anniversary

115 years of the Hungarian Parliament

The Parliament of Hungary was built in 20 years, using 30,000 square meters of stone and 40 million bricks. The building was completed 115 years ago on 8 October 1902, according to Pestbuda.hu.

After the Ottoman Empire conquered the southern parts of Hungary — including Buda — the national assembly was relocated to Pozsony (Bratislava) for almost two centuries. The idea of moving it to Pest came up in 1843.

The city was situated in the middle of the country and it was also an intersection of trade routes, so it was a splendid spot for establishing a true capital.

When the assembly agreed on the location of the building, they appointed József Lechner and Lajos Zerger as respondents of constructing the Parliament. 42 entries were submitted for the competition. The plans were not evaluated by the deadline for a mysterious reason, so they were sent to the National Archive, where they suffered some damages during the Revolution of 1848-’49.

The blueprint of upstairs. Photo: Lechner Tudásközpont

The construction of the building was decided in 1880, and an embodiment was established to conclude the plans. Master architects Antal Weber and Miklós Ybl were among the members. Prime minister Kálmán Tisza got his hands on the designs of two other European parliaments that were under construction at that time: the one in London and the other in Vienna.

The new competition was announced in April 1882, and by February 1883, 19 entries were submitted. Four plans were awarded: Imre Steindl, Alajos Hauszmann, Albert Schikedanz and Vilmos Freund, and Otto Wagner were the winner contenders.

The embodiment decided to build the National Assembly’s headquarters in Neo-Gothic style like the English Parliament.

This meant that Steindl’s design came true, and Milkós Ybl also participated in the progress.

The plans were developed for almost one year before introducing them to the embodiment in 1884. The new designs put the building 72 meters North and the structure became narrower but taller.

The blueprint of the hunters’ room. Photo: Lechner Tudásközpont

After the council accepted the plans, the maquette of the Parliament was revealed to the public. Critics did not wait long. Most of the controversy originated from the Gothic style which many considered German and anti-Hungarian. But not only the commoners criticized the plans: the National Embassy was also divided by the question whether this building was worth the high expenses or not.

The construction was finally authorized. Though Steindl lead the execution, he was constantly intimidated and ordered around by Lajos Tisza.

The progress involved several hundred workers for almost 20 years.

The execution began on 12 October 1885. The grounding took much longer than expected, as the whole aqueduct system had to be moved elsewhere. It meant one year of delay.

The stonemason works began in December 1887. The progress used a vast amount of resources: 40 million bricks and 30,000 square meters of stone. They were finished with the stonemasonry by the spring of 1894. Then the construction of the roof began, for which the architects used the most modern technologies: the whole structure was made of riveted and rolled iron holders. The dome was completed by May 1895.
(The whole process was reconstructed in a video recently).

The first assembly in the building was held on 8 June 1896. However, the building became fully functional only six years later, and the inner development was in progress until the end of 1904. Steindl, unfortunately, did not live to see the completion of his work, as he died in 1902.

The length of the Parliament is 268 meters, its greatest width is 123 meters, the height of the dome is 96 meters.

It was one of the largest buildings of its time.

The interior design does not accommodate to the Gothic design of the outside, as it mostly resembled to Baroque. The delegation room, which was used for discussing the common matters of Austria and Hungary during the time of the Monarchy, reflects Renaissance style.

The 88 ceramic statues that depict different professions were sent by Vilmos Zsolnay. The statue of the architect is based on Steindl himself.

The result, of course, did not awake only positive feedbacks. The opposition accused the government of using the long and expensive construction as a cover for embezzlement. The accusation lead not only to a media war, but István Tisza’s uncle called for a duel against the accuser.

The stlye of the building divided the public. Some people admired the enormous complex, while some others criticized its mixed styles of architecture. Some even said that the building went out of style by the end of its two decades of construction.

However, the building is in immaculate shape even today, 115 years after its opening.

Ce: bm

October 9, 2017

PTE jubilee – University of Pécs celebrates 650th anniversary

The fall semester has started with a lot of excitement at University of Pécs (PTE), as the university celebrated its 650^th jubilee this year*. According to jubileum.pte.hu, the first university in Hungary was founded in Pécs by Louis the Great in 1367. The university has always taken pride in its long history. In 2017, University of Pécs has 10 faculties and offers a variety of BA, MA and PhD programmes to both Hungarian and international students.

