About 90 percent of the Hungarian people are Magyars, descendants of the Finno-Ugric and Turkish tribes who mingled with Slavic tribes in the 9th century.
The country's largest ethnic minorities are Roma (Gypsies), Germans, Slovaks, Croats, Serbs, and Romanians. A law passed in 1993 permits ethnic minorities to set up self-governing councils.
Hungarian, also called Magyar, is the official language of Hungary. Hungarian is a member of the Ugric branch of the Finno-Ugric languages. It has been influenced by a number of other languages, including Turkish, Slavic, German, Latin, and French. The ancient Magyars had a rich folk culture, which incorporated Eastern themes into its folktales, art, and music.
Following the Hungarian conversion to Christianity in the 10th century, pagan and Eastern cultural elements were replaced by Western cultural and social patterns, and Latin became the official and literary language. During the 15th century Italian artists and scholars introduced the humanistic Renaissance into Hungarian culture. In the 16th century Hungarian replaced Latin.
Because of the country's large number of tourists and the minimal utility of Hungarian in other parts of the world, most Hungarians learn to speak foreign languages. German is the most popular foreign language spoken in Hungary. During parts of the Communist period (1948-1989), when Hungary was under the influence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Hungarians were restricted to learning Russian as an additional language. In the 1990s many young people in Hungary began learning English.
Hungary is predominantly a Roman Catholic country with a large Protestant minority. During the Communist period, the government dissolved most religious orders and seized the properties of the monasteries. Those religious bodies that remained were controlled by the State Office for Church Affairs. About two-thirds of the current population is Roman Catholic and about one-quarter is Protestant, the chief Protestant groups being the Hungarian (Calvinist) Reformed church and the Hungarian Lutheran church. Hungary is predominantly a Roman Catholic country with a large Protestant minority. During the Communist period, the government dissolved most religious orders and seized the properties of the monasteries. Those religious bodies that remained were controlled by the State Office for Church Affairs. About two-thirds of the current population is Roman Catholic and about one-quarter is Protestant, the chief Protestant groups being the Hungarian (Calvinist) Reformed church and the Hungarian Lutheran church.
Even if you are not Hungarian, chances are that you are related to or know someone who is. An estimated five million people, who consider themselves Hungarian, live outside the country. Close to two million live in the United States and Canada, where another two or three million are descendants of Hungarians. For more than a hundred years Hungarians streamed out into the world, drawn by ambitions, pushed by wars, political persecution and economic disasters.
Hungarian emigrants happy to have found freedom and a chance for a fresh start, worked hard, studied, and quickly became good citizens. The receiving countries were happy with the newcomers who were eager to give of their talent and experience and help build their young adopted country. More than half a dozen earned Nobel prizes for their new country.
Life in America would probably be different without St. Louis Post-Dispatch publisher Joseph Pulitzer, Paramount Studios' founder Adolph Zukor, conductors Antal Dorati, George Solti and George Szell, actresses Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mariska Hargitay, actors Tony Curtis, Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi and comedian Ernie Kovacs, jazz man Gabor Szabo, football heroes Joe Namath, Larry Csonka and Don Shula, and financial giants Andrew Sarlos and George Soros, the philanthropist.
Although the composer, Bela Bartok did not become an American citizen, he spent the last year of his life in New York. Three famous physicists attended the same school in Budapest, went to America, helped to win the war and, for better or worse, changed history forever. Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner and Edward Teller are recognized for their work in the field of atomic and nuclear energy. John von Neumann was the father of modern computers. Elie Wiesel is the living conscience of our society. Andrew Grove (András Gróf) runs Intel. Let's not forget to thank Agoston Haraszthy for bringing over those wonderful vine shoots, the foundation of the California wine industry. Hungarian contribution to the development of America is extensive.
Wishing to be loyal citizens of their new country, some Hungarians changed their names and stopped speaking Hungarian at home to help their children adapt. Fortunately, you may meet a Susan Wood who speaks only English - but still has lingering childhood memories that tie her to Hungary and the Hungarian culture. Or, maybe while researching or putting together the family tree, you have discovered ancestors who came from Hungary.
Many second- and third-generation Hungarians have become famous in America. Actress Goldie Hawn, Academy Award winner, cameraman Vilmos Zsigmond, screen-play writer Joe Eszterhas, producer Andrew Vajna contributed their talent to the film industry. On the East Coast a number of famous politicians and businessmen have Hungarian family names. Why don't you come to Hungary this year, and get to know your ancestral land and learn about your roots first hand!