Hungary’s turbulent history is characterized by a succession of foreign occupations. The Carpathian Basin, in which Hungary lies, was settled by Celtic tribes in the third century BC. Shortly after the beginning of the Christian era, Roman armies conquered the area and established the province of Pannonia, with Aquincum (Budapest) as the local capital. The Romans remained in control until 451, when a band of Huns ousted them. (Interestingly, there is no relation between the words “Hun” and “Hungary”, and none between ethnic Huns and the Hungarians, who are of Magyar descent.) Toward the end of the eighth century, a group of Magyar tribes arrived from somewhere near the Ural Mountains. Having established themselves in the area, they raided much of Europe until the Germans stopped them in 955. Defeat forced the Magyars into an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, and shortly thereafter they converted to Christianity.
The Hungarian state was born on Christmas Day in 1000, when King Stephen I, now Hungary’s patron saint, was crowned at Esztergom. In 1241, Mongolian Tatars invaded, ravaging the country and wiping out nearly one-third of its population. As the young nation rebuilt itself, it strengthened ties with Germany, gradually blossoming into one of the great medieval powers. Cultural life flourished under King Matthias (1458-1490); it was during this period that the majestic palaces at Buda and Visegrád were constructed. Power struggles after Matthias’ death weakened the monarchy, and when the Ottoman Turks swept through in 1526, Hungary was no match. By 1541, the Turks had occupied Buda (the capital), and Hungary was divided into three parts: the Austrian Hapsburgs controlled the west, the Ottomans occupied the central portion, and the eastern section, Transylvania, survived as a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire.
By the late seventeenth century, Hungarian resistance to the Turks was growing, and with the help of Austria, Hungary expelled the Ottomans in 1699. The Turks’ retreat left a vacancy that the Hapsburgs lost no time in filling. Hungary was now completely under Austrian domination. A period of “enlightened absolutism” followed, and the economy and local culture blossomed once more. In 1848, a year of revolutions all over Europe, the Hungarians announced their independence. Austria rapidly crushed the rebellion, but increasing Hungarian nationalism could not be ignored, and in 1867 a compromise was negotiated, creating a dual monarchy. The two sides entered World War I as an ally of Germany and suffered disastrous results. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved in 1918. Hungary became independent, but the 1920 Treaty of Trianon drawn up by the Allies drastically reduced its size and redrew its borders. As a result, many ethnic Hungarians now live in Romania, Slovakia and other neighboring countries. When World War II erupted, Hungary again entered as a German ally. The Nazis occupied the country 1944; Soviet troops liberated Hungary the following year, ushering in more than four decades of Communist rule. An uprising in 1956 failed to oust the Soviets, but gradual economic reforms began to move the nation toward democracy. In 1990, the Soviets voluntarily relinquished their power, and upon their departure a multiparty democracy was formed. In 1999, Hungary became a member of NATO.
Despite its constant domination by foreign powers, Hungary has retained vibrant folk traditions–in fact, it has one of the richest folk cultures in Europe. Folk tunes have found their way into the music of several of the country’s classical composers. The great Romantic composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) described himself as part Gypsy, and echoes of Gypsy music permeate his Hungarian Rhapsodies. Béla Bartók (1881-1945) and Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) traveled through the country studying folk music, which they incorporated into their compositions. Other folk arts, especially wood carvings, architecture, and pottery, thrive in rural communities.
The cultural heart of the country lies in Budapest, home to nearly one-fifth of the national population and the proper starting point for all visitors to Hungary. Centuries-old Turkish baths brush up against the Hapsburg legacy of grand turn-of-the-century baroque architecture, dusty with age but still standing proudly. Be sure to join the city residents who still frequent the extravagant 19th-century coffeehouses decorated with marble tabletops, stucco ceilings and gilded mirrors. Budapest’s biggest landmark, high on a hill overlooking the Danube, is Buda Castle. What was once a residence for kings now hosts a history museum and art gallery. The spot is also a perfect vantage point to survey the low plain of Pest, the capital’s more commercial half, and follow the progress of the country’s latest foreign influence, the transition to capitalism.