The ceremony for the 650^th anniversary of the foundation of Hungary’s first university was held between 31 August and 2 September. The three-day-long celebration offered all kinds of activities to the visitors. The first day (31 August) was dedicated to the cultural events. The Magna Charta Observatory’s 29^th anniversary was celebrated, an exhibition about the history of University of Pécs could be visited and a ceremonial concert was held at Dome square.

On the second day (1 September), the ceremony for the Day of Hungarian Higher-Education was held at Kodály centre. Besides József Bódis (Rector of University of Pécs) and Zsolt Páva (Mayor of Pécs), the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán also gave a ceremonial speech for the special occasion. In honour of the event, a high mass was organised at the Cathedral, and the day closed with the Pannon Philharmonic’s concert.

The third day was the Jubilee 650 PTE Day (2 September), when students, teachers and other visitors celebrated the university together at Pécs’s central spot: Széchenyi square. At the open-air event, people could choose from a wide variety of activities. Visitors could watch the different dance, sport and musical groups from the university perform on stage.

Those in need of a more physical activity, could join the students’ march across the city.

One of the most anticipated events was the Halott Pénz concert which put an end to the three-day festival. Halott Pénz is a Hungarian musical band with seven members: Dávid Marsalkó (singer/composer), Márk Járai (singer), Gábor Boros (DJ Venom), Barnabás Prifer (guitar and vocal), Samu Papp (keyboardist), Tamás Péter (bass) and Mátyás Varga (drum). People were agitated about the concert, because all seven members are from Pécs and six of them are former students of PTE. Pécs is proud to have such a successful band associated with its name, and residents are always excited when the band is in town.

On the whole, the three-day-long celebration was a great success, and University of Pécs is ready to start the next 650 years of its operation.

*Editorial note: it should be mentioned that there is a huge time gap between the founding of the first university in Pécs and the operation of the current University of Pécs, between the 15th and the 18th century, so the institution – in a legal continuity – is around 250 years old at most. Still, “the spirit of the academia” in the city can be rightly celebrated.

Translated by Kitti Erdő-Bonyár

Featured image: Wiki Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

October 8, 2017

President Áder, President Vucic mark 320th anniversary of Senta battle

President János Áder marked the 320th anniversary of the battle of Senta (in Hungarian: Zenta) together with Aleksandar Vucic, his Serbian counterpart, at a ceremony in Senta in Vojvodina (in Hungarian: Vajdaság/Délvidék) on Monday.

In his speech, Áder said “the nature of the peace we make with our neighbours and ultimately with ourselves, of what we leave behind, is of great importance.”

Áder said it was important that succeeding generations do not leave behind “the inhumane acts of the 20th century” but rather “a genuine apology and the knowledge that it is worthwhile to fight together for our countries, communities and European cultures.”

Vucic talked about the importance of Serbia supporting its neighbouring countries, saying that “Serbs have long known that their path to Europe goes through Budapest and Vienna.”

He said the battle of Senta was further proof that “together we are capable of anything, but if we are not unified, we will lose every battle.”

The president said Hungarian-Serbian relations were at an “all-time high”, adding that both the Hungarian minority in Serbia and Hungary’s ethnic Serb community enjoyed broad minority rights.

The two heads of state later laid a wreath at the monument for the battle of Senta at the embankment of the river Tisza.

In 1697, the allied Christian forces triumphed over the Ottoman army at the town of Senta, Serbia.

The defeat forced the sultan Mustafa II to abandon what had originally been planned as his conquest of Transylvania and return to Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire then entered into peace talks with the Holy League in early 1698. In 1699, the two sides signed the Treaty of Karlowitz which ended the 150-year Ottoman Turkish rule on much of Hungary’s territory.

Photo: fokusz.info, MTI

September 11, 2017

Lufthansa to mark 50th anniversary of flights to Budapest

The first flight of German airline company Lufthansa landed in Budapest just 50 years ago, on August 26, 1967.

To mark the anniversary, an Airbus A350, the latest long-range, wide-body jet airliner of Lufthansa’s fleet, will touch down on Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport on September 8, the company told MTI in a statement.

Back in 1967, the first Lufthansa aircraft landing in Budapest, a Boeing-727, operated from Frankfurt via Munich to Belgrade.

The company called Budapest a highly important destination in its European network, with four flights connecting Hungary’s capital with Frankfurt and another four with Munich per day.

Lufthansa employs a staff of about 700 in Hungary, and Budapest is one of the few cities in the world where both Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik are present, it said.

