Under European skies. Excerpts from the 16th–19th century image of Hungary

Chamber exhibition by the staff of the Collection of Early Printed Books: visitors can explore the landscapes of the early modern Kingdom of Hungary with the help of selected journey reports by Western European travellers.

How were Ottoman prisoners tortured in the 17th century? What did the Ottoman conquerors graffitied on the walls of the sanctuary of the Matthias Church? What gave travellers migraines in the 18th century? How did an English naturalist like the wine of Eger? At what stage was the construction of the Chain Bridge in 1845? How was a snake that had wandered into a bath tranquilized? Polar bear against duck. But who will win? 

Through which texts did European travellers in the modern age get to know us, Hungarians and the nationalities living with us? What was the image of us and what awaited those who arrived in the Carpathian Basin?

All these questions will be answered under at the temporary exhibition entitled Under European skies. Excerpts from the 16th–19th century image of Hungary the European sky, which opens on 25 October 2021, organised by our library from the material of the Collection of Early Printed Books on the occasion of Hungary’s presidency of the Council of Europe.

With the help of travel accounts selected from the Hungarica collection of Count Sándor Apponyi, visitors can explore the lands of the early modern Kingdom of Hungary following the footsteps of Western European travellers, and they can take home their favourite travelling companions as homemade refrigerator magnets.

The exhibition is open free of charge between 26 October and 26 November 2021, during library opening hours.
Venue: National Széchényi Library, National Relic exhibition space