The story of the Hungarian diaspora extends far beyond the Carpathian Basin. While many people immediately think of Transylvania, Slovakia or Vojvodina, there are also communities thousands of kilometres away that continue to preserve their Hungarian roots.
The Hungarian diaspora on the Argentine pampas
Argentina offered a fresh start for many Hungarian emigrants during the first half of the 20th century. Following the First World War, the Treaty of Trianon and the economic hardships of the Great Depression in the 1930s, many families left Hungary in search of better opportunities. Some travelled directly to Argentina, while others reached South America via North America or Brazil.
In the country’s northern Chaco Province, the town of Coronel Du Graty became one of the most significant centres of the Hungarian diaspora. According to local accounts, around one hundred Hungarian families once lived in the area. They established their own school, held Catholic Masses and Reformed church services in Hungarian, and managed to preserve a vibrant community life for decades. Even today, the local community proudly remembers its Hungarian heritage.
The language has Faded, but the traditions remain
Over the generations, the Hungarian language gradually disappeared. While the second generation was still bilingual, the third and fourth generations now speak almost exclusively Argentine Spanish. Nevertheless, many still identify strongly with their Hungarian ancestry.
Coronel Du Graty’s cultural centre is home to the Lilom y Pamuk folk dance group, which continues to perform traditional Hungarian dances and preserve customs passed down through generations.
Hungarian surnames have survived within families, many households still display Hungarian memorabilia, and even the traditional Hungarian wine spritzer, fröccs, remains well known. An increasing number of young people have become interested in their ancestors’ homeland, with some studying Hungarian and even considering further education in Hungary. Today, the Hungarian diaspora is sustained less through language and more through its shared cultural heritage.
A unique community in the heart of Africa
One of the world’s most remarkable communities of Hungarian origin is found not in South America but in north-eastern Africa. The Magyarabs established their communities along the Nile in present-day Egypt and Sudan, and their origins date back to the 16th-century Ottoman Empire.
This unique community is considered one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of the Hungarian diaspora. We have previously reported about this, here.
László Almásy rediscovered the Magyarabs
For centuries, the existence of the Magyarabs remained virtually unknown in Europe. Hungarian explorer László Almásy was the first to draw attention to the community during his African expedition in the 1930s, when he encountered them on one of the islands of the Nile. Later, orientalist István Fodor carried out extensive research among them.
During his studies, Fodor documented several traditions and expressions that appeared to point towards Hungarian origins. Although the community no longer speaks Hungarian, they have preserved, across generations, the belief that their ancestors came from Hungary. Researchers estimate that the Magyarab population today numbers between 10,000 and 15,000 people. However, the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s submerged several historic Magyarab settlements beneath the waters of Lake Nasser, destroying valuable archaeological evidence that might have helped clarify their origins.
Hungarian Identity Across Continents
Whether on the vast pampas of Argentina or along the banks of the Nile, these stories demonstrate that the Hungarian diaspora is far more than a geographical concept—it is a shared cultural heritage.
Although many of these communities have lost the Hungarian language, their traditions, family histories and sense of identity have endured for generations. Their stories prove that Hungarian roots can survive and flourish in some of the most unexpected places in the world.
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