As we wrote on July, Lufthansa will modify its timetable and increase its number of flights between Budapest and Frankfurt. In the winter timetable, it usually has four flights a day between Hungary’s capital and Germany’s busiest airport. Starting from 11 December 2017, Lufthansa will fly on this route five times a day and will also have an adjusted timetable.

August 26, 2017

The 175th anniversary of the laying of Chain Bridge’s foundation stone

According to rubicon.hu, Palatine Joseph laid the foundation stone of Chain Bridge’s Pest pillar 175 years ago, on the 24^th of August, 1842 in the company of the country’s respectabilities. The 380 metres long construction, which was the first significant and permanent riverine bridge of Hungary, was inaugurated in the November of 1849, after a decade of hard work.

The idea of a bridge over spanning the Danube arose in the 18^th century, but it would’ve been impossible to build a stable and safe bridge with the available technical solutions. The river’s drifting would’ve destroyed medieval stone bridges, and people were also concerned that a construction like this could cause floods. Later, the biggest argument was that István Széchenyi wanted to introduce a general pontage, which would’ve offended the tradition of noble tax exemption. Still, “the greatest Hungarian” founded the Bridge Association in 1832, through which he wanted to get the support of the richest Hungarian entrepreneurs.

*István Széchenyi, the creator and biggest supporter of Chain Bridge – Photo: Wiki Commons (Painting By Miklós Barabás)*

After long fights, Széchenyi managed to convince Baron György Sina to financially support the construction of the bridge. This is how the Chain Bridge Corporation was born in 1836, when Széchenyi already had a concept in his mind, since he consulted the greatest engineers of the time, e.g. Thomas Telford. Count Széchenyi met William Tierney Clark in England, who undertook the preparation of the plans, which he presented in 1839. Meanwhile, the Viennese Rothschild family and the Pest Wodianer family joined Sina’s corporation, which meant that they had enough capital to start the construction, which cost 13 times more than the building of the National Museum.

The construction of the bridge was enacted at the 1839-40 parliamentary session, the corporation got hold of the area for 87 years, so the work could finally start. It took two years for the piles to be put down, so when the laying of the foundation stone came on the 24^th of August, 1842 – as seen on the painting below – Palatine Joseph laid the first, symbolic stone on the pedestal of the Danube. At this time, the construction works were led by a commissioned engineer, Adam Clark, who previously came to Hungary in the service of the Danube Steamboating Association.

*Painting by Miklós Barabás – Wiki Commons*

The stone pillars of the bridge were built for six years, after which the metal structure was assembled. The huge metal chains that ensure the flexibility of the bridge were added in the March of 1848. Even though this process went down quite quickly, on the 18^th of July, when the last chain was being mounted, one of the links burst and the heavy chain fell into the river. The accident caused the death of a worker (Széchenyi and the architects all fell into the river) and the delay of the inauguration.

Due to the mishap, the revolution was welcomed by a semi-finished bridge. The working conditions started to worsen, while Pest-Buda lived through the procession of the emperor, celebrated the victorious soldiers of the spring campaign, to finally welcome Haynau’s armed forces. During the chaotic year, several people wanted to blow up the bridge, but Clark managed to sabotage this. The Chain Bridge was finally handed over to the citizens of Pest and Buda on the 20^th of November, 1849 by Haynau.

Chain Bridge around 1850 – Photo: Wiki Commons By Adolphe Rouargue

Although the pedestrian circulation started right away, the works weren’t finished yet. The famous lions of János Marschalkó and the armours of the Széchenyi and Sina families were added to the bridgehead in 1852. The bridge slowly became the most important junction of the united capital. It’s no surprise that the executors, William Tierney Clark and Adam Clark received several acknowledgments. The official name of the crossing is Széchenyi Chain Bridge, but most people simply call it Chain Bridge. It was the only landlocked route between the two coasts until 1876, the inauguration of the Margaret Bridge.

The bridge was almost completely demolished during the siege of Budapest in WWII. Finally, the Germans decided to blow it up in the January of 1945. A law was made about the reconstruction of Chain Bridge in 1947, which was inaugurated on the 100^th anniversary of the original bridge. Since then, the Chain Bridge has been one of the main sights and attractions in Budapest, which forms an indispensable part of the cityscape.

Featured image: MTI

ce: ZsK

August 24, 2017

50th anniversary of ASEAN celebrated in Budapest

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was founded fifty years ago on the 8th of August in 1967 in Bangkok. The founding nations were the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have joined them since then.

