International conference marks Zrínyi anniversary

Budapest, September 6 (MTI) – A four-day conference attended by historians from several countries opened in Pécs, in southern Hungary, as part of Hungary’s Zrínyi memorial year on Tuesday.

The programme marks the 450th anniversary of the siege of Szigetvár castle, which claimed the lives of both Miklós Zrínyi, the castle’s commander, and Sultan Suleiman (The Magnificent), leader of the sieging Ottoman army.

In his opening address, state secretary Bence Rétvári referred to Zrínyi as a hero not only of Hungary but for all the peoples of central Europe.

The conference was organised by the human resources ministry and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Participants arrived from Croatia, France, Germany, Serbia Turkey, the US and Hungary.

The keynote lecture was held by Harvard historian Cemal Kafadar on the conflicts between the former Ottoman empire and Europe.

Source: MTI