Pécs

Election 2018 – Demonstrations against election results held in Pécs, Debrecen

hungary election 2018

Demonstrations against the results of the April 8 general election were held on Sunday in the Hungarian cities of Pécs and Debrecen, and in Brussels.

In the southern Hungarian city of Pécs, at the demo organised by NGOs, speakers lambasted the election system, the “terrible state of the opposition parties” and the state of Hungarian health care and education. Speakers said “Hungary is turning more and more towards Ankara and Moscow”, and they called for unity and the “fight against lies” among opposition forces. The protestors waved the national colours, European Union flags and the red-white stripes of the House of Árpád.

 

In eastern Hungarian Debrecen, opposition parties organised a protest at the city’s main Kossuth square. Speakers of green LMP, opposition parties Momentum, Együtt, Jobbik and the satirical Two-tailed Dog Party (Kétfarkú Kutya Párt) demanded a new election, freedom of the press and a “real change of regime”. “We are the true majority,” they said, and pledged to “fight on” and pose a serious challenge to the “Orbán regime”. Demonstrators waved EU, national and House of Árpád flags.

Photo: MTI

Walking tour in the city of Pécs with amazing legends

pécs center city

Pécs, the fifth largest city of Hungary, is the perfect example of a city where history and culture coexist in peaceful harmony. It is a town that was founded in the Roman times and has been on the World Heritage List of UNESCO since 2000. Its lively and vibrant cultural life is thanks to a number of museums and historically important monuments located in the city. However, besides these, Pécs is the home of several legends related to its monuments and renowned people. Some of these stories are collected here.

1. The radiating Széchenyi Square

The Square is the city’s commercial, administrative and touristic centre. Once it was the marketplace of Pécs, where the city hall and the church also can be found. The history of the Square itself is very intriguing involving stories about how it was renamed several times (Fórum, City Piazza, Main Square), but there is also a legend about it being radioactive. According to Pecsma.hu, even tourists coming to Pécs have heard about the story that the square was constructed on radioactive ground, the remains of a former uranium mine.

pécs city center
/iranypecs.hu/

It is also rumoured that in winter when the whole city is covered with snow,  the Square is not affected by this problem due to the radioactive rays which immediately melt the snow.

However, the health-damaging effect of the ground has never been proved, so there is no cause for concern for taking a long walk in the centre admiring its monuments.

2. A wall full of locks honouring true love

It was in Pécs where the first locks of lovers appeared on a wall in the city centre. This wall is found in the Janus Pannonius Street connecting the Mosque of Pasha Quasim, the most famous Hungarian mosque, and the Cathedral of Pécs. There is much confusion about who the first people were who started what is now a tradition, that is to put locks on the wall.

pécs wall lock love
Love locks on the renovated wall, the 1st in Pécs /wikicommons by Regasterios /

One source mentions that it were wives in Pécs were the first who put the locks on the wall indicating to their lovers that the master of the house is not at home. Therefore, it was a kind of secret way of ensuring that no one would disturb them unexpectedly.

pécs wall lock
A new wall honouring love /wikicommons by Vikkvakk/

However, there is another possible explanation for the birth of this wall full of locks which is, by the way, the officially accepted version of the story. According to this, students graduating from high school in 1971 started this tradition by putting the locks of their school lockers onto the wall. This gave a basis for today’s popular trend to put a lock on the wall into which the true love of couples is closed.

If you believe that locks can ensure happiness, when you are in Pécs, do not forget to visit this street and find a place for your lock. Therefore, next time you can find it and recall great memories.

3. The Zsolnay Mausoleum and the secret of the winter solstice

Pecsma.hu reports that the Zsolnay Mausoleum is the city’s most mysterious sight. This is the burial site of the Zsolnay family where the secret of the eosin manufacturing can also be resolved. The story starts with Vilmos Zsolnay who was the greatest potter of his time thanks to his creativity that made the Zsolnay porcelain and pottery famous.

pécs mauzóleum
/iranypecs.hu/

As the legend goes, at winter solstice when days start to become longer, the rays of the sun reach the tomb inside the Mausoleum, and the secret of the eosin manufacturing can be resolved. Therefore, what is unique in the Mausoleum is that its window was deliberately designed to allow the rays of the sun to penetrate the building illuminating the sarcophagus of Vilmos Zsolnay for a few minutes.

pécs mausoleum visit
/wikicommons by Vampeare/

When Pecsma.hu asked an astronomer about this phenomenon perceivable on 21 December, he responded that it is around 11 a.m. that the perfect illumination of the Mausoleum can be expected.

