Buda 1493
The lecture will tell the story of renaissance Buda and the Kingdom of Hungary that welcomed the Brussels-born Habsburg princess, the future Mary of Hungary, in its full glory, when she married Hungarian king Louis II. Mary forged a strong bond between today’s Belgium and Hungary eventually leading to the participation of Flemish and Walloon troops in the Buda siège and the creation of Buda bridge in Brussels centuries later.
Mary of Hungary and Louis II.
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Gabriella Wittlinger
Gabriella Wittlinger holds a Master's degree in History and a Master's degree in Teaching from the University of Szeged. Afterwards she worked in the competitive sector at Erste Bank and later at K&H Bank. She moved abroad for her husband's job, first to London and then to Brussels. This is where she had her children and where, in 2017, she set up the Borderless History project (Határtalan Történelem), teaching history and running activities for Hungarian children abroad, regardless of borders. She also organises cultural events and is the author and editor of the forthcoming publication on Belgian-Hungarian historical relations by the Liszt Institute Brussels.
Brussels is also the seat of History without Borders and of Gabriella's life.
Brussels' streets are full of history. From its Roman beginnings, to the medieval city walls that pop up in the most unexpected places, such as inside of the building of the Liszt Institute Brussels, to the stumbling blocks of 20th century memories that can be found in the doorways of houses. Belgium is a country that, because of its specific past, is part of the history of many European countries.
Besides the more famous Spanish and French, it is also part of Hungary. In this lecture, Gabriella will talk about this relationship and a piece of their common history, in relation to the 16th and 17th centuries. To highlight the rich and varied relationship between the two regions in these two centuries. To show the role played by Maria Habsburg in its development and the link between a 20th century industrial bridge in Belgium and a decisive battle in Hungarian history in the 17th century.