Now the organization has ten member states. The main goal of the association is to maintain political, social, economic and cultural cooperation between the member countries, as Globoport.hu reports.

The ceremony was held in Budapest in the Indonesian ambassador Wening Esthyprobo’s residence. The ambassadors of ASEAN countries participated along with representatives of other states, just like Vladimir Sergeyev from Russia, Junichi Kosuge from Japan and Lizeth Pena Nawanga from Angola.

After the ceremonial raising of the ASEAN’s flag, the Indonesian ambassador greeted the guests.

The Philippines is the president of the organization in 2017, so the Philippino ambassador, Maria Fe Pangilinan, spoke about the alliance.

The guest of honor was Szilveszter Bus, who is the vice state secretary of the division responsible for Southern opening in the Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Ministry. He mentioned in his speech that he is personally related to the ASEAN nations, as he had been an ambassador to many of the countries, and he was the first Hungarian diplomat sent to the association.

Szilveszer Bus with the Japanese ambassador

He said that Hungary is in good relation with the ASEAN states. The marketing traffic with this area was 2,117 billion dollars in 2016, which is a 4% increase compared to last year. Hungary has embassies in six countries out of the ten, as well as lots of trading houses. Viktor Orbán had been to Indonesia last year, and he is preparing to visit Singapore and Vietnam in September. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations, Péter Szijjártó had already been to all the ASEAN countries.

Dilara Csillik, who is the chief manager of ASHU (Asian-Hungarian Union), also participated in the event.

Dialara Csillik with Russian ambassador Vladimir Sergejev

On the right: ambassador of India Rahul Chabbra

Photos: Globoport.hu

ce: ZsK

August 11, 2017

Post WWII Hungarian-Slovak population exchange anniversary marked in Tótkomlós

A commemoration was held in Tótkomlós, in south-eastern Hungary, to mark the 70th anniversary of post WWII Hungarian-Slovak population exchange on Saturday.

Addressing the event, Zsolt Németh, the head of Hungarian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said that although Hungarian-Slovak relations had significantly improved over the past 27 years of democracy, there were still some issues waiting to be addressed before “full reconciliation” can be achieved between the two countries. He mentioned compensation payment for the victims of deportation and ensuring minority rights as examples to such issues.

Concerning the 70th anniversary, Németh noted that in 1947 some 170,000 ethnic Hungarian residents of Czechoslovakia had been forced to leave their native land, with around 80,000 of them deported to Hungary. He said that around 1,500 settled in Tótkomlós.

“This forced transfer of people had brought about a lot of suffering,” Németh said.

The commemoration ended with the unveiling of a bilingual plaque reading “2017 – A Year of Reconciliation”.

August 6, 2017

Hungarians communities in US mark Day of National Cohesion

Hungarian communities in the United States have also marked the Day of National Cohesion, the anniversary of the signing of the post-WWI Treaty of Trianon.

Hungarian communities in Chicago, Cleveland, New York and New Brunswick commemorated the day with a church service, a festive concert and performance and a folk dance festival.

In Chicago, local Hungarians attended mass at the King Saint Stephen Catholic church and a performance about the treaty.

In Cleveland, Ohio, a commemorative concert and performance were held for members of the local Hungarian community.

In New Brunswick, a folk dance festival was organised, and in New York, a performance was held at the Hungarian House about the feeling of Hungarian emigrants while also evoking the memory of the heroes of 1956.

June 5, 2017

A split up nation – Hungary was divided 97 years ago in Trianon

Something happened 97 years ago that had never happened in the history of the millennial Hungary. 2/3 of Hungary’s territory was taken away by the winner side with the aim of finally getting Hungary on its knees.

Hungary joined the war as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the decision was made in Vienna that the empire would declare war against Serbia. The Hungarian leadership didn’t really have a word in the decision, but the country had to take part in war actions anyway. The military loss worth 660 thousand lives indicates that WWI cost Hungary dearly. But this wasn’t enough; the Entente powers, who decided to wipe off the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the map and replace it with a slightly maimed Austria and a completely split up Hungary. Yes, it is true: Austria lost way less of its territory than Hungary, in fact, the Austrians even got a part of Hungary (4,020 km²), which is truly inexplicable.