4. The Lady who never left behind her bag

One of the most well-known inhabitants of the city of Pécs was Dr Endréné Bánki (born as Györgyi Fábián). This woman, known as the lady with a bag, still lives in the memory of locals since it was not a long time ago that she died. She was born in 1930 in Szekszárd and came from quite a well-to-do family in which her grandparents dealt with wine production while her parents were doctors.

His father was of Jewish origin, and in 1944, the whole family had to move into a small underground refuge on the property of a vintner in Szekszárd.

The underground haven was carefully covered, so no one noticed it. There was a secret hole allowing air to get into their shelter through which they also got food and water at night.

However, the time spent in such severe circumstances left a mark on the three of them. As Bama.hu reports, the parents had serious heart problems while Györgyi suffered from mental problems from that time on. After some time spent in a mental asylum, her condition improved a bit. When she got married to a police officer who spent terrible times in a concentration camp, she moved to Pécs. She was terrified that someone might want to kill or poison her, so every time she left her home, she took some food and clothes with herself.

This highly-educated woman studying law survived a lot that unfortunately affected her mind, but the nature of humanity created a legend around her figure that has become part of the everyday life of local citizens.

Featured image: facebook/Irány Pécs!

Tusk awarded honorary doctor’s title by Pécs University

The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, was awarded an honorary doctor’s title by the University of Pécs, in southern Hungary, on Friday. 

The title was given in recognition of Tusk’s achievements as a Polish and European politician, which are strongly connected with Hungarian, regional and European history, the university said.

In his acceptance speech, Tusk said he believed in the European Union and praised the value of the community. He cited several iconic Hungarian literary and musical works as defining elements of a Pole’s life.

Tusk said he loved Europe, believed “in the future and the purpose of the European Union – and I will not reject this just because of a momentary Eurosceptic trend. For me, to be a European is a reason to be proud.”

“Europe is … the best place on Earth. A special and unique territory of freedom and culture,” he said. 

“The migration crisis – combined with the threat coming from aggressive neighbours – has shown us with full force how much it means to Europeans today to have a common territory and a common border,” he said. “The need to protect our external border, and the need to protect our internal territory against racism and xenophobia” are equally important to preserve the integrity of Europe, Tusk said.

“We should try to reconcile the need for security with freedom, and the need for control with openness,” he said. 

Tusk awarded honorary doctor’s title by Pécs University, photo: MTI

Europe is also a community of political values, “among which I will always put freedom first”, Tusk said. “… The most crucial European values continue to be human and civil rights, freedom of speech and conscience, the rule of law, and respect for minorities’ rights. I believe that the only guarantee of the survival of these values is liberal democracy…”, Tusk said.

Tusk awarded honorary doctor’s title by Pécs University, photo: MTI

As we wrote before, for Hungary Donald Tusk’s re-election to president of the European Council indicates that the European Union can continue to function, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said.

Photo: MTI

The compass of Pécs: the TV Tower

The TV Tower has been one of the main attractions in the city of Pécs, Baranya County, ever since it was built. The tower that we see today was finished in 1972, and it was considered to be the highest building in Hungary at that time. The tower is situated on one of the highest peaks of the Mecsek mountain range, the Misina. Throughout the years, the TV Tower slowly became a compass to the city of Pécs.

History

Before the radio tower was built, the Kiss József viewpoint stood in its place. People often refer to this as the little brother of the TV Tower. The viewpont was named after environmentalist József Kiss who was the secretary general of the Mecsek Association. The viewpoint was built in 1908, it was 24.6 metres tall, and it offered a spectacular view. The little brother of today’s TV Tower was protected by a full-time guard who even had his own guard house nearby. Since there was no radio tower, a 70 metres high steel structure stood beside the viewpoint serving as a transmitter. This transmitter was demolished in 1968.

