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Baron László Hengelmüller von Hengervár, Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Washington

Baron László Hengelmüller von Hengervár, Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Washington

In the 19th century the Hungarian Kingdom was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so Hungary had no separate representation in Washington DC.   Foreign affairs were handled in Vienna.  I was surprised to learn that the longest serving US Ambassador of Austria-Hungary was actually a Hungarian nobleman who, not surprisingly, did not speak Hungarian. His birth name was Baron Hengervári László Hengelmüller; […]

by · February 7, 2021 · Diaspora
Gábor Iványi in 2019. Photo: Facebook

Hungarian faith communities that suffered discrimination finally receive good news

The Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship, a Methodist community led by Reverend Gábor Iványi, was one of two faith groups to receive positive news this week. The other community is a Buddhist organization called Dzsaj Bhím (Jai Bhim), which ministers to the Roma minority and operates a school. After having been stripped of both their status as a church and of their right […]

by · February 3, 2021 · Culture
How to Cook Hungarian Democracy Goulash

How to Cook Hungarian Democracy Goulash

Tip: For this goulash, we recommend that you use a relatively young democracy as the main ingredient. We are basing this recipe on the most infamous of Hungarian master chefs – Viktor Orbán, the current Prime Minister of Hungary. Orbán is credited with turning a once burgeoning free democratic country into a cauldron of burnt citizens, soured dreams and grated […]

by · February 1, 2021 · Focus
The Orbán government is wooing Secretary of State Tony Blinken, actually his mother, Judith Pisar

The Orbán government is wooing Secretary of State Tony Blinken, actually his mother, Judith Pisar

Authoritarian far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán knows that he can expect tougher treatment from the Biden administration after his bold bet on a win for President Donald Trump backfired.   Orbán declared his admiration for Trump many times and viciously (and unwisely) attacked “corrupt” Joe Biden. Recently pardoned White House advisor Steve Bannon even called Orbán “Trump before Trump.” In […]

by · January 29, 2021 · Politics
Minister László Palkovics is trying to distance himself from Viktor Orbán

Minister László Palkovics is trying to distance himself from Viktor Orbán

Just as expected, politicians from Viktor Orbán’s inner circle have started to distance themselves from the authoritarian Prime Minister.  Orbán’s grip on power is a bit shaken. According to Hungarian media sources, László Palkovics, Hungary’s Minister of Innovation and Technology attempted to leave the government but Orbán repeatedly refused to accept his resignation. Now Palkovics has made an unusual statement.  […]

by · January 16, 2021 · Politics
Budapest cemetery, Haralson County, Georgia – photos by Ágnes Felber

Budapest cemetery, Haralson County, Georgia – photos by Ágnes Felber

Budapest is a tiny unincorporated community in Haralson County in the State of Georgia. It is located on U.S. Route 78, about five miles southeast of Tallapoosa. In the year of 1882 about 200 Hungarian families, mostly from mining towns in Pennsylvania, moved to the area and started to plant grapevines. Soon they established a series of flourishing vineyards and Georgia’s wine region was born. Later, as the number […]

by · January 8, 2021 · Diaspora
Source: BELKA

Orbán Government insults President-Elect Joe Biden and his family

Hungary is a small country and now the Orbán government has picked a fight with Joe Biden. In a decade Viktor Orbán has transformed Hungary.  He commands blind trust from his officials, dissenting views are not tolerated.  Bellicose rhetoric is commonplace and his lieutenants are ready to pick a fight with anyone, at any moment, to “defend” Orbán. Speeches are […]

by · December 31, 2020 · Politics
Merry Christmas from the Hungarian Free Press

Merry Christmas from the Hungarian Free Press

They might have different shapes, different dough preparation, different filling ratios, different additional ingredients, different finishing touches… But at the end in all of these countries delicious Christmas poppy seed rolls are an indispensable part of the Christmas feast. Have a wonderful mákos bejgli. Happy Holidays.

by · December 25, 2020 · Culture
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.  A shared Nobel-prize for mRNA?

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. A shared Nobel-prize for mRNA?

I’m not a chemist but I wouldn’t be surprised if the next Nobel-prize in Chemistry would go to Hungarian-born Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the United States.  I had a chance to talk to several scientists who know a lot more about this subject than I do and they were all excited. Hungarians are somewhat fixated on the Nobel-prize.  […]

by · December 19, 2020 · Diaspora
Bela Kornitzer and Einstein

Bela Kornitzer – well connected biographer of the powerful and famous

As part of our series on lesser known Hungarian Americans we introduce Béla Kornitzer, the influential biographer and journalist. Béla Kornitzer was born in 1910 and as a young man he became a star newspaper reporter in Budapest.  When only in his twenties, he was already a respected Parliament reporter who befriended politicians, aristocrats and hobnobbed with the Hungarian elite. […]

by · December 12, 2020 · Diaspora