In point of fact, the winners took away 2/3 of Hungary’s territory at the Treaty of Trianon. Supposedly, the Entente powers wanted to ensure the right of autonomy for the nations living in the Carpathian Basin and this was why they cut up Hungary into small pieces. If this had been true, they wouldn’t have let millions of Hungarians end up outside the borders, who then became totally defenseless to the new states’ leaders heated with nationalism. The states that were formed didn’t seem to stand the test of time. States like Czechoslovakia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes don’t exist anymore. Regarding the professed ethnic borders, Romania’s territorial growth is quite questionable because for one thing: the Romanians received a greater part (102 thousand km²) than the remaining territory of Hungary (93 thousand km²) and for another thing, millions of Hungarians ended up under foreign control. For instance, Szeklerland dwelled by solely Hungarians was annexed to Romania.

The people assassinated were plenty. An actual persecution happened in the Carpathian Basin, the number of Hungarians living in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary drastically decreased as soon as the designated parts were taken away.

A good example of this is Košice which currently belongs to Slovakia. In 1910, 33,000 people out of the 44,000 population of the city were Hungarians, while one year after the treaty, only 17,000 people out of the 46,000 were Hungarians, meaning that 16,000 Hungarians vanished from Košice in a few years’ time. Based on a 2011 survey, the total population of the city is 240 thousand, out of which only 6 thousand people are Hungarians.

Another example that says a lot is the case of the capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca, which used to be a Hungarian city for a thousand years, whereas nowadays meeting Hungarians in the city is a rare spectacle. Before WWI, 51,000 Hungarians lived in the city with a population of 62,000 people which was an 82% rate. After the Treaty of Trianon, only 49% of the 85,000 people were Hungarians, as the Romanian population quadrupled in ten years’ time, while a significant part of Hungarians fled to the motherland.

*The ethnographic map of Hungary, 1927 – Photo: Wiki Commons By Kogutovicz Károly*

There are several other examples similar to Košice and Cluj-Napoca, because the great powers advertising democracy and minority rights turned their back on the Carpathian Basin and let the history’s greatest action – full of aggression, persecution, massacre and population exchange – against Hungarians happen.

The statement saying that Hungarians should finally forget these monstrosities and move on might seem rightful in today’s world. But another rightful question could be that, if we commemorate the monstrosities of the nazi and communist dictatorships, why shouldn’t we commemorate Trianon and the forceful demographic transformation of the Carpathian Basin? Meanwhile, others wonder why the European Union turns its back on the striving of transborder Hungarian communities after the right of autonomy. Autonomic ambitions have been proven right in several parts of Europe, so there might be potential in these aspirations that could also be counter-agents against the vanishing of historical communities.

Featured image: Wiki Commons

Ce: bm

June 4, 2017

Ceremony marking 25 years of the Opel plant in Szentgotthárd

Szentgotthárd, March 29 (MTI) – The job and responsibility of the Hungarian government is to do everything to ensure that the new owner of Opel is incentivised to expand and develop its activities in Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign affairs and trade minister, said in Szentgotthárd, in western Hungary.

Speaking at a ceremony marking 25 years of the Opel plant, the minister said the government had made several decisions, such a slashing corporation tax and giving tax breaks for R and D, which would burnish the attractiveness for the new owner, the French PSA group, of developing the factory.

The minister praised Opel for its contributions to having turned Hungary into an auto industry hub in Europe since the country’s change of regime in 1989/90.

The first Opel Astra from 1992, photo: MTI

He said the output of Hungary’s automotive industry last year came to 7,874 billion forints (EUR 25.5bn), 92 percent of which was produced for export.

Opel Chief Executive Karl-Thomas Neumann called the acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by France’s PSA Group a new opportunity for the company. He said further growth of the company would be best served by it remaining a “genuine German brand”.

March 29, 2017

Bloomberg: Budapest is a perfect place for Valentine’s Day

We’re not the only ones who think that Budapest is the perfect destination for a romantic getaway. Online magazine Bloomberg put together a list of The 26 best date spots around the world, which features Budapest.

Even the cover photo of the article depicts our capital.

The list is a global guide to romance, and covers everything from restaurants, boat rides to chartered flights. Regarding Budapest, they recommend booking a table in Borkonyha (Winekitchen). The Michelin-starred restaurant, few minutes away from Saint Stephen’s Basilica, specialise in local cuisine and Hungarian wines in the form of a bistro kitchen. “As for ordering, don’t be put off: Veal brains as a starter won’t ruin your evening.”