Construction

The blueprints of the TV Tower were created by István Vízvárdy, Gusztáv Söpkéz and József Thoma. Today’s tower was finished in December, 1972, and it was 191 metres tall. 18,500 tonnes of reinforced concrete were used for its construction. The construction of the whole tower cost 321,000 EUR (100 million HUF).

The TV Tower is being built (right) next to Kiss József viewpoint (left)
Photo: www.commons.wikimedia.org by FORTEPAN

The finished tower was presented to the public on 4 April, 1973. The tower was the highest building in the country at that time. The tower transmitted the broadcast of many Hungarian TV channels and radio stations to Pécs’s residents. The tower significantly improved the quality of the broadcasts in the whole region.

In the following years, the tower received 200,000 visitors a year.

Due to a changed aerial in 1995, the tower grew 6 metres taller. Today, the TV Tower of Pécs is 197 metres tall, and approximately 80,000 people visit the tower each year.

Sights

Visitors can use the express elevator to go up to the tower’s restaurant. The restaurant’s glass windows allow customers to enjoy their meal and the view of the city at the same time. Above the restaurant, there is the open observation terrace where one can look around 610 metres above sea level. If the weather is nice, besides the mountain range of Mecsek, one can see the Baranya Hills, the Villány Mountains and even the Croatian Papuk Mountain.

LED-Lights

Since the end of August, the tower has been equipped with smart LED lightning. The city is especially proud of the lights of the tower, because those were made by the hands of people from Pécs, in the Harman factory that is also in Pécs. Another interesting fact is that Pécs’s residents could vote on what colours the tower’s lights should be.

Photo: www.pecsma.hu

On special occasions, such as national holidays, the tower can be seen in unique lightning. For example, when the tower was lit up for the very first time this August, it was “dressed up” in the (red-white-green) Hungarian national flag.

Photo: www.okpecs.hu

Even on ordinary days, the TV Tower changes its colour every hour.

Featured photo: www.commons.wikimedia.org by Mrszantogabor

Life in Pécs through an American’s eyes

Europe or the United States? Which one is the most preferable? Pretty hard question, we could make a survey to see what people say about it but it does not matter what others say. Every single person in this world is unique, all of them have different necessities and dreams. However, there is a general statement that Europeans are dreaming about the USA and Americans are dreaming about Europe. Most of the people love to travel, experience new cultures, but only a few of them are able to settle down in a different environment and feel home, UniPécs reports.

For PTE students, lecturers and also for professors Fulbright is a great opportunity to study or continue their academic work in the USA. During this time they can live the American dream, experience things they could nowhere else. The great thing is that they can also be a part of the Fulbright programme and come to our little country. Mostly the reason behind their trip to Hungary is that they met a Hungarian in the States and that person made them curious so they want to visit this Eastern-Middle-European country. My favorite story is when a lucky man had a Hungarian Physics professor at the university. Can you guess who? Yes, Teller Ede!

Recently there are several Americans in Hungary due to this scholarship, one of them, Robin Valerie Cathey lives in Pécs for a year now.

Why Hungary? Everything started when I became a friend of a Hungarian and, when he moved back to Hungary, I came to see him and I fell in love with the country. This was my very first time to travel to another continent. I knew at that point that I want to experience other cultures and lands. It was a real starting point. 

Now I live here for a while and I absolutely love it. The city is wonderful, it is quite historical, there are so many buildings that are just great to look at.

This place is an unbelievable cultural centre of the region. I am also so lucky, because I found a flat at Széchenyi Square, so, when I want to eat something or drink a coffee with my friends, I have a bunch of places to choose from. This city amazes me with its colourfulness, it has everything I need. And the people, they are just so nice and welcoming.

We already know that she did not regret moving here, but what is her aim here?  It seems that she wants to teach.

