EastERN EURoPE HUNGARY

This week we take a tour of Hungary, a truly lovely land with a fascinating language full of words we can’t pronounce.   

Way back in 895 A.D., well before the founding of Germany, France or England, the semi-nomadic Magyars settled in the Carpathian Basin and established Hungary. Over time Hungary's Magyar rulers integrated their nation into Christian Western Europe. In 1541 the Turks invaded and ruled for about 140 years until a diverse "Holy League" army ran them out. In World War I, Hungary, which was then united with Austria in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, joined with Germany and lost the war. After World War II suffered under Soviet rule for 40 years; not until 1990, after the Soviet Union’s fall, did the nation have its first truly contested national election. Since then there have been periods of economic growth and decline and political power has shifted from ruling coalition to ruling coalition, but in general Hungary has been able to move forward, emerging from — but not forgetting -- its very difficult Eastern Bloc past.