Best of TUMAG

Empress Maria Theresia; Emperor Franz Joseph; the legendary, miserable Empress Elisabeth: These are just a few of the famous names connected to Vienna’s palaces. Close your eyes and picture said palaces for a few moments: I’m pretty sure that you’re seeing stately mansions, painted in dazzling white or sunny yellow. Thanks to the Habsburg dynasty, the city of Vienna has inherited an abundance of castles, which lure thousands of tourists into the city each day.

by Imre Bártfai

The museum features a tremendous amount of historical artifacts, related to the history of warfare. The 19^th century building was opened up to the public in 1869. Among the ones of defined the museum’s purpose was Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, who emphasized the importance to present Austria’s military glory in full splendor.

The terms ‘multi-talent’ or ‘polymath’ can be true for Annie Haslam in many ways. First of all, the albums she has made with the band Renaissance, her solo recordings and her shows represent her very high artistic approach. Moreover, as an extension of her music, Annie has become a painter. A very good and interesting painter. The term ‘intuitive’ describes well the unique style she has created. Apart from painting on canvas, she also paints musical instruments and her most recent stage dresses are her paintings printed on silk.

The classic albums of Renaissance, for instance, ‘Ashes are Burning’, ‘Turn of the Cards’ and ‘Scheherazade and Other Stories’ show what key factors made the band special among the art rock community. The influences of classical and folk music, an operatic five-octave voice, the crisp clear acoustic guitar and piano, the strong melodic bass sound and orchestral sounding drums all work well within the lush, grand arrangements, and are the main factors which have made the sound of Renaissance unique. The cherry on the top was Annie Haslam’s five-octave vocal range, whose clean bell-like tones were similar to Joan Baez and the early Joni Mitchell.

Her book, ‘Forward: My Life With and Without Boney M.’ came out four weeks ago and getting rave reviews in the media and on the internet. While the first part of our conversation focuses on her Boney M. life, her later years are as interesting as the years of big successes. This is where we continue.

Interview with Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen

“We need culture to know where we came from”, says her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen. “At a time when society is complaining, is frustrated and not making the best of what we have, there we need culture. The cultural field enables us to build up dialogues better and faster than administrations can.”

Interjú Ő császári felségével Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen Osztrák és Toscanai főhercegnővel

– Szükségünk van a kultúrára ahhoz, hogy tudjuk, honnan jöttünk – mondja Ő császári felsége Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen Osztrák és Toscanai főhercegnő. 

A Habsburg ház leszármazottja, akinek vérvonala egészen a Szent Római Császárság uralkodóihoz, I. Ferenc császárhoz és Mária Terézia osztrák császárnőhöz vezethető vissza, azért választotta a kulturális területet a politikai szerepvállalás helyett, hogy a világ jobbá válásához hozzájáruljon.

How did 14^th February become the celebration of romantic love? Let us reveal some interesting stories which you might have not known about Valentine’s Day. Why do not we start where the story began?

The Hungarian Valentine’s Day: St. Andrew's Day (30 November)

Hands up who know the following traditions. The Hungarian traditional St. Andrew’s Day has some common aspects with Valentine’s Day. In Roman times, on 15 February, the feast of Lupercalia was celebrated and after Romans were converted to Christianity, the holiday was moved on 14 February and got the name, St. Valentine’s Day. The Roman girls drew the names of their future lovers from a clay jar (when Lupercalia was celebrated), Hungarian ones got to know their future husbands’ names from floating doughs.

Would you like to know who will marry you? Today it is possible – at least, according to some Hungarian customs.

It is a well-known fact that All Hallows Day is the celebration of remembrance and grace, and it was very important for the Celts as well. According to the traditions, the border which divides the living people and the world of death fades away these days. The spirits of our faithful departed return to the Earth in order to visit their relatives. Moreover, many Irish people have thought for long centuries that this is also the time when Fairies abandon their summer habitation and ride into the world of humans. The aim of my article is showing these mysteries whose center points are the supernatural.

Enjoy the wonderful videos!

"I have always been and I'm still a partisan of my homeland. It is what I die for..." - wrote Count Lajos Batthyány in his last letter. "Long live the homeland!" - said he right before his execution.

The older ones (and their descendants) living in Cinkota (it used to be a village, which now belongs to the 16th district of Budapest) must have heard much about the life of Countess Ilona Batthyány, the daughter of the executed Lajos Batthyány, which was full of struggle and sorrows. She used to be called and referred to quite simply: "the Countess".

We can see the black-eyes when somebody gets hit to the face. We can see the blood when somebody is injured. But we cannot see the heart which is "bleeding" emotionally. We do not see the wounds and scars in people's souls. That is what makes us blind and deaf to emotional abuse. If somebody abuses another human physically, we see that so we can act, but emotional abuse is much more dangerous because we do not always see the effects and we do not recognize that it is abuse.