I love to be with people, I love teaching, but not in the sense Hungarians think, or at least most Hungarians. When I decided to take part in Fulbright my main idea was to do something helpful. I wanted to teach, but not at a university. Why? It is easy, just think about it. Those students who could go to a university did not have a lack of good education. Although, now I do teach at PTE at the department of Romology, where my students work really hard and fight against so many obstacles. I hoped that Fulbright will get me to a place where students want to study and also have the facility to learn from a native speaker. This is how we found Gandhi.

Most people do not know anything about Ghandi, so let’s change it. Gandhi is a Gymnasium with an elementary art training and a dormitory all in one. This was the first romany school in Hungary, and even in Europe, that gives high school diploma.  The institute was founded in the early 90s with the help of Gandhi Foundation. The main goal of the endowment was to give the romany students similar opportunities that are given to the other members of the community. Now let’s see what a native English speaker, who also studied applied linguistics during her university years, can add to this idea.

Since I am here I am not only teaching but learning a lot, too.

I participate in Hungarian language courses, which are awesome.

I also noticed some basic differences between Hungarian and American education. In Hungary teachers give a well-built curriculum, but the students can not differentiate between important and useless parts. Moreover, I think that they suffer from the lack of communication, even more, I could say, because communication is too one-sided. In the States communication takes the biggest part of conveying knowledge. The “exchange of the knowledge’ could be an even better expression. When our education starts in the primary school we are taught to see everything with a critical eye, be brave enough to express our opinion about something and to be able to give relevant arguments that make our point of view more visible. Personally, I want teach my students to question everything, to be brave to tell their ideas in class. Of course, it takes some time to get used to this type of learning when you are not used to it as a student.

Robin believes that every teacher has his or her style, but every group needs to be treated differently; the teachers should adapt to the class.

I truly believe that they can profit from the mentality I brought with myself. I already see some development: they do well in my classes and, what is even more important, they seem to enjoy those. If somebody enjoys doing something, then that person will continue doing it, that’s 100%.  It means the world when somebody understands why we use a tense, a phrase etc. When somebody passes a test with a great result it is a great success for me, too.

Here is an example: “one of my university students passed the ECL with flying colors and it was a wonderful moment for all of us at the department and even the staff at ECL who contributed by waiving the test fee!”.  

I really like my students, I see that they give their best, day by day.

translated by Attila Horváth

Photo: Szabolcs Csortos

Ce: bm

PTE jubilee – University of Pécs celebrates 650th anniversary

Pécsi Tudományegyetem univerity Pécs

The fall semester has started with a lot of excitement at University of Pécs (PTE), as the university celebrated its 650th 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 650th 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 29th 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.

Photo: www.pte.hu

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

Hungarian electric planes getting built in Pécs

Magnus’ Fusion 212 type ultra light airplane is currently produced in Kecskemét. Now they intend to extend their manufacture to Pécs, where they are planning to produce the first electric planes in the world named eFusion. According to Origo.hu, the company is represented in China, and they have already begun the construction of their factory in Texas.

There is a large demand for these planes, but their mass production will begin soon. Magnus Aircraft is discussing with the municipal of Pécs about establishing their new factory in the city and the nearby airfield. There is enough room for it.

They have chosen Pécs because of the Pécs-Pogány airfield, even though it is not such a famous one as the airfield of Kecskemét.

Production would not be possible without an airfield. Both the testing and merchandising of the planes would take place on the runway, as many of the customers might arrive with their own planes.

The assembling of the carbon composite airplanes would take place in Pécs, but the production in Kecskemét would continue. The company also intends to invest in development and research. If they manage to lay hands on the ominous territory, the construction of the factory might begin in autumn.

The assembling of the planes is mostly manual work, for which they would provide instructions. Hopefully, there will be a sufficient number of employees applying for that job. Besides 50-100 unskilled workers, they plan to employ highly trained experts as well. The enterprise will probably create 300 new jobs.

One of the keys to Magnus’ success is that their planes are excellent for training pilots for different tasks. Efusion is the most significant improvement from this aspect. These extra light planes allow future pilots to be trained more cheaply and more effectively than ever before. There is a great demand on eFusions as training planes.

