protesters and widespread fighting began. Stalin
statues were torn down and street fights occurred between
Hungarians and the AVH. Imre Nagy created a new
government of democracy and independence, but it lasted
only for days, as the Soviets decided to move in with the
Russian army and tanks to Budapest, crushing the revolution
and eliminating the new government. They also imprisoned
and then publicly hanged Imre Nagy.

119. In Memory of
the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
The 3rd most
important national
holiday in Hungary:
October 23rd
People marching in the streets of Budapest in 2019 on the
National Day of October 23rd, remembering the ‘56
Revolution.

120. PEACEFUL SOCIALISM:
THE KÁDÁR ERA
After the revolution, the Soviets put János KÁDÁR in
power and reinstalled the one-party socialist system.
Kádár ruled until the end of socialism in 1989. The
60s, 70s, and 80s were characterized by soft system,
a semi-liberal communism. The state allowed imports
of certain Western consumer and cultural products,
gave Hungarians greater freedom to travel abroad,
and significantly rolled back the secret police state.
Hungary joined the UN and was called the happiest
country in the Eastern block. It was the westernmost
state in the Eastern block. In the 80s,
entrepreneurship was also allowed. Kádár died in
1989 and 3 months later socialism collapsed in
Hungary, the Berlin wall fell, and communism ended
in Europe. The current capitalist era started.

121. The SYSTEM CHANGE
Rendszerváltás
1989
The most important word for Hungarians in
today’s modern era is “rendszerváltás,”
which means “system change.” It refers to
the collapse of socialism and the regime
change to the modernist-democratic-capitalist
era. This happened the same year the Berlin
wall fell. This was the happiest moment in the
life of these nations.
Communism, or socialism as Hungarians
called it, came to an end effortlessly with a
peaceful transition to a liberal political system
and market economy in Hungary in 1989. It
became a democratic, pluralist, multiparty
republic on the 23rd of October, 1989.
Historic moment: the Speaker of the House announces
the free Republic of Hungary in 1989.
The crowd cheering the announcement and the new
era starting in Hungary.

122. The SYSTEM CHANGE
Free Elections
1990
The first free parliamentary elections
were held in May 1990, and won by Jozsef
ANTALL, the first prime minister. The
multiparty regime created the first
government leading a liberal, leftist
market economy in Hungary.
Soviet troops left Hungary once and for all
in the same year, 1990. Borders opened to
the West and free life, trade, and travel
started. Since then, Hungarians have the
free European modern nation state they
had wanted since 1848.
József ANTALL Hunagry’s first liberal prime
minister in 1990 in the Hungarian parliament
and in the White House with George Bush.

123. Current Hungary
1990 – 2023
Democratic, capitalist
EU, NATO, Schengen

124. Current Hungary – Joined NATO in 1999

125. Current Hungary – Joined the EU in 2004

126. Current Hungary – Joined the Schengen Zone in 2007
Schengen =
No passport control, no customs control, no border control, no visa: free
to drive to, walk to, fly to, and trade and transfer goods in all states.
Free travel among all Schengen states in the EU.
Often there is nobody is
at the borders, and you
just drive through.

127. Other sites visited during
the 2023 IEC Tour

128. PALÓC
Region
Palóc people is a subgroup of Hungarians and their region in Hungary North East of
Budapest in Nógrád county. The Palóc people have kept distinctive traditions,
including a very apparent dialect of Hungarian, folk dances and dresses, and a
traditional village, Hollókő.

129. HOLLÓKŐ
village
Was proclaimed a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1987 because of its
preservation of traditional Palóc
architecture and land use.

130. Meaning:
HOLLÓ - raven
KŐ - stone

131. HOLLÓKŐ

132. GARÁB: the worlds biggest
singing bowl!

133. In the 2018’a Hungarian man on spiritual search in
Nepal had the vision to create the world’s biggest
singing bowl. He created it in Hollókő, in another
Palóc village Garáb. It is listed in the Guniess World
Records.

134. You can go inside the bowl and recive
a powerful sound therapy session!

135. FARKASKÚTVÖLGY

136. FARKAS - wolf
KÚT - well
VÖLGY - valley

137. FARKASKÚTVÖLGY
Valley of the Wolf
Well

138. JURTA - YURTS