2000 was the year when the ’classical’ line-up split up and six members went on and record three albums, the last of them ’Hope’ was released in 2005. Although the later years of the decade was the right time for starting solo careers, there were several special occasions when some members joined forces and performed together. The big comeback was announced at the end of last year and since then six of the original members have come together to revive the band. As surprise, they released a brand new album,’We Got Love’ in March 2017.

On that last evening before I left for England, the scientist accompanied me to the bus. I will never forget his face as he was standing there when I got on. The driver waved urgently but he was just standing there, stepping from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry but I love you", he said at last simply and quietly. The bus set off before I could have formed my thoughts into words: "I've been unable to love for a long time." But he understood it. I felt miserable.

Would you like to have an own natural water? Now you can buy one of the most stunningly beautiful backwaters of Hungary. It is unique that a backwater is in private property not only in the Carpathian Basin but also in Europe. The Szikrai Tisza Backwater, which is located on the Great Hungarian Plain, is directly connected with River Tisza (or Tisa), which is one of the main rivers of Central Europe and Hungary (the other one is River Danube). Tisza used to be called "the most Hungarian river" due to flowing entirely within the former Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.

While the home country of Neofolk is Central Europe, there is a unique formation from Navarra, Spain. It is called Elfenthal. Founded by the opera singer Maite Itoiz and his husband, John Kelly, who can be familiar from The Kelly Family. The elements of Celtic, Basque and Spanish folk, the Classical and Medieval music can also be heard in their music as well as the characterizations of rock and metal music. They have released two studio albums, a live double CD, and several DVDs so far. They have toured in Europe, contributed in other artists’ records, and taken part in different non-musical projects.

It is very easy to make these wonderful roses from silk ribbons, though a bit time-consuming. You do not need to be very good at sewing to be able to prepare them. I have been making more than a hundred silk rose napkin rings for my own wedding party. For me, it takes about 20-23 minutes to prepare one but you might be more effective than me :D See the picture gallery in the article.

“It’s a genteel and elegant house” – my landlady kept saying – “from which no woman leaves with naked lips”. When the postman came with her pension she signed her married name, always with a half-smile, and added: “Though this ‘Mrs’ is no longer applicable.” In warm summer nights she was sitting on the balcony for hours, looking at the Buda Hills, the sparkling lights of Rózsadomb, fairy-tale world of actors, politicians, millionaires - The world, in which she left a husband and a villa behind, at some unclear point of the past.

On the Hungarian literature lessons children read the letter collection of Kelemen Mikes, the faithful chamberlain fellow exile of Ferenc Rákóczi II then discuss these fictive (never sent) letters of Mikes, the “Hungarian Goethe”. We tend to feel sorry for Rákóczi and his fellow exiles because they could not return to our country. However, it could also be discussed from a different point of view. If Rákóczi had stayed in Hungary, he would have been executed by the Habsburgs. The Turkish treated him and his companions as heroes and the Prince could have his own “court” on the Turkish seaside.

In the recent years, we have started studying the Ottoman occupation of Hungary from a different point of view. It used to be believed by many that the Turkish did nearly nothing but destroyed and ruined our country, and the several good aspects of the 150-year period were left out from the discussion. The Habsburgs forced the Hungarians into battles against the Ottoman army in order to protect their own territories and occupy our country.

Her trademark is that special soft rock sound which used the elements of the Sunny Californian pop, chanson, with hints of country, Latin music and blues. The cherry on the top is her clean and yielding mezzo-soprano voice, which sounds warm and dreamy on her slow numbers and ballads. Anyway, it is also great to hear her edgy and raw rocky voice on the fast songs. Comparing to the contemporary artists, she overshadows them easily with her smooth and confident style.

Ajvar [ǎj.ʋaːr], which is originated in Serbian cuisine, is a chili pepper and aubergine cream. The ones who have already been to our Southern neighbours must have eaten this cream since Ćevapi (a type of skinless sausage) and Pljeskavica (a grilled dish of spiced meat) cannot be served without that. However, it also goes with roasted meat and sandwiches. It is not surprising since grilled meat can be perfectly combined with this superb vegetable cream. It goes without saying that we must make it.

She is known to love animals. During her film career, in 1962 she raised her voice against the unacceptable treatment committed against animals. Banning the seal calfskin trade was attributed also to her (among others). She has bumped heads with Sophia Loren because she (Sophia) was wearing and advertising fur coats. After announcing her retirement in 1973, she dedicated her life to animal protection. She was only 39 when she became fed up with being highlighted.

Magazine for Conscious People

Being conscious also means knowing that everything we do or say has consequences, that is, it has an effect on others, which may influence the well-being of the humankind and our Mother Earth. We strongly believe that we are responsible not only for ourselves but also for others, our planet and its creatures.