The other advantage of the close situation to the airfield is the establishment of a new pilot academy. The costs of the pilot training per hour can be greatly reduced with the help of Magnus’ planes. They are also appropriate for training hobby pilots and marketing pilots. Thus the complex may expect great attention from the pilot training companies.

Photo: Facebook.com/PécsPogány-repülőtér

ce: ZsK

Zika Virus spreading mosquitoes around Pécs?

zika

A large number of mosquitoes have appeared around Pécs that could spread the Zika Virus or infectious encephalitis. A special research team at the University of Pécs examines how dangerous these insects can be. Their appearance in Hungary can also be related to climate change.

Belgium was the first European country where the Korean mosquitoes turned up. They appeared in Hungary last year and survived the winter colder than usual. In some parts of Pécs their number raised so much that 8 out of 10 captured mosquitoes belong to this species. The Korean mosquito can spread, among other serious illnesses, the Zika Virus. It can cause a developmental disorder in the fetus of pregnant mothers.

“You do not have to panic. So there is a mosquito. This is a very long process. It is a highly multifaceted process to make it a disease. The fact is that the mosquito is here. So we’ve got the first step, the mosquito is settled, and that, itself, means trouble,” explains Gábor Kemenesi, researcher of the Virology Research Group at the Szentágothai János Research Center.

What can I do against it?

The Korean mosquito likes human environment. The larvae feel well in standing water near the apartment buildings, and adult specimens are fond of human blood.

“By wiping out the small waters collected around the house, it is possible to prevent mosquito spawn or hatching eggs. We can also prevent the hatching of the eggs by covering the water catchments surrounding the house by mosquito nets,” said Kornélia Kurucz, researcher of the Virology Research Group at the Szentágothai János Research Center.

They examine the captured specimens by molecular biological methods in Pécs. The following weeks may give an answer on what diseases the blood sucker can spread.

Ce: bm

The Jewel of the South – 10 places to visit in Pécs

There is a city near the Croatian border, which is the home of 146,000 and a well known university, the former center of uranium mining in the country, and the European Capital of Culture in 2010. This is Pécs, Hungary’s fifth greatest city. Let us see the ten greatest attractions the homeland of “Tüke” people may offer.

  1. Széchenyi Square

This spot began as the marketplace of the town in the early medieval times and grew to become the main square of the city. Along with the Town Hall and the County Hall, there are two eye-catchers which have become the symbols of Pécs: one of them is the Zsolnay fountain with its bright green eosin ox heads, which were created by Miklós Zsolnay for the memory of his father, the famous Hungarian ceramic artist Vilmos Zsolnay. The other one is the Mosque of Pasha Quasim, which is Hungary’s greatest mosque, and it preserves the memory of the 150 years long Turkish occupation of the Southern regions.

Besides the historical relics, the square is often filled with stands of confectioners, vintners, beekeepers and other craftsmen during festivals.

  1. TV Tower

Located on the very top of the Mecsek, the TV Tower is the tallest building of Hungary with its 197 meters. It offers an about 100 kilometers wide view of Pécs and the surrounding areas – the city seems like a bunch of toy miniatures from that enormous height.

If you decide to end your hiking in the forests of Mecsek here, you can take rest in the towers restaurant and have a meal accompanied with a stunning panorama from above.

As an addition, you may also visit the permanent exhibition of the oldest dinosaur remains in Hungary.

  1. Pécs Zoo

TV Tower is not the only place to visit once you got up to the peaks of Mecsek. Just five minutes of driving and you may also come across Pécs Zoo, the “greenest” of all zoos in Hungary, which is built entirely among the woods of Mecsek. The complex went through some renovations a couple of years ago, so it awaits visitors with an even wider variety of animals from tigers through birds of prey to hippos. For those who prefer fish and reptiles or just do not want to climb the mountain Pécs Zoo also has a terrarium and aquarium in Ángyán János Street.

  1. The Vasarely Museum

Pécs has given Hungary and the world some great artists like Vilmos Zsolnay in ceramic art, Sándor Weöres in literature and Victor Vasarely in visual arts. The latter one has a permanent exhibition in the center of Pécs, where visitors can admire 42 of his original screen prints. His unique use of geometry and optical illusion may stun both art experts and laymen alike.