Before dinner, if it’s a weekday, they recommend walking through the Chain Bridge and going up to the Castle of Buda with the funicular. You can walk along the romantic streets of the Castle District, and then peer out from the Fisherman’s Bastion for one of the best views of Budapest. “Then get a predinner drink at the wine bar Divino, which has unbeatable views of the Basilica.”

And before dinner, if it’s a weekend, the article recommends spending some time in the historic Rudas Bath along the coast of the Danube. The rooftop jacuzzi offers a breath-taking view of the city. “Wallow in the thermal waters under the Ottoman-era dome and then head to the rooftop and the recently renovated wellness section and take a plunge in the open-air pool with stunning views of the city.” And while you’re there, you should definitely book a massage.

We looked up a few other programme ideas in case you’d fancy something else. A very sweet way to spend your day could be the visiting of the Chocolate Museum or the Grassalkovich Castle of Gödöllő, both of which are preparing something special for the 14^th of February. There’s also going to be a wide repertoire of concerts, plays, cultural nights to choose from. All in all, Budapest certainly has everything you need for a little romance 😉

*Photo: www.facebook.com/GödöllőiKastély*

Copy editor: bm

February 12, 2017

Brainteasers to Celebrate Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Centennial Birthday

Zsa Zsa Gabor, born on February 6, 1917 in Budapest, Hungary and died at 99 on December 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite [1]. Gabor began her stage career in Vienna, Austria and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 at age 24 and became a sought-after actress with “European flair and style.” Outside her acting career, Gabor was known for her extravagant Hollywood lifestyle, her glamorous personality, and her many marriages. In total, Gabor had nine husbands including hotel magnate Conrad Hilton and actor George Sanders. She once stated, “Men have always liked me and I have always liked them. But I like a mannish man, a man who knows how to talk to and treat a woman—not just a man with muscles.”

If Gabor was still alive, she would have turned 100 on February 6, 2017. To celebrate Gabor’s centennial birthday, I prepared the following birthday brainteasers for her:

Gabor’s birthday is numerically hidden in her name. How so? If numbers 1 to 26 are assigned to the letters of the English alphabet as A being 1, B being 2, C being 3, etc., the numbers assigned to the letters of Zsa Zsa Gabor put side by side yield 26191261917121518 where 261917 is indeed Gabor’s birthday, February 6, 1917.
Gabor died on 12/18/16 where the sum of these three numbers equals 46. Coincidentally, the sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Zsa also equals 46. Further, if 12/18/2016 is split as 12, 18, 20, and 16, the sum of these four numbers equals 66 which when rotated by 180° yields 99, the age Gabor died.
The sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Gabor equals 43 where the product of the digits of 43 is 12, the month number of Gabor’s death. Furthermore, 12 also equals the product of the digits of 2/6, Gabor’s birth date, February 6 and twice 12 is 24, the age at which Gabor came to the United States.
Additionally, the 12th prime number is 37 and the 37th day of 2017 is Gabor’s 100th birthday, 2/6/2017. Moreover, if 2017 is split into 20 and 17, the sum of these two numbers yields 37. Also, the square of the sum of the digits of 37 results in 100. The square of the sum of the digits of 46 (Zsa) also equals 100. The square of the sum of the digits of 2017 equals 100 too.
The sum of 46 and 43 (Zsa Gabor) equals 89 which is the 24th prime number where 24 is the age when Gabor came to US. Also, the product of the digits of 46 (Zsa) equals 24.
The sum of the digits of Gabor’s centennial birthday 2/6/2017 yields 18, the day number of Gabor’s death in December of 2016. The sum of the digits of Gabor’s birth year 1917 equals 18 too.
Gabor died 50 days before her 100th birthday where 50 equals half of 100.
Gabor died on the 353rd day of 2016 where the 353rd prime number is 2381 and 2381 times the sum of the digits of 353, namely 11, yield 26191. Coincidentally, the numbers assigned to the letters of Zsa put side by side also yield 26191!
If Gabor’s 100th birthday is expressed as 622017 (6 February 2017), this number equals 99 x 61 x 103 where 99 is the age she died and further, prime numbers 61 and 103 add up to 164. Interestingly enough, twice the reverse of 164, namely 461, result in 922 and eight times reverse of 922, namely 229, gives 1832 which is the reverse of 2381 (see item # 8). Also, 229 is the 50th prime number where twice 50 yields 100.
Gabor’s 100th birthday expressed as 622017 equals 3 x 3 x 11 x 61 x 103 where these prime factors add up to 178 which is twice 89 (Zsa Gabor). Lastly, if 622017 is split as 62, 20, and 17, the sum of these three numbers yield 99, the age Gabor died last December.

