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From Blue Danube: Tales from the Dual Monarchy, a collection of short stories translated from German and Hungarian is NOW OUT. The Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary was formed in 1867. Dual because its titular sovereign, His Imperial and Royal Highness Franz Joseph, was both Emperor of Austria and King of…
From Alexander Faludy’s review of Blue Danube title, The Monkey and Other Stories by Miklós Bánffy, in the Hungarian Observer: “Count Miklós Bánffy (1873-1950) wrote captivatingly on a grand scale (his 3 volume epic Transylvanian Trilogy) but also a minute one—as this collection shows. The Monkey is a collection of nine stories…
“Matthias is dead—now books will be cheap in Europe!” So Lorenzo the Magnificent is said to have exclaimed on hearing of the passing of the King of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, in 1490. Matthias was the man behind the famous Corvina Library. renaissance kings and their libraries Matthias, who became King…
The 19th-century doctor Ignác Semmelweis was the Hungarian pioneer of hand-sanitization. His ideas were to revolutionise medicine, not just in Hungary but around the world. who was semmelweis? How many of us, while methodically washing our hands during the Covid-19 pandemic, spared a thought for Ignác Semmelweis? Semmelweis (1818–65) is…
The Seuso Treasure is one of the finest hoards of Roman silver ever discovered. what is the seuso silver treasure? The Seuso Roman silver Treasure, in the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, consists of 14 stunning pieces of late imperial Roman tableware: Four huge platters, variously decorated; a washbasin; five…
On art and culture, Biedermeier and the Enlightenment in Austria-Hungary in the post-Napoleonic age—and how keeping one’s head down is not a new thing. “Biedermeier Lifestyles” was the title of a recent exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. It is a title that will possibly need explanation. In…
The latest title in the Blue Danube imprint, which focuses on literature, history and travel in Central Europe, is Venetian Angel, a short novel by Ferenc Molnár, now translated into English for the first time. Molnár was a famous pre-war dramatist whose many plays included one on which the Rodgers…
There was a time when British perceptions of Hungary were very positive. Then things changed. Lost Prestige looks at Hungary through British eyes, to discover how and why this happened. The question of prestige and reputation Lost Prestige, by historian, diplomat and former Hungarian Foreign Minister Géza Jeszenszky, now published…
A rare treat for lovers of portraiture: a small show entirely dedicated to the work of Philip de László (1869–1937) is currently running at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. On the face of it, this should not seem altogether surprising. Hungarian gallery exhibits works by Hungarian artist. Not a…
Readers of these blogposts might have noticed our interest in the Seuso Treasure. We freely admit it. After all, these fourteen pieces make up what is arguably the finest trove of late imperial Roman silver in existence. And now, in a keenly-awaited move, it has become one of the permanent…
The brand new Blue Guide Hungary Food Companion is now out. A handy lexicon of Magyar food vocabulary, with a miscellany of culinary information (and a few traditional recipes) thrown into the pot alongside. Hungary typically has blisteringly hot summers but curiously no real summer cuisine. A cold fruit soup…
This summer’s most charming show in Budapest is an exhibition at the Capa Center of colour photographs by Jacques-Henri Lartigue (1894–1986). Lartigue, the son of an amateur photographer, received his first camera at the age of nine, a present from his father. He went on to take photographs all his…
Anna Bornemisza (c. 1630–88) was the daughter of an army captain, a noblewoman in her own right and, by marriage (in 1653, to Mihály Apafi), Princess of Transylvania. The story of her husband’s family, and the turbulent times they had to deal with, is covered in Blue Guide Travels in…
István Czifray was the nom de plume of István Czövek, master chef at the court of the Palatine Joseph, Habsburg governor of Hungary in the early 19th century. Czifray’s book of recipes and household tips (including instructions for making perfumes and pomades) first appeared in 1816. Soon to be entitled…
In some ways Ágnes Zilahy (1848–1908) is the Mrs Beeton of Hungarian cookery. Her publications of recipes, along with tips on household management, made her a household name in her own lifetime and her Valódi Magyar Szakácskönyv (Real Hungarian Cookery), a book of explicitly Hungarian dishes (i.e. not derived from…
The title of this engaging small exhibition, on show at the Museum of Trade and Tourism (MKVM) in Budapest, celebrates the centenary of the famous Gellért hotel and baths. Housed in magnificently tiled and decorated late-Art Nouveau halls, the baths are one of the most popular destinations on every tourist’s…
‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ Shakespeare’s famous line from Twelfth Night might well ring in your ears as you go round this exhibition at the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest: Unsung Hero, an examination of the achievements and legacy of Arthur…
The age of graceful living, in the closing years of the 20th century, is vividly evoked in the newly-reopened villa of the Hungarian collector György Ráth. Ráth was director of the Hungarian Museum of Applied Arts between 1881 and 1896 and during his tenure, the museum collection was augmented with…
“Those who Built Budapest” is the title of an absorbing one-room exhibition currently on show at the Budapest History Museum (in the ex-Royal Palace on Castle Hill) and prolonged until September. The title of the show deliberately doesn’t use the word “architect”. The lens through which the city is viewed…
“Crowded Times” is the title of an exhibition of posters currently running at the Hungarian National Museum (until 25th August). The works chosen all come from the museum’s extensive collection and span the period from 1896, the year of the Magyar Millennium (when Hungary celebrated 1000 years of existence), to…
