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Often described as the "Little Paris of pation in the Second World War on the message to the Communist authorities.
Middle Europe' Budapest is famous Axis side, Hungary was occupied by the The original icon suffered damage in
not only for its variety of grand archi- USSR and became a communist state. A 1430 when robbers ransacked the mon-
tecture of civic and other buildings and liberal reform movement was crushed astery. They broke the wooden boards
its monuments reflecting its own 1,000 by Soviet troops in 1956 and the com- that backed the painting and slashed
years of history but also for its abundant munist system continued until 1989. the canvas. The Virgin's face and neck
natural springs that are much used by its The official language of Hungary, were ripped. About three years later
population and an increasing number of spoken also by people in Romania, is the image was wiped from the canvas
visitors. The city was formed in 1873 by a Finno-Ugric language and is the only and a similar image painted in its place.
the union of the hilly city of Buda on the major language of the Ugric branch. The original sharp features of Orthodox
right bank of the River Danube with the Also called Magyar, the origin is from icons were softened by European hues
low-lying city of Pest on the left, together medieval Latin Hungari, a name given and techniques; the nose was made
with Obuda, or Old Buda, existing from to the Hungarians, who call themselves more aquiline. The distinctive tears the
Roman times. the Magyar+an. Madonna seems to shed are actually
It has held the title 'City of Spas' since lines painted to represent the rips made
1934 with more thermal and medicinal In Budapest two important church- by the thieves' knives, say the histori-
water springs than any other capital es are Saint Matthias Church and St ans. The marks are visible in the strik-
city in the world providing over 70 mil- Stephen's Basilica. The latter is dedicat- ingly beautiful replica that is placed in
lion litres of thermal water a day. The ed to the martyred patron and founder St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest.
temperatures of waters vary between 21 of the Hungarian state whose great In 2016 the Harry Houdini House
and 78 celsius. The grandiose decor and influence introduced Christianity to museum was opened that is unique in
services of the baths add to their great Hungary. The church was consecrated Europe. Born as Ehrich Weisz (1874-
prestige and reputation for promoting in 1905 and the following year Em- 1926), he was the son of a poor Jewish
wellness and health. There are also sev- peror Franz Joseph laid the final stone. family in Budapest whose father was
eral public hammans and saunas situ- The basilica went under renovation a rabbi. The family left for the United
ated throughout the city. between 1983 and 2003 embellishing States when he was four years old. The
Budapest thermal waters were en- its mix of neo-classical and neo-ren- museum traces his life and exploits
joyed by the Romans as early as the sec- aissance style of architecture, statuary, to escape from all kinds of bonds and
ond century but it was only during the murals, paintings, stain glass windows containers, from prison cells to aeri-
Turkish occupation of Hungary in the and other decorative and unique reli- ally suspended straitjackets. It features
sixteenth century that the bath culture quary treasures. films, talks and magic shows. The Jew-
really began to flourish. Today there are St Stephen's Basilica Black Madonna ish district of Budapest tells its story
fifteen public thermal baths in Budapest Chapel displays an icon type painting through its synagogues and other insti-
while some luxury city hotels have their on wood by a Hungarian artist that is tutions that bear witness to the ravages
own thermal facilities. The wellness and said to be a replica of Poland's most of WW2.
therapeutic benefits also serve to treat a revered icon in the Monastery of Cze- There are many famous buildings
number of ailments based on authorised stochowa. The original painting has and places of historical interest reflect-
medical prescriptions. more mystery than history. While art ing the different periods of earlier and
scholars and historians disagree with more recent times. Budapest is a thriv-
Hungary: Past and Present the legend surrounding the icon it is ing and lively metropolis increasingly
It is a country in central Europe whose much revered and credited with many attractive to visitors worldwide.
Hungarian name is Magyarorszag. It miracles of events and cures. The na-
was conquered by the Habsburgs in tional and religious connections are ex- Note: Acknowledgement is given to
the seventeenth century becoming an tensive. In the early 1980s when leading sources used in this text. It follows a
equal partner in the Austro-Hungarian the outlawed Polish Solidarity move- brief visit to Budapest, November 2017,
Empire in 1867. Following the collapse ment, Lech Walesa placed an Our Lady and a published text titled Irish Madon-
of the empire in 1918 Hungary became of Czestochowa lapel pin on his jacket na in Hungary: Bishop Walter Lynch of
an independent kingdom. After partici- as a symbol of a defiant and subversive Clonfert, by Ita Marguet, August 2016.

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT - DIVA 27