Happy 100th birthday Zsa Zsa Gabor!

[1] Zsa Zsa Gabor, Wikipedia

Photo: www.facebook.com/zsazsagaborofficial

February 7, 2017

Hungarian, German foreign ministers mark signing of friendship pact

Budapest, February 6 (MTI) – Hungary and Germany’s foreign ministers on Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement between their countries.

The Hungarian-German agreement on friendly cooperation and European partnership was signed by the two countries’ leaders at the time, Prime Minister József Antall and Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, on February 6, 1992. It envisaged regular political dialogue on international affairs, including annual meetings between the two countries’ prime ministers and foreign ministers.

In a statement issued on Monday, Péter Szijjártó and Sigmar Gabriel said the friendship agreement laid the foundations for Hungary and Germany’s bilateral relations. Over the past years, Hungary and Germany have formed a strong partnership in the European Union and NATO, the ministers said, adding that the goals and responsibilities laid out in the friendship agreement were still valid to this day.

The agreement was a natural product of the unparalleled “peaceful revolution” that took place in Europe, they said.

Just as 25 years ago, the two countries still prize the creation of a European unity built on respect for basic freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, the statement said. The ministers highlighted the preservation of Europe’s prosperity, security, cohesion, the protection of minorities and contribution to the continent’s economic growth and competitiveness as their countries’ shared goals.

The minister of human resources, Zoltán Balog, told an event in Budapest that common historical and cultural roots are needed for successful German-Hungarian cooperation. Attending a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the pact, Balog noted that Germany is Hungary’s most important economic partner and its largest foreign investor.

“This is a prospering relationship between two peoples that understand one another,” he said.

He said one of today’s most burning questions is what role Europe and the EU will play in solving global problems. “It is extremely important that Europe should find its own, common responses,” Balog argued.

Referring to Hungary’s fence on the EU’s external border, Balog said its purpose was not primarily to protect Hungary but to safeguard the Schengen zone, which included the protection of Germany.

February 6, 2017

500th anniversary of Reformation – The opening ceremony in Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – House Speaker László Kövér opened Hungary’s memorial year marking the 500th anniversary of Reformation in Europe in Budapest’s Palace of Arts (Müpa) on Friday.

The “moral revolution” of the Reformation “sets an example and serves as a benchmark for all of us”, Kövér said.

Looking back at the moral revolution of the Reformation in today’s Europe facing cultural, demographic, identity, economic, social and political challenges “gives hope to us all”, he added. “It gives us hope that as creations of God we will always be able to survive by renewing ourselves … and that by holding on to the eternal truths of the Word [of God], we will survive for the next 500 years, too.” Kövér said that looking back at the Reformation also gave Hungarians hope that they could establish a “nation-building state” for themselves which could provide safety and refuge to all Hungarians.

Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog described the Reformation as “thanksgiving” and a “critical confrontation with ourselves”. But the Reformation cannot be celebrated as a victory over the Catholic Church, he said. “Our faith says we are all part of one church, even if we are torn apart,” the minister said. He said that although the anniversary of the Reformation could not be regarded as a celebration, “we can give thanks for all that we owe to … this movement” such as strengthening faith, direct trust in God, a national language, cultural and economic strength and reformed science.

The anniversary will be marked by close to 400 events nationwide this year.

Photo: MTI

January 7, 2017

25th anniversary of first Hungarian heart transplant marked

Budapest, January 3 (MTI) – The 25th anniversary of the first heart transplant operation was marked in Budapest on Tuesday.

Béla Merkely, vice rector of Budapest’s Semmelweis Medical University, said in his address that the anniversary “gives hope to patients waiting for a new heart and ensures recognition to people working to produce similar achievements”.

The first heart transplant in Hungary was performed on January 3, 1992, at Semmelweis University, by cardiac surgeon Zoltán Szabó and his team. The patient, Sándor Schwartz, was 24 years old at the time, and has used the same organ ever since.

Two weeks after the first operation, another patient, Antal Koncz, got a new heart. As he underwent another transplant three years ago, he is living with his third heart today.

Since 1992, the Heart and Vascular Centre of Semmelweis University has done 412 heart transplants, about 90 percent of all such operations in Hungary.

