Optional social programs – details and introduction
History of the Open-Air Festival
In the first half of the 20th century, large-scale open-air events and festivals based on various cultural values and traditions became increasingly popular in major cultural centres of Europe.
The success of programmes organized abroad urged representative of Hungarian intellectual life to launch similar festivals. One of the first summer theatres to be launched in Hungary was the Szeged Open-Air Festival that has been organized for more than seventy years now.
The idea was first proposed in 1926 by Gyula Juhász, a poet then living in Szeged. A number of renowned representatives of cultural and political life adopted the idea. The series of celebration programmes connected to the consecration of the Votive Church provided an opportunity to conduct a "public rehearsal" in the autumn of 1930. The superb acoustics of the church square surrounded by arcade appeared an excellent location for staging open air theatrical performances. The first performance - the Hungarian Passio - was presented on June 13, 1931. Since then, the performances of the open-air theatre have been the main success and attraction of each summer in Szeged. The success of the theatre came to an end with the second world war: the square became silent after the summer of 1939 for a period of 20 years.
The success story resumed on July 25, 1959. That night, the tunes László Hunyadi marked the beginning of the second scene of the Szeged Open-Air Festival which has continued ever since then. In 1994, a new auditorium was established for the Festival. The grandstand which had occupied the square throughout the year was replaced by a mobile auditorium for 4,000 spectators that can be removed after the Festival season is over. Sectors of the auditorium have been named after the European capitals that provided help for Szeged during the large flood of the Tisza in 1879 (London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Vienna), and also twin cities of Szeged (Darmstadt, Turku, Parma, Nice, Szabadka, Toledo, Odessa).
During the more than 40 years of its „new era", more than 3 million spectators have watched the 142 pieces of art performed on a total of 657 occasions.
The 25th anniversary of resuming the Szeged Open-Air Festival, the programme was awarded the „largest open-air theatre of the country" title, which it has preserved to date.
Ferenc Lehár: GIPSY LOVE
Light opera
Date: 4th July, 2009
GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR IN SZEGED BY BUS
Bus departure/arrival point and date:
- University of Szeged, József Attila Study and Information Centre (congress venue)
- 1st July, 2009 - 10.00 am
After a short walk our guests will have a typical Hungarian lunch in Fishermans Inn (Roosevelt Square).
Duration of the tour is approx. 3 hours.
Main Attractions:
Dom Square / National Pantheon / Votive Church
The Dom Square (Cathedral Square) is located just a stone's throw from the Heroes' Gate and is where you will discover many of the most significant landmarks, monuments and attractions within the whole of Szeged, and is also where a series of celebrations take place, including the yearly summer festival. With more than 80 different statues and carved reliefs, the National Pantheon dominates the Dom Square, while close by, the Romanesque-style Demetrius Tower is equally inspiring and can be found along the Dömötörtorony, which is the most historic of all the landmarks within Szeged and was once part of a 12th-century church. The neighbouring Votive Church is also worthy of a look and perhaps a photograph or two, with the twin towers of this mighty building adding great character to Szeged's skyline. Attractions of the Votive Church include a colossal organ with over 11,000 pipes, and a vast nave, filled with rather gaudy and elaborate decorations.
Széchenyi Square / Town Hall
The Széchenyi Square is the perfect place to begin sightseeing in Szeged and this public square is in fact so big, that it is more like a park. Many of the most notable tourist attractions in Szeged are to be found around Széchenyi Square and include the Neo-baroque town hall, an especially elegant building graced with a tall tower and beautifully tiled roof. The town hall dominates the Széchenyi Square, while close by are a number of statues of the Kubikosok (navvies) and also of István Széchenyi and Lajos Tisza, all of whom were responsible for regulating and controlling the city's river. On the northern side of the Széchenyi Square is you will find the Gróf Palace and the recently revamped public baths, with the magnificent Reök Palace lying to the south and along the Tisza Lajos street.
