23 May 2026 | 1:00 PM
Architectural Values of the Fiumei Road Graveyard – The Mausoleums and the Arcades
The most spectacular architectural landmarks of the Fiumei Road Cemetery are its grand mausoleums and double arcades. Within the framework of the National Pedagogy of Memory Programme, these key attractions are presented to every student group visiting the Fiumei Road Graveyard National Memorial. During the walk, visitors will learn about the lives and legacies of those resting here, as the gates of the Batthyány, Deák, Kossuth, and Ganz mausoleums—usually closed to the public—will be opened.
A unique feature of this programme, prepared specifically for WDEC, is that the tour offers extensive art-historical and architectural insight into the buildings’ symbolism, structural elements, and stylistic features. The walk concludes among the family memorials of the double arcades, which evoke an Italianate atmosphere and were crafted in some of the most renowned stonemasonry workshops of the era.
Details and registration: www.fiumeiutisirkert.nori.gov.hu
29 May 2026 | 3:00 PM
Immortal Art – A Sculpture Walk in the Fiumei Road Graveyard
Strolling through the cemetery feels like wandering through an extraordinary open-air sculpture park, featuring works by some of Hungary’s most celebrated sculptors, including János Fadrusz, György Zala, Miklós Ligeti, and Jenő Bory. Statues often tell stories and possess histories of their own, many of which will be explored during the tour.
We will visit the resting place of Miklós Izsó and commemorate the double anniversary of Alajos Stróbl, born 170 years ago and deceased 100 years ago, a central figure in the artistic life of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Numerous works by Stróbl can be found throughout the cemetery, including the sculptural elements of the Kossuth Mausoleum, the memorial to János Arany, the granite lion of Dezső Szilágyi, and Hungary’s first surviving equestrian statue.
Hungarian Sculpture Day (29 May), marking the anniversary of Miklós Izsó’s death, falls during WDEC week. To celebrate the occasion, we are organising this special walk in the Fiumei Road Graveyard for the first time.
Details and registration: www.fiumeiutisirkert.nori.gov.hu
30 May 2026 | 10:00 AM
Informal ‘Conversation’ with Literary Historian Ágnes Széchenyi – A Literary Walk
In the spirit of scholarly outreach and to mark the occasion of WDEC, we have invited a renowned Hungarian scholar to lead a guided walk. Professor Ágnes Széchenyi is a prominent figure in contemporary literary studies and an expert on Hungary’s legendary literary journal Nyugat (1908–1944).
Walking among the graves of the writers published in Nyugat, the Professor will bring to life the careers, relationships, debates, and rivalries of the journal’s founders and successive generations. The graves scattered throughout the cemetery truly speak to us only when we attempt to weave the lives and works of those resting beneath the stone and bronze into a single narrative.
This walk will be an unconventional literature lesson, featuring fewer dry facts and many fascinating stories. We will remember, among others, Endre Ady, Mihály Babits, Zsigmond Móricz, Lajos Nagy, Aladár Schöpflin, Attila József, and Miklós Radnóti.
Details and registration: www.fiumeiutisirkert.nori.gov.hu