  1. Old Christian Tombs

The old Christian necropolis from the 4th century AD is located near the Cathedral and includes more than 16 tomb chambers. The top halls can be observed near the cathedral through a plexiglass floor, but more adventurous visitors may descend into the catacombs in guided groups.  Besides the hundreds of ancient relics, guests can watch short documentaries displayed on screens which tell the history of the tombs from their construction by the ancient Romans to their excavation in the 18th century.

  1. The Walls of Locks

Though there are walls of locks in multiple Hungarian cities nowadays, it was Pécs that started this custom and it still has the most locks in one place. The original iron fences onto which loving couples and tourists put on their personal locks with their initials are situated in Apáca Street. In the 2010s some artistic constructions of steel were made on Szent István Square exclusively for expanding the space for new locks. No journey to Pécs is complete without leaving your own lock here.

  1. St Peter and Paul Cathedral

The greatest religious building of the city is situated on Szent István Square near the Old Christian Tombs. The church, which was sanctified in 1891 in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, can be spotted in the cityscape from far away. Besides the regular masses held among Bertalan Székely’s world famous frescoes, visitors may also climb the bell tower via guided tours, or listen to the organ play of one of the largest organs in the country.

  1. Kodály Center

The enormous concert and cultural center is one of the newest buildings in Pécs. The construction of this architecturally unique complex was finished in 2010, and it can serve as a host of even three musical events simultaneously. Several jazz, classical and world music concerts are held in the Kodály Center every year: it will soon host the concert of World Youth Choir, for instance.

  1. Zsolnay Quarter

The new quarter to the city was built as a part of the European Capital of Culture program 2010, and it was declared as a Hungarikum in 2014. It consists of 15 buildings and more than 80 sculptures made by the Zsolnay family, but people can also find calm green parks, libraries, craft shops and cafés here. Children may also find entertainment in the quarter, it is the venue of occasional puppet shows, star observations, painting and ceramic workshops and many more.

  1. Egylet Bar

Besides the world-famous gloves, beer is the other great exported product of Pécs. Naturally, many of the bars in the city offer some of the finest local beer brands like Pécsi Sör, Pécsi Radler or Szalon. However, Egylet is a rarity among them, as customers might try an incredibly variety of traditional beers with special flavors like sour cherry, dark chocolate or plum.

Ce: bm

Foreign students spend annual 140 million euros in Debrecen, Szeged, Pécs

Szegedi Tudományegyetem

Pécs (MTI) – Some 11,000 foreign students at the universities of Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs spend an annual 43 billion forints (EUR 140m) including tuition fees, a survey by the three universities made available on Thursday showed.

Involving 1,500 students from various countries and drawing on data from the autumn semester of the 2016-2017 academic year, the survey showed that more than 22 billion forints were spent on accommodation, food and entertainment and nearly 21 billion forints on tuition fees. The researchers said an estimated average 1.2 workplace was created by every foreign student in the cities surveyed.

Head of the research team Zsuzsanna M Császár said international students should be regarded as “potential goodwill ambassadors” who could become “informal credit raters of our universities, cities and country after they return home.”

Amazing time-lapse about the demolition of Pécs’s tall building

An amazing time-lapse video was made about the demolition of Pécs’s tall building with a very simple technique, reports Index.

The building that had 250 flats and was 80 metres high was functional between 1976 and 1989, then became dangerous, so everyone had to move out. It was the tallest ghost-house in Central-Europe for decades.

The student Csaba Imre made a cool video about this year’s demolition. The second best thing is that most of these kind of videos show the building-up of something, while this is about the demolition of something. It would be enough to play it backwards to make it look like the building of a high-rise building.

The very best thing is that he used a very simple technique: he took photos from 15 locations, but not in a way that he put a camera in every location and set the automate to take pictures, no. He walked through every place. By the time he got ready he had walked 650 kilometres. It is said that his shoes were ruined in the process, just like the shoes of a fairy-tale hero.

Details about the difficulties of making the video can be read here. One of the location was especially hard, because it was a moving spot.

