MaNDAHungarian National Digital Archive

Is it sacrilege that the first thing that comes to mind about the apostles is not twelve men but a restaurant in Budapest for many people? Maybe. The Apostles (Apostolok) restaurant and pub may be a profane place, but there was something sublime about it. Perhaps it was the pious apostles' faces above the dimly lit boxes that made you feel as if you had entered a chapel, where even the beer foamed in a solemn atmosphere. The first in our series (Legendary Restaurants) that is still in operation today, though a co-tenant with another legend, the Ice Buffet. 

“The tirelessly searching human mind that can never rest has found the method with which it can outsoar the light of the inaccessible “sun” that allows it to conjure fairy light from dark skies and created daylight from the night. And all these immortal achievements have been reached by electricity that has been peeked and riddled from the secrets of nature.” – Kiskunhalas, 1898. Our weekly exhibition is going to guide you into the world of the development history of lighting technology, with the aid of archive photos from our database. 

The various Reformed churches of Hungary—though differing in architectural style—share one defining feature: all were built after Emperor Joseph II’s Edict of Toleration (1781). This decree restored Protestants’ right to hold public office, granted freedom of religion, and once again permitted the construction of Protestant churches. In our latest selection, we invite you to explore some of the most beautiful Reformed churches in Hungary.

In the 19th century, musical works spoke not only through sound but also through images. This exhibition, drawn from the richly illustrated scores of the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum and Research Centre, offers a glimpse into an era when music and the visual arts went hand in hand—and when even a single printed sheet could be regarded as a work of art. In this virtual exhibition, we present some of the most beautiful examples from this unique collection to show that a musical score is not only a source of sound, but also a work of art in its own right.

As we are proceeding in autumn, the scenery puts on more and more red and pink shades, darkness starts earlier and mornings turn cooler and cooler. Pumpkins and gourds have already appeared on greengrocers’ stands, and flower seller old women offer asters and rosehips. Deciduous plants have started their annual purifying cure, getting rid of their leaves. Chestnuts are falling, which is excellent material for making amorphous toy horses.