Hungary, officially known as Magyarország, is a landlocked country located in central Europe, with Budapest serving as its capital.
Following the conclusion of World War I, Hungary, in its defeat, experienced a significant territorial loss of 71 percent due to the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. Coping with the aftermath, Hungarians grappled with the impact of losing more than two-thirds of their territory and population, leading to what became known as the “Trianon Syndrome.” This collective psyche, characterized by a longing for a past perceived as greater than the present, was prevalent prior to 1945, suppressed during Soviet domination (1945–90), and resurfaced in a different form after gaining independence in 1990. Present-day Hungary appears divided between those who remain concerned about Trianon and those who wish to move past it, a division evident in various aspects of Hungarian political, social, and cultural life.
Hungarians, identifying their country as the “Land of Magyars,” are distinct among European nations in that their language is not related to any other major European language. Surrounded linguistically by foreign nations, Hungarians historically felt a sense of isolation. This circumstance may explain their affinity for Latin after Christianization, as Latin became the language of culture, scholarship, state administration, and even the Hungarian nobility until 1844.