Photo:

Copy editor: bm

Zsolnay Festival of Light in Pécs – Photo gallery

The city of Pécs organised the first international Zsolnay Festival of Light between July 1 and 3.

From the evening hours steady and moving light art compositions including the light painting of buildings were shown at several spots in the inner city’s streets. Final of the Zsolnay Light Art 3D international light painting competition made by media artists from Chile, France, Hungary, Mexico and Poland.

Photo: MTI

 

Pécs to host 1st Zsolnay Festival of Light

Budapest, June 30 (MTI) – The city of Pécs will organise the first ever international Zsolnay Festival of Light between July 1 and 3, the organiser said on Thursday.

During the festival visitors can view compositions by media artists at 24 sites in the historic city’s centre, the Zsolnay Heritage Management company ZSOK told MTI.

From the evening hours steady and moving light art compositions including the light painting of buildings will be shown at several spots in the inner city’s streets, ZSOK said.

A highlight of the three-day festival will be the Final of the Zsolnay Light Art 3D international light painting competition featuring media artists from Chile, France, Hungary, Mexico and Poland.

They will present their compositions projected on the facade and the towers of Pécs Cathedral, a city landmark.

The festival’s programmes also include an act performed by the 18-member Belgian Theater Tol acrobat group in the air as well as free concerts by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, Spanish singer Buika and the American Brooklyn Gypsies group.

Get more informations HERE.

Photo: pecs.hu

The Pécs Zoo has finally opened

MTI – The renovated Pécs Zoo has officially opened to the public. The reconstruction project cost HUF 1.8 billion. 

3200 square metres of facilities, 6200 square metres of pens, and 2000 square metres of roads were built in 120 thousand hours by the contractor and more than 60 subcontractors.

40pc of the animals are new, and the renovated facility now houses more than 1,000 specimens from 250 different species. Cougars, Persian leopards, warthogs, Bengal tigers, ring-tailed lemurs, zebra and reef sharks, lynxes, lions, zebras, coatis, chameleons and tree pythons can also be seen in the zoo.

pécs zoo

A spacious car park for visitors and tourist buses was built as part of the investment. The facility has a new reception centre, which now houses the aquarium-terrarium that used operate in the city centre. On the ground floor, aquariums of fresh water and sea wildlife can be found, as well as the seal pool. The terrarium occupies the first floor, together with an event- and lecture hall.

The zoo also includes an ecotourism park that exhibits the flora and fauna of the surrounding Mecsek Mountains. The facility also has new thematic sections such as a petting zoo, an Africa paddock, a seal pool, a crocodile house, areas for big cats, hippopotamuses, and predators, as well as a monkey house, and chimpanzee pen.

pécs zoo

Thanks to the developments, the zoo is now ready to meet 21st century challenges, as well as safety and touristic expectation – said state secretary Balázs Rákossy during the opening ceremony on Friday. The investment will contribute to the appeal of Pécs as one of the most important tourist destination in Hungary.

The idea of the renovation project took hold after 2010, and it was executed using only EU resources, said Mayor Zsolt Páva. A big portion was devoted to the protection of the surrounding water resources, he added, which had been endangered by the deteriorating conditions of the zoo, and the situation threatened with the closing down of the facility. The renovation constitutes a big step forward for the city of Pécs, he said.

According to the website of the zoo, the Pécs Zoo was built with the help of the local factory workers and university students in 1960. The initial 3.5 hectare park has been expanded to 4 hectares during to the reconstruction project. The original objective of the park was to showcase specimens of the Hungarian wildlife, but soon many exotic species arrived as well.

Photos: MTI

US, Canadian ambassadors open Ibero-American Week in Pécs

Daily News Hungary

Budapest, May 12 (MTI) – US Ambassador Colleen Bell and Canadian Ambassador Lisa Helfand opened the 17th Ibero-American Week scientific and cultural programme in Pécs on Thursday.

Researchers and scholarship fellows pursuing American studies serve as an important “bridge” in US-Hungary relations, Bell said in her address at the opening.

Researchers help maintain a dialogue between the two cultures and give one another inspiration, she said.