New Synagogue
Many visitors agree that one of the most imposing of all the landmarks in Szeged is the New Synagogue, which is famed for its Hungarian Art Nouveau appearance and located within the former Jewish quarter. Designed and built more than 100 years ago by Lipót Baumhorn, the New Synagogue is widely regarded as the most beautiful of all the country's Jewish buildings and synagogues. Stand outside and look upwards - you cannot fail but be impressed by the scale of the architecture, while inside, the many attractions scattered around the blue and gold decorated interior include an eye-catching cupola, which has been decorated with a mixture of flowers and stars. Close by, Szeged's Old Synagogue stands proudly along the Hajnóczy street and dates back to 1843.
GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR BY BUS TO BUDAPEST
Bus departure/arrival point and date:
- University of Szeged, József Attila Study and Information Centre (congress venue)
- 2nd July, 2009 - 8.30 am
Our guests will have buffet lunch during a Danube river boat trip at 14.00 pm.
Duration of the tour is approx. 9 hours.
Main Attractions:
Heroes Square
Heroes Square is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of a World Heritage site), next to City Park. It is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or Art Exhibition Museum) on the right. On the other side it faces Andrassy Avenue which has two buildings looking at the square - one is residential and the other one is the embassy of Serbia (former Yugoslavian embassy where Imre Nagy secured sanctuary in 1956).
The central site of the hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial (also known as Millennium Monument or Millenary Monument) with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history (see below). The construction of the memorial was started when the one thousandth anniversary was celebrated (in 1896), but it was finished only in 1929 and the square got its name then.
When the monument was originally constructed, Hungary was a part of the Austrian Empire and thus the last four spaces for statues on the left of the colonnade were reserved for members of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. From left to right these were: Ferdinand I (relief: Defense of the Castle at Eger); Charles III (relief: Eugene of Savoy defeats the Turks at Zenta), Maria Theresa (relief: The Hungarian Diet votes support "vitam et sanguinem") and Franz Joseph (relief: Franz Joseph crowned by Gyula Andrássy) The monument was damaged in World War II and when it was rebuilt the Habsburgs were replaced by the current figures.
On the 16th June 1989 a crowd of 250,000 gathered at the square for the historic reburial of Imre Nagy, who had been executed in June 1958.
Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue is an iconic street in Budapest, Hungary, linking Erzsébet tér ("Elizabeth Square") with Városliget (the "City Park"). Flanked by Eclectic Neo-renaissance palaces and houses featuring fine facades, staircases and interiors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002 (along with the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere and Városliget).
Hungarian State Opera House
The Hungarian State Opera House is a neo-Renaissance opera house located in central Pest, (a part of Budapest), in the 6th District (Terézváros) at Andrássy Avenue 22.
Designed by Miklós Ybl, a major figure of 19th century Hungarian architecture, the construction lasted from 1875 to 1884 and was funded by the city of Budapest and by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary. The Hungarian Royal Opera House (as it was known then) opened to the public on the September 27, 1884.
It is a richly-decorated building and is considered one of the architect's masterpieces. It was built in neo-Renaissance style, with elements of baroque. Ornamentation includes paintings and sculptures by leading figures of Hungarian art of the time including Bertalan Székely, Mór Than and Károly Lotz. Although in size and capacity it is not among the greatest, in beauty and the quality of acoustics the Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the first few opera houses in the world.
The auditorium holds 1261 seats. It is horseshoe shaped and - according to measurements done in the 1970s by a group of international engineers - has the 3rd best acoustics in Europe after the Scala in Milan and the Paris Opera House. Although many opera houses have been built since, the Budapest Opera House is still among the best in terms of the acoustics.
In front of the building are statues of Ferenc Erkel, composer of the Hungarian national anthem, and the first music director of the Opera House. He was also founder of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. The other statue is of Franz Liszt, the best known Hungarian composer.
Each year the season lasts from September to the end of June and besides opera performances the Opera House is home of the Hungarian National Ballet.
Many important artists were guests here including Gustav Mahler the composer who was director in Budapest from 1887 to 1891 and Otto Klemperer who was music director for three years from 1947 to 1950.
In the 1970s the state of the building prompted the Hungarian State to order a major renovation which eventually began in 1980 and lasted till 1984. The reopening was held exactly 100 years after the original opening, on the 27th of September 1984.
We will not enter just admire the building outwardly.
