The Participants of the 2023/24 Budapest Fellowship Program, in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca)
Between the 29th of January and the 2nd of February, fellows of the Budapest Fellowship Program took part in a study trip to Transylvania. During the 5-day trip, the fellows traveled to Turda salt mines, the underground formation that people created in a special natural environment, in the depths of Transylvania, digging into the salt deposited after the evaporation of the sea that covered the entire region.
Then the fellows visited Târgu Mures, the cultural capital of Szekler land, where one can find the Teleki-Bolyai Library, founded at the end of the 18th century by Count Samuel Teleki, chancellor of Transylvania, which contains a large collection of first editions and important manuscripts documenting Transylvanian history, giving the fellows the ability to learn about the Hungarian aspects of the city.
They then traveled to Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s second most populous city, and the most populous in the region of Transylvania. where they visited its historic city center, including the birthplace of King Matthias I. Corvinus, one of the greatest Hungarian kings as well as the Catholic Church of St Michael, built in Gothic style, which is the second largest church in Transylvania, as well as one of the main hubs of preserving Hungarian culture and identity in the city of Cluj.
The Hungary Foundation (HF) and Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) launched the Budapest Fellowship Program in 2020, which provides a unique opportunity for American professionals to get to know Hungary and Central Europe better. During the 10-month program, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Hungarian language, culture and history, which is essential for a realistic and objective presentation of our country.