The US ambassador is a patron of the Ibero-American Week, which has been organised by the University of Pecs in partnership with the Hungarian Association for American Studies (HAAS).

Chief patron of the programme is Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.

The Basilica in Pécs is getting wonderful light paintings

Between July 1 and 3 the Zsolnay Lightfestival in Pécs will line up gladiators, medieval knights, a historical fashion show and 5-metre big dragons, reports travelo.hu. The whole downtown will be enlivened by the evening light paintings, and so will be the Basilica.

The past will be evoked at the festival and artists from all over the world will make sure that the audience are having a great time. The peak of the event would come after it gets dark, for then the attendees will be enchanted by the illuminated downtown: the stable and moving masterpieces of light painting, light compositions and installations.

In the evenings of Friday and Saturday those interested can attend Hungary’s first international light art competition, the “Zsolnay Light Art Mapping Competition on the facade of the Cathedral of Pécs”. Differently from the previous years, this year, for the first time, not only the facade will be projected to, but the towers are also going to provide some surface for the artists, “thus creating a monumental and unique sight”.

The organizers of the festival asked the internationally acknowledged professional Hungarian group of artists, the Kiégő Izzók to be the partners of Zsolnay Light Art. They will help in the carrying out of the competition and they also prepare a special projection (out of the competition) which is specifically created for this event.

The festival’s programme promises to be stunning and definitely memorable, including concerts by numerous stars on the 3000 person-capacity outdoor stage, performances by street theatres and circus productions on the streets resembling the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the locals are also said to be participating in creating the community light compositions.

Moreover, during the festival, at a special 2-for-1 discount, the visitors may buy Örökség jegy (Heritage tickets) at the Infopoints of ZsÖK Nkft., by which they can go on a sightseeing and become acquainted with the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, the places of world heritages and the Medieval University in Pécs.

Photo: facebook/zsolnayfenyfesztival

Copy editor: bm

Giant Easter Egg in Pécs

Easter egg installation on Széchényi Square in Pécs. The six-foot egg has been created by Croatia Kapronca-Körös County artists and donated to the city of Pécs. March 25, 2016.

easter-pécs

Ferraris are made in Pécs

The first Formula 1 car that was made in Pécs is finally finished: it’s a fire red Ferrari, as Dunántúli Napló was informed. Although it does not have an engine, and it’s only a 1:8 scale model, every little detail is a perfect copy of the original, writes automotor.hu.

The production has begun in the Pécs base of the British Amalgam Fine Model Cars. The company makes luxury Formula 1 cars that have no engines, and might be a little small; however, these are world-class and extremely expensive model cars. Some companies, dedicated collectors, and fans of luxury items would pay even the worth of 2 million HUF for these little cars in Euros, Fonts, or in American Dollars.

The cars are primarily made of plastic, but they also have some leather, fabric, and metal parts and the tires are made of the same material as the real tires. The first fire red Ferrari that was made in Pécs is already finished, and the company’s goal is to have 10 models ready until Christmas. Ferrari model

The factory is located in the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, and currently has 20 employees who had to undergo a severe selection procedure. The company plans to increase the number of workers, and might have 150 employees by next year. According to some sources, there’s a possibility that Pécs will not only do the assembling, but all the other phases of the production as well, such as construction, design, and the production of the components and materials (most of the latter come from China).

Most of the cars will be 1:8 scale models, but there’s a chance that the company will make a 1:1 model as well; in other words, it will be the exact replica of a real life car, made of plastic. These life-sized cars can be put on display in cities with Formula 1 tracks, like San Marino, or even Budapest.

The company, Amalgam Fine Model Cars, has found the city of Pécs through the National Development Agency (NFÜ), where the associates of the Pécs Urban Development Company searched for an ideal location. The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter proved to be ideal, because the company could immediately start the production, and several other (currently empty) buildings can be provided if the company decides to increase its workforce. Also, the Cultural Quarter was designed in a way so it can give home to several companies working in the creative industry. The famous glove manufacturing company is part of this project, but the model car factory also fits in perfectly.

based on an article of automotor.hu
Photo: automotor.hu

Copy editor: bm