Hungarian Parliament Building
The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Kossuth Lajos Square, on the bank of the Danube, in Budapest. It is currently the largest building in Hungary, and the second largest Parliament in Europe.
Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the National Assembly resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. A competition was published, which was won by Imre Steindl, but the plans of the other two competitors were also realized, facing the Parliament: one serves today as the Ethnographical Museum, the other as the Ministry of Agriculture.
Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904. (The architect of the building went blind before its completion.) There were about one thousand people working on its construction in which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40 kg gold were used.
Similar to the Palace of Westminster, it was built in Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical facade and a central dome. It is 268 m long and 123 m wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms (including more than 200 offices). With its height of 96 m, it is one of the tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica. The number 96 refers to the nation's millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896.
The main façade faces the River Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square in front of the building. Inside and outside, there are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls. On the façade, statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders and famous military people are to be seen. Over the windows, there are pictures of coats of arms of kings and dukes. The main entrance is the stairs located on the eastern side, bordered by two lions.
Due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, The building is almost always under renovation.
During the Communist regime, the government added a large red star to the central steeple at the dome of the building, but after its downfall, the star was removed from the steeple.
We are not allowed to enter the building just to admire it outwardly.
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle.
Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, next to the old Castle District, which is famous about its medieval, Baroque and 19th century houses and public buildings. It is linked to Adam Clark Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular.
Buda Castle is part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, declared in 1987.
More information
Fisherman's Bastion
The Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Between 1947-48, the son of Frigyes Schulek, János Schulek, conducted the the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II.
From the towers and the terrace a panaromic view exists of Duna, Margaret Island, Pest to the east and the Gellért Hill.
Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896.
The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen which was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths.
A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church. The pedestal was made by Alajos Stróbl, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, in Neo-Romanesque style, with episodes illustrating the King's life.
Matthias Church
Matthias Church is a church located in Budapest, Hungary at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in 1015. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century.
Officially named as the Church of Our Lady, it has been popularly named after the greatest Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus, "Matthias the Just", known in Hungarian as Mátyás király, who ordered the construction of its original southern tower. In many respects, the 700 year history of the church serves as a symbol (or perhaps a reminder for Hungarians) of the city's rich, yet often tragic history. Not only was the church the scene of several coronations, including that of Charles IV in 1916 (the last Habsburg king), it was also the site for King Mátyás' two weddings (the first to Catherine of Podiebrad and, after her death, to Beatrice of Aragon).
Any Hungarian historian of note will tell you that the darkest period in the church's history was the century and a half of Turkish occupation. The vast majority of its ecclesiastical treasures were shipped to Pressburg (present day Bratislava) and following the capture of Buda in 1541 the church became the city's main mosque. To add insult to injury, ornate frescoes that previously adorned the walls of the building were whitewashed and interior furnishings stripped out.
The church was also a place of the so called Mary-wonder. In 1686 during the siege of Buda by the Holy League a wall of the church collapsed due to cannonfire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the scuplture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day.
Although following Turkish expulsion in 1686 an attempt was made to restore the church in the Baroque style, historical evidence shows that the work was largely unsatisfactory. It was not until the great architectural boom towards the end of the 19th century that the building regained much of its former splendour. The architect responsible for this work was Frigyes Schulek.
Not only was the church restored to its original 13th century plan but a number of early original Gothic elements were uncovered. By also adding new motifs of his own (such as the diamond pattern roof tiles and gargoyles laden spire) Schulek ensured that the work, when finished, would be highly controversial. Today however, Schulek's restoration provides visitors with one of the most prominent and characteristic features of Budapest's cityscape.
Inside, visitors tend to head straight for the Ecclesiastical Art museum which begins in the medieval crypt and leads up to the St. Stephen Chapel. The gallery contains a number of sacred relics and medieval stone carvings, along with replicas of the Hungarian royal crown and coronation jewels
Citadella
Citadella is the Hungarian word for Citadel, a kind of fortress. The word Citadella is exclusively used by other languages to address the Citadel located upon the top of the strategic Gellért Hill in Budapest, Hungary.
