History of the Hungarians

In the very first special episode of History of the Hungarians, we take a look at the 2026 election, how we got here, and why they were so important.Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungarians The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Today, we reach the year 1222 – and the Golden Bull. Facedwith opposition, internal strife, and mounting pressure from his most loyal supporters, King András II is forced to issue a document that would become the basis of Hungary’s feudal development for centuries to come. It became a foundational document for the development of Hungarian Law, to the point that the justices of the constitutional court wear its insignia today. So come, join us today, as we discuss the Golden Bull, the circumstances of its birth, and how it influenced one of the more unique aspects of the Hungarian nobility.Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungarians The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Send your questions for the Q&A to: historyofthehungarians@gmail.comToday’s topic is the first part of András II’s reign: a period characterized by the immense favor the king showed to his wife’s family. This favoritism would end in tragedy, when a group of leading Hungarian noblemen decided that Gertrude was the source of their problems. But what was it they thought the queen threatened? What was the great reorganization of the kingdom András II undertook, and what were the consequences? Join us as we begin this month-long tale of András II’s reign, full of twists, turns, and medieval politicking!Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungarians The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Often I heard the 12 th century be called Hungary’s forgotten century: it is skipped over entirely in public education, and even in my university course, I remember not much being said about it, unless you dug for it yourself. Meanwhile it is an important bridge between what was – Saint István’s kingdom, straddling the place between the feudal west and the imperial east – and what will be: an eventually powerful medieval kingdom. Come, join us as we take stock of this century, the economics, the foreign settlement, and even a shift that will become the driving force behind the internal conflicts of the next century…Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungariansThe song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Béla III’s reign is a pivotal time in the history of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom – he is the last king to rule the way Saint István intended, and the first to usher in some new practices. He was given the task of overseeing Hungary’s recovery from the conflicts of the decades prior, something he manages to the tune of being one of the richer crowned heads of Europe. Come, join us today as we examine the first decade and a half of Béla’s rule, and the state of the Hungarian kingdom under his leadership.Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungarians The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

István III may have triumphed over his uncles, but he is far from being in the clear. His father, Géza II created many issues, and Hungary had few friends to call on for help – all this coming down on István’s head. The young king’s reign would be filled with trying to extricate himself from these struggles. Let us see whether he manages to stabilize his kingdom, or will the newly minted power in Europe fall under the umbrella of the Byzantine Empire?Website: historyofthehungarians.comSupport us on BuyMeaCoffeehttps://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungariansFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungarians⁠The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Géza II’s reign is, in a way, a premature show of the strength the medieval Kingdom of Hungary would be able to wield one day. With the homefront secure, Géza threw himself into European power-politics, standing toe-to-toe with some of the greatest powers of his time. While initially successful, the king’s rashness to make enemies and maintain the fight would cause problems that would reverberate through a generation…Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungarians The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

By every metric of his own time, Béla the Blind should have been unfit to rule. And yet, it is his kingship that begins to heal the wounds of István II’s reign – even if that means brutal bloodletting and cutting out some parts first. Come, join us this week for a tale of an unlikely king, brutal vengeance, shrewd diplomacy, wars and usurpers! Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansSupport us at: https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungariansThe song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

The passing of King Kálmán provides us with an opportunity to stop, look back, and take in all the changes the 11th century had wrought. Today’s topic is going to be a little different than our usual tale of kings and usurpations: we will look at what can be gleamed about the shifts in society, culture, and religion that this first century of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary had experienced. How did the previously nomadicpeople take to being settled? How did the church gain all the influence and wealth it needed to fulfil its role? Did people really hate being married so much they sold themselves into slavery to get away from home? Join us, and findout the answer to all these questions.Website: historyofthehungarians.comCheck out our BuyMeaCoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthehungariansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungarians⁠The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

This week’s episode pauses the ongoing narrative a bitto take a look at a country that’s history is going to be inextricably tied to that of the medieval Hungarian state: the Kingdom of Croatia. We shall discuss the origins of the Croatian people, the effects of them living right on theborder of two empires, and a document that is an obvious forgery, but still manages to get almost everything that counts right. Come, join us and see how the Croatian and Hungarian kingdoms become joined under what would later be called: The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen.Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungarians⁠The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of JohannesBrahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

This week, we continue to follow the infighting amongst the early Árpádians, as generations shift, but old ambitions remain open. The story of Géza and Salamon is not as well-known even in Hungary, but it is a tale full of twists, turns, conniving nobles, and fits well into the international battle of their age. For the Investiture Controversy will shape the contest between the King and the Duke, as much as their personal ambitions will. Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungarians⁠The song heard in the intro and outro are parts of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

Peter Orseolo was the only foreign-born king of Hungary in the Árpádian period, and as such, the target of many attacks, deserved and otherwise. The chroniclers later on would have a vested interest in depicting him as one of the worst kings Hungary ever had – but his contemporaries rose against him in open revolt not once, but twice. In this week’s episode we do not simply discover Peter’s ill-fated reign, but I also sat down with the good folk from the History of Venice podcast, so that we may have a fuller understanding of Peter’s background, and how the circumstances influence the relationship between Hungary and Venice.Check out our friends at the History of Venice!Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansThe song heard in the intro and outro are parts ofJohannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged by Martin Schmeling.

The second season of our show begins with a deep-dive into the Kingdom’s reorganization under the reign of István I, better know internationally as Saint Stephan. The task before our protagonist is daunting: his newly formed Kingdom was, just a few short years ago, not much more than a patchwork of tribal lands, still somewhat nomadic in their lifestyle. Join us in exploring the steps István took to bring his kingdom in line with other, European states of their time, and also took care to establish its independence from the great powers all around.Website: historyofthehungarians.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579815072390Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofthehungariansThe song heard in the intro and outro are parts ofJohannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances no. 5, performed in G minor, arranged byMartin Schmeling.