Hungary [antikvár]

so, why this legend of Martian origin of Hungarian geniuses was formed in Fermi-team? Is it merely because of their scientific achievement? Or, because of other mysteries about Hungarians? Or, because - as the saying goes - Hungarians were created by God to sit on horseback. Perhaps, because Béln Bartók's music in his own time was considered extra-terrestrial by many? Or, because of the Hungarian language, which does not resemble any otlier world language and sounds so strange? Possibly because Hollywood's dream factories were pardy built by Hungarian producers, directors, writers and cameramen? So, who are these Hungarians? We cannot quite answer it ourselves, although, it seems certain our ancestors departed from somewhere in Asia, beyond the Ural Mountains. Some distant relatives of ours still live there and we are linguistically related also to the Finnish and Estonian people who setded in Northern Europe.With regard to Hungary's locarion, this place is generally defmed as Eastern-Central Europe. In fact, Hungary has never been part of either Eastern or Western Europe: our country is situated in the centre of the continent, in the Eastern part of Central Europe; this is the Carpathian Basin. Central Europe is more than a geographical concept for the population of this region In many respects it is the site of our common history, common destiny, making for similarity of culture and habits, even a so-called Central European identity.This small nation is one of the great survivors of history: states and empires emerged, expanded, others disintegrated all around us. Hungary and the Hungarian nation survived the devastation of the Tartars and Turks, Hapsburgs and Russians in the Carpathian Basin, we survived even though we were among the losers of both World Wars, we recovered after the occupadon by the German army at the end of World War II, having lost two hundred thousand Hungarians on the Russian front on the side of Germany. Afterwards, our country was liberated by the Soviet Army, that in turn settled here as an occupying force for 46 years. Did you know that one of the centres of the Renaissance was in Hungary in the 15th century? That Hungarian statehood, together with^Hungarian Christianity is also 1,000 years old? That after 1945, the first large-scale revolution against communism broke out in Hungary? That after 1956, the first reforms of a so-called 'sociahst economy', were attempted here? That the Iron Curtain was first dismantled on the Western frontier of Hungary with Austria? That the Hungarian Government had been the one to allow East-German refugees to leave our country, with which, the recent history of German unification had begun? That utilizing the 'Gorbachew phenomenon' the opposition, society and the 'reform Communists' could compel the Communist Party, voluntarily, to give up its monopoly on power.Looking back beyond the events of the recent past, we could narrate the 'adventures' of the Hungarian Crown: in the course of its thousand year history, several times this treasure was stolen, or buried in the ground. Once the crown was hidden in a velvet cushion and this way was transported out of theMatthias (country. After World War II, the Crown travelled to America; since 1978 -much to the delight of all Hungarians - it has been on display in the Hungarian National Museum.After this short lesson in history let us get back to the present. We would like to acquaint you with the contemporary Hungarian economy, with our achievements as well as with our problems.