The fortress was built in 1851 by Julius Jacob von Haynau, a commander of the Habsburg Monarchy, and designed by Emánuel Zita and Ferenc Kasselik, after the revolution in 1848-1849. It occupies almost the entire 235 meters high plateau. The fortress is a U-shaped structure built about a central courtyard, being 220 meter long, 60 meters wide, and 4 meters tall. It had a complement of sixty canons.
Actually built by Hungarian forced labourers, it was finished in 1854. In June 1854 Austrian troops settled in the citadel. After the Compromise with the Habsburgs in 1867 the Hungarians demanded the destruction of the Citadel, but the garrison troops left only in 1897, when the main gate was symbolically damaged. It was not until late 1899 when the city took possession of the Citadel. A few months later, in 1900, the walls were demolished.
From the top of the Citadel, there is a panoramic view over the city, the Danube and its eight bridges.
On the plateau and nearby are other points of interest like the Liberty Statue, Hotel Gellért, the Gellért Baths and the Gellért Hill Cave.
Váci Street
Váci Street is one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares and perhaps the most famous street of central Budapest, Hungary. It features a large number of restaurants and fashion outlets catering primarily to the tourist market. The Lonely Planet says "It's tourist central, but the line of cafés and shops are worth seeing - at least once."
GIUDED TOUR BY BUS TO THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL MEMORIAL PARK
Bus departure/arrival point and date:
- University of Szeged, József Attila Study and Information Centre (congress venue)
- 3rd July, 2009 - 9.30 am
Our guests will have a special Hungarian "Gulyas" lunch.
Duration of the tour is approx. 5 hours.
The most beautiful and visited Hungarian National Historical Memorial Park is located near Szeged. You can find there the 120 metre long, 15 metre wide and 38 metre across circular panorama painting which recalls the events of history eleven hundred years ago. The moment is captured with the help of brush, paint and canvas, artistic skill and some imagined episodes of the conquest plus the imagination of spectators. Many contemporary artists helped Árpád Feszty with the two year task that lasted from 1892 to 1894. Landscapes are by László Mednyánszky and the battle scenes by Pál Vágó. You can also find there the traditional Hungarian architectures, an open air village of traditional Hungarian buildings, the Yurts and the famous Árpád Memorial. www.opusztaszer.hu
PLEASURE TRIP BY BOAT ON TISZA RIVER
Bus departure/arrival point and date:
- University of Szeged, József Attila Study and Information Centre (congress venue)
- 4th July, 2009 - 10.30 am
Our guests will have lunch during the river boat trip at Kiskőrössy Fishermans Inn down by the riverside.
Route of the boat trip: between Maros river mouth - Witch Island.
Duration of the tour is approx. 3 hours.
The Tisza is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It originates in Ukraine, with the White Tisza in the Chornohora and Black Tisza in the Gorgany range, flows partially along the Romanian border, enters Hungary at Tiszabecs, marks Slovak-Hungarian border, passes through Hungary, and falls into the Danube in central Vojvodina in Serbia. It forms the boundary between the regions of Bačka and Banat. The Tisza drains an area of about 157,186 km². Attila the Hun is said to have been buried under a diverted section of the river Tisza.
The river was known as the Tisia in antiquity, and Latin names for it included Tissus, Tisia, Pathissus (Pliny, Naturalis historia, 4.25). In Croatian language, it is called Tisa (Tisa flows through areas with Croat minority in autonomic province Vojvodina in northern Serbia). It may be referred to as the Theiss (German: Theiß) in older English references, after the German name for that river.
The length of the Tisza in Hungary used to be 1419 km. It flowed through the Great Hungarian Plain, which is one of the largest flat areas in central Europe and in 1879 destroyed Szeged, too. Since plains can cause a river to flow very slowly, the Tisza used to follow a path with many curves and turns, which led to many large floods in the area.
After several small-scale attempts, István Széchenyi organised the "control of the Tisza" which started on August 27, 1846 and substantially ended in 1880. The new length of the river in Hungary was 966 km, with 589 km of "dead channels" and 136 km of new riverbed.
The resultant length of the flood-protected river comprises 2,940 km (out of 4,220 km of all Hungarian protected rivers) which forms one of the largest flood protection systems in Europe; larger than the Netherlands 1,500 km, the Po River's 1,400 km, or the Loire Valley's 480 km.
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