Hungary

Lore & Background

Before the establishment of the Hungarian state, the territory was settled by various groups, including Celts, Romans, Huns, Germanic peoples, Avars, and Slavs. Statehood began in the late ninth century with the Principality of Hungary, which became a medieval Christian kingdom under King Stephen I in 1000. After it was defeated by the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the kingdom was split into three regions for over 150 years until its reunion under Habsburg rule before the turn of the 18th century. Several uprisings against the Habsburgs precipitated the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in the Compromise of 1867; Austria-Hungary remained a European great power until World War I. Hungary's modern borders were then established by the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, which resulted in severe losses for the country, including 71% of its historical territory and the majority of its economy and population; a third of ethnic Hungarians were left outside the new borders. Hungary endured turmoil in the early interwar period, culminating in the national-conservative regime of regent Miklós Horthy. Hungary joined the Axis powers in World War II, suffering significant damage and casualties. After a brief Soviet occupation, the Hungarian People's Republic was established in 1949 as a satellite state inside the Warsaw Pact. Subsequent political repression and economic stagnation led to the unsuccessful Hungarian Revolution of 1956, though communist rule softened in the following decades. During the Revolutions of 1989, Hungary peacefully transitioned into a democratic parliamentary republic. It joined the European Union (EU) in 2004 and the Schengen Area in 2007. Under the leadership of Viktor Orbán and Fidesz from 2010 to 2026, the country experienced democratic backsliding.

In Their Own Story

The Danube mist clung to the city as St. Stephen's Basilica bells tolled across Pest, their sound bouncing off the neo-Gothic spires of the Parliament building piercing the grey sky. An old tram rattled over cobblestones polished smooth by centuries of footsteps, weaving past grand facades where Habsburg opulence met Ottoman echoes. Inside a cramped café near the riverbank, the scent of cinnamon-laced strudel battled with the sharp bite of strong coffee as locals debated history in a tongue that sounded like waves crashing against stone—a language that had outlived empires and redrawn borders, whispering secrets of a people who refused to be erased.

Reader's Guide

Hungary is a high-income economy with universal health care and tuition-free tertiary education. It has a long history of significant contributions to arts, music, literature, sports, and science and technology. As a popular tourist destination in Europe, Hungary had 24.5 million international visitors in 2019. Hungary is a member of numerous international organizations, including the Council of Europe, EU, NATO, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Visegrád Group.

Did You Know?

• The 'H' in Hungary likely derives from historical associations with the Huns.
• The Hungarian endonym Magyarország means 'country of the Magyars'.
• Hungary's modern borders were set by the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, which cost the country 71% of its historical territory.
• Hungarian is among the few languages in Europe outside the Indo-European family.