Magyar News, 2002. szeptember-2003. augusztus (13. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2002-10-01 / 2. szám
age to the structure in 1854, and reconstruction brought about major changes in the condition of the Castle. Scientific restoration was begun in 1907, but was never completed. Now, the drawbridge has been replaced by a wooden footbridge, and some of the halls house a museum. But the iron and steel works of the town pollute the air and cover Vajdahunyad Castle with soot, and the encircling railroad tracks of the foundry spoil the medieval atmosphere. When you visit Budapest, and see Vajdahunyad Castle, remember that it's only a copy, a reminder of a much larger edifice that had its share in the glory days of Hungarian history. Above: The inner court of the original Vajdahunyad Castle. Right: An engraving of János Hunyadi fighting the Turks, behind him is Franciscan John Capistrano there. ("Nyebojsza" means "hands off!" in Serbian.) A narrow passageway connected it with the Kapisztrán Tower, which offered complete safety in case of attack. The Kapisztrán Tower is named after the Franciscan John Capistrano, Hunyadi's confessor who, at the Pope's request, preached a crusade against the Turks advancing toward Europe through the Balkans. Only Hungarian peasants and students rallied around Hunyadi and Capistrano. Aid promised from the West never arrived (sounds familiar, doesn't it?). So it was that János Hunyadi and John Capistrano faced a Turkish army that outnumbered them seven to one. However, backed by the prayers of all Christendom, Hunyadi and Capistrano defeated the Turks at Nándorfehérvár in 1456. Both of them succumbed to the plague that broke out after the victorious battle, caused by the great number of unburied corpses. Hunyadi died in July, while; Capistrano died on October 23rd, 1456. (Interestingly; enough, the Hungarian Revolution broke out 500 years to the day after Capistrano's death!) Hunyadi's widow, Erzsébet Szilágyi, continued construction. The Renaissance "Matthias loggia" facing the courtyard on the northern side dates from this time. The other son of János Hunyadi, King Mátyás (Matthias), the great Renaissance king, had adorned the walls of the loggia with frescoes, but these were destroyed in the course of time. In the 17th century, Gábor Bethlen, Prince of Transylvania, added two stories to the southern wing, and one story to the northern wing. He vaulted over some of the interior rooms. The architectural changes of this period added Baroque elements to Vajdahunyad Castle. A great fire caused considerable damHOLD ON 10 YOUR CHAIR! This snap-shot was taken of a wall painting in an orthodox (Rumanian) church in Transylvania, now under Rumanian rule. It depicts Hungarians in their boots, and wearing typical Hungarian clothing, beating up Jesus Christ. The Rumanians standing around in their white clothing and wearing moccasins with straps. The text underneath tells the same story. Similar church paintings could be found at other orthodox churches throughout Rumania. They have the audacity to do this about the Hungarian people who saved Christianity in Europe against the Tartars and later against the invading Turks. The Hungarians were the ones who gave their blood and lives while the Rumanians - as they say - didn’t raise a finger. They must be insane to falsify history and to generate hate against other people, and still claim to be Christians. It is sacrilege against their own churches. Page 3
