Hungary is a beautiful ,beautiful country .By consensus –Budapest is considered to the most beautiful city in the world .But it will appear to be more beautiful if you know some basics of its history and geography .It is a Central European country ,and has flatlands ,the great Danube river and ranges of the Carparthian Mountains .It was a part of the Austro -Hungarian Empire ruled by monarchs headquartered in Vienna .After the first world war –3 Empires disappeared –the Russian Empire ,the Austro Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman empire . Many new countries (nation states ) swere created out of them.Out of the Austro Hungarian Empire –one was Hungary(1920) .
During World War II, was a member of the Axis powers( meaning a part of Germany ,Italy and Japan )fighting with the allies ( Britain ,France and Russia ,USA). In 1941, Hungarian forces participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia and the invasion of the Soviet Union.
While waging war against the Soviet Union, Hungary engaged in armistice negotiations with the United States and the United Kingdom. Hitler discovered this betrayal and, in March 1944, German forces occupied Hungary. When Soviet forces began threatening Hungary, an armistice was signed between Hungary and the USSR by Regent Miklós Horthy. Hungarian fascist leader Ferenc Szálasi established a new government, with German backing. In 1945, Hungarian and German forces in Hungary were defeated by invading Soviet armies.
Approximately 3 LAKH Hungarian soldiers and more than 6 LAKH civilians died during World War II, including among them at least 4.5 Jews and 28,000 Roma. Many cities were damaged, most notably the capital of Budapest.
From the start of the German occupation of Hungary in 1944, Jews and Roma were deported to the AUSCHWITZ concentration camp.( While I was in Budapest ,friend and fellow Principal DPS Gurgaon, Aditi Misra , was visiting Auschwitiz Camp in Poland .Like me –she is teacher /student of History )
By nation, the greatest number of Auschwitz's Jewish victims were from Hungary, accounting for 438,000 deaths, followed by Polish Jews (300,000 deaths), French (69,000), Dutch (60,000), and Greek (55,000).The Nazi and Axis powers were defeated – but the country fell into the hands of the Soviet Block (like all of Eastern Europe which the Russians help “liberate” , by defeating the Germans .)
We descended on to the beautiful city of Budapest with this historical knowledge in mind .The above description is very very brief and sketchy –for example I have not mentioned how the Nazi bombed the bridges over the Danube and how the city was bombed because of the allies and axis power trying to control it .But you should read about it before you enter the city .Nearly 60 percent of the city was destroyed .But they restored it .If you can rise from the rubble –then you must be great
You will soon realize that Hungary was ruled by the Austro Hungarian Monarch, then by the Fascist nominated rulers ,and then by the Communists .One of the most interesting buildings in Budapest is the House of Terror ( read my snippet with the photo).With the downfall of the Communist Regime in USSR in the 1990s ,Hungary came into its own .It is a city of the great footballer Puscas ,the tennis great Istvan Gulyas ( a rival of our own tennis great Ramanathan Krishnan, and Rubec who is the maker of the Rubec Cube( he is still very active -my attempts to meet him failed ).
It’s a beautiful city .It is divided by the Danube river into 2 parts –Buda and Pest .Buda is where the hill is ,and which has the rich hanging around in neat beautiful hill perched bungalows .It has some amazing old architecture ( the Mattias Church for one ).
Pest is the happening and real Budapest .It is full of cafes ,night clubs ,concerts ,tree lined shopping centres ( Andrassy Avenue).It is full of cheap and excellent restaurants ( lot of Turkish and middle eastern ones ).Beer is as cheap as water (I don’t think they ever drink hard liquor like whiskey ).The women are very pretty ,the men appear strong and resilient .There are 21 Universities in a city which has a population of only 17 laks .Dogs are allowed free in buses ,trams ,metros and restaurants .Its a fabulous city .More of it in my next blog .
During World War II, was a member of the Axis powers( meaning a part of Germany ,Italy and Japan )fighting with the allies ( Britain ,France and Russia ,USA). In 1941, Hungarian forces participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia and the invasion of the Soviet Union.
While waging war against the Soviet Union, Hungary engaged in armistice negotiations with the United States and the United Kingdom. Hitler discovered this betrayal and, in March 1944, German forces occupied Hungary. When Soviet forces began threatening Hungary, an armistice was signed between Hungary and the USSR by Regent Miklós Horthy. Hungarian fascist leader Ferenc Szálasi established a new government, with German backing. In 1945, Hungarian and German forces in Hungary were defeated by invading Soviet armies.
Approximately 3 LAKH Hungarian soldiers and more than 6 LAKH civilians died during World War II, including among them at least 4.5 Jews and 28,000 Roma. Many cities were damaged, most notably the capital of Budapest.
From the start of the German occupation of Hungary in 1944, Jews and Roma were deported to the AUSCHWITZ concentration camp.( While I was in Budapest ,friend and fellow Principal DPS Gurgaon, Aditi Misra , was visiting Auschwitiz Camp in Poland .Like me –she is teacher /student of History )
By nation, the greatest number of Auschwitz's Jewish victims were from Hungary, accounting for 438,000 deaths, followed by Polish Jews (300,000 deaths), French (69,000), Dutch (60,000), and Greek (55,000).The Nazi and Axis powers were defeated – but the country fell into the hands of the Soviet Block (like all of Eastern Europe which the Russians help “liberate” , by defeating the Germans .)
We descended on to the beautiful city of Budapest with this historical knowledge in mind .The above description is very very brief and sketchy –for example I have not mentioned how the Nazi bombed the bridges over the Danube and how the city was bombed because of the allies and axis power trying to control it .But you should read about it before you enter the city .Nearly 60 percent of the city was destroyed .But they restored it .If you can rise from the rubble –then you must be great
You will soon realize that Hungary was ruled by the Austro Hungarian Monarch, then by the Fascist nominated rulers ,and then by the Communists .One of the most interesting buildings in Budapest is the House of Terror ( read my snippet with the photo).With the downfall of the Communist Regime in USSR in the 1990s ,Hungary came into its own .It is a city of the great footballer Puscas ,the tennis great Istvan Gulyas ( a rival of our own tennis great Ramanathan Krishnan, and Rubec who is the maker of the Rubec Cube( he is still very active -my attempts to meet him failed ).
It’s a beautiful city .It is divided by the Danube river into 2 parts –Buda and Pest .Buda is where the hill is ,and which has the rich hanging around in neat beautiful hill perched bungalows .It has some amazing old architecture ( the Mattias Church for one ).
Pest is the happening and real Budapest .It is full of cafes ,night clubs ,concerts ,tree lined shopping centres ( Andrassy Avenue).It is full of cheap and excellent restaurants ( lot of Turkish and middle eastern ones ).Beer is as cheap as water (I don’t think they ever drink hard liquor like whiskey ).The women are very pretty ,the men appear strong and resilient .There are 21 Universities in a city which has a population of only 17 laks .Dogs are allowed free in buses ,trams ,metros and restaurants .Its a fabulous city .More of it in my next blog .
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