Merkely noted that Hungary had joined Eurotransplant, an international organisation responsible for coordinating organ transplants in its member countries, in 2013.

Last year the centre performed 51 heart transplants, the second highest figure in Europe, which put the institution among the top ten on a global scale, he said.

The commemoration was addressed by state secretary for education László Palkovics, who noted the importance of integrating training and treatment. He said that the government was planning to spend a total 150 billion forints (EUR 485m) on the reform of medical education in Hungary.

January 3, 2017

Catholic Church head marks centenary of last Hungarian king’s coronation

Budapest, December 30 (MTI) – The example set by the beatified Charles IV encourages unconditional faith in God, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, said at a mass marking the centenary of the coronation of Hungary’s last king on Friday.

“The only way to offer a fitting tribute to the coronation of our last king is by renewing within ourselves the assumption of responsibility over our community and our faith in God, the Caregiver…” Erdő said in his mass delivered at Matthias Church.

In an opening address to the ceremony, Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog said it was the central European countries that were today’s strongest representatives of the spiritual values that had formed the foundations of Europe.

“Today we are witnessing the revival of central European thought. We have made and are prepared to make peace with each other so that the nations that were afflicted by communism could form an alliance allowing them to take their rightful place on the international European stage,” Balog said.

The minister called for a newfound European cooperation that would take responsibility for both the present and the future.

The ceremony was also attended by President János Áder and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén.

December 30, 2016

Hungary to mark 500th anniversary of Reformation with 400 events in 2017

Budapest, December 29 (MTI) – Close to 400 programmes will be organised by Hungary in 2017 to mark the 500th anniversary of Reformation in Europe, a government commissioner said on Thursday.

The series of events will open with an arts performance in Budapest’s Palace of Arts (Müpa) on January 6, Károly Hafenscher, the head of the organising committee, told MTI.

On April 25 a rock version of Handel’s oratorio Messiah will be performed in the Müpa, he said.

A large-scale exhibition presenting the history of protestant Reformation and its influence on Europe and Hungary will open in the Hungarian National Museum on April 26, he added.

Wittenberg, the birthplace of Reformation, will host Hungarian Days from August 24 and 27, including a conference, an exhibition and a concert, the commissioner said.

Hafenscher noted that Reformation had spread to Hungary fairly quickly as compared with other parts of Europe because at the time over a 1,000 students from the Carpathian Basin studied at the University of Wittenberg where they had direct contact with Martin Luther and his collaborator, Philipp Melanchthon.

Further programmes during the year will include a commemorative session in Hungarian Parliament’s upper chamber on October 5 and a joint session of the synods of the Lutheran and the Reformed churches on October 13.

In a major event, a large-scale arts festival will be held in the Budapest László Papp Sports Arena on October 31, which 13,000 people are expected to attend.

The budget earmarked for next year’s anniversary events is 1 billion forints (EUR 3.2m), the commissioner said.

December 29, 2016

Fidesz youth arm Fidelitas marks 20th anniversary

Budapest (MTI) – Fidelitas, the youth arm of the ruling Fidesz party, marked their twentieth anniversary, at an event in Budapest on Saturday evening.

Young people must be addressed with the right language so that they can be “lured out” from the “ivory tower of political apathy”, cabinet chief Antal Rogan said at the event. He told those in attendance that it would be their mission to get young people engaged in politics.

There are no “lost generations”, only “quieter and louder ones”, Rogán said, quoting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

It is natural for a generation to “feel lost” as it seeks its way, but every generation has a mission, Rogán said. He said Hungary had to stay on the path on which it had set out in 2010.

He warned those in attendance not to “believe for a second” that Hungary could ever have a “good left-wing government”.

On the topic of Europe’s migrant crisis, the cabinet chief said it was merely a precursor to a much larger crisis.

Zoltán Balog, the human resources minister, called the members of Fidelitas “interpreters” who act as intermediaries between the government and young people.

Addressing the event in a brief video message, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó recounted pleasant experiences from his time in Fidelitas, among them summer camps.

In a letter addressed to the event, Farm Minister Sándor Fazekas expressed his wish that Fidelitas would continue to grow and remain an organisation in which the strength of the community is placed before individual success.

Gergely Gulyás, the deputy leader of Fidesz, expressed hope that the “era of political correctness” would soon be at an end. Gulyás, too, underlined the need to get young people more involved in a civic political culture.

Several foreign politicians also addressed the event, among them Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, in a video message.

Photo: MTI

December 12, 2016