American Hungarian Library and Historical Society

08/20/2026

☕️ Today’s morning read:
🗞️

A ‘capacity for despair’ forged by political oppression has long been consider a Magyar national trait. But after Orbán, writers in the country remind us that melancholy must not always be bleak

07/08/2026

A glimpse inside “Theater of Painters”, currently on view at the Hungarian National Gallery. Tomorrow evening, artist András Böröcz joins art historian Veronika Molnár at the Hungarian Library for a conversation about the exhibition, his 1980s performance work with László László Révész, and the new bilingual catalogue, a copy of which he will donate to our collection.

See you tomorrow at 6 PM.

07/05/2026

A little preview from last week at the Library: András Böröcz, Veronika Molnár, and the Theater of Painters catalogue were all with us during our Breuer event.

Now, we’re excited to welcome András and Veronika back to the Library as our guests for a special evening this Thursday.

Join us July 9 at 6 PM for a conversation about Theater of Painters, featuring exhibition footage, performance documentation, and the bilingual exhibition catalogue.

See you at the Library!

06/29/2026

Join us on July 9 at 6PM for an evening with artist András Böröcz, in conversation with art historian Veronika Molnár about “Theater of Painters” – the current exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery surveying the performance art he created with László László Révész in 1980s Hungary.

The two artists met as painting majors at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts and began creating performances during their student years, while participating in the art groups Fafej and Indigó, both led by Miklós Erdély. Their work reached beyond the Iron Curtain – including an official invitation to documenta 8 in Kassel in 1987 and a performance at St. Mark’s Church in New York.

At the event, Böröcz will present the exhibition catalogue – published by the Hungarian National Gallery in English and Hungarian, designed by Dorka Hübner – and donate a copy to our library’s collection. The evening will also include footage from the April 23 opening and video documentation of select performances, including Match Stories and Flea.

Thu, Jul 9 | 6PM | This program is in English.

06/20/2026

A few weeks ago, we welcomed Németh György for a lecture about three Hungarian photographers who each found their own vision of New York; André Kertész, György Lőrinczy, and Nickolas Muray. Three very different ways of seeing the same city.

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

06/16/2026

📚 New children’s books at the Library!

Come spend some time with the playful world of Krisztina Tóth. We now have Csavarogjunk együtt, Zenebona, Ültessünk, and Öltözzünk jelmezbe available at the Library.

Stop by, browse, and enjoy these new books with your little ones!

📚 Új gyerekkönyvek a könyvtárban!

Krisztina Tóth négy kedves kötettel érkezett a polcainkra: Csavarogjunk együtt, Zenebona, Ültessünk és Öltözzünk jelmezbe.

Látogassatok el a könyvtárba, lapozzatok bele az új könyvekbe, és fedezzétek fel együtt Krisztina Tóth játékos világát!

06/12/2026

Join us for an evening with Ágnes Anna Sebestyén, art historian and curator at the Hungarian Museum of Architecture in Budapest, for a presentation of her new bilingual Hungarian-English publication on the museum’s Marcel Breuer Collection.

The book explores the legacy of world-famous Hungarian-born architect and designer Marcel Breuer, including the museum’s recent acquisition from Breuer’s Cape Cod cottage and objects donated by Michael Szarvasy, a New York-based collector of Hungarian origin.

June 25 • 6 PM at the Library
Register here: https://www.hungarianlibrary.org/event-details/book-presentation

06/09/2026

András Gerevich is a Hungarian poet, author, and essayist whose work has been translated into more than two dozen languages, including English. He is one of Hungary’s few openly gay authors and has long advocated for q***r voices in literature and the arts amid an increasingly restrictive political climate. He is currently a Fulbright Visiting Professor of Poetry at Dartmouth College.

You can read some of his poems here:
https://www.lyrikline.org/en/authors/andras-gerevich

Visit his website:
www.andrasgerevich.com

Event info:
June 18 • 6PM at the library
Register here: https://www.hungarianlibrary.org/event-details/an-evening-of-poetry-with-andras-gerevich

05/23/2026

Hungarian Photographers in New York City explores the rich legacy of Hungarian image-makers who helped shape the visual culture of New York. At the center of the lecture are three key figures, André Kertész, György Lőrinczy, and Nickolas Muray, whose very different approaches reveal multiple visions of the city. Their work ranges from poetic street scenes and intimate observation to portraiture, fashion, and the energy of modern urban life. Alongside them, the talk also introduces other Hungarian photographers and cultural figures connected to New York’s artistic history. Their stories reflect migration, reinvention, exile, and creative ambition in one of the world’s great metropolises. Join us for an engaging evening of photography, history, and discovery.

György Németh is a Visiting Scholar at Quinnipiac University’s Central European Institute. Among other projects, he has been working on archiving and displayin the prolific art collection and personal papers of Francis F. Dobo, a Hungarian émigré who was a close friend of photographers André Kertész and Brassaï in 1930s Paris.

This program will be in English and Hungarian

May 28 | 6:00 PM

Register in our website!

05/08/2026

Headline: 🎬 Exclusive Discount for our Community!

We are thrilledIFC Centerr with to bring you a special offer for the new award-winning film "Blue Heron,"directed by the talented .

The Story: A millennial woman from a Hungarian immigrant family in Canada comes to terms with her parents’ difficult decision made about her troubled half-brother. It is a moving, intimate look at family, heritage, and the immigrant experience.

🎟 Get 15% OFF your tickets at IFC Center! ✨ Use Code: SOPHY-15 🔗 Book Here:https://www.ifccenter.com/films/blue-heron/

💡 How to apply the discount: After you hit "Buy Tickets" and before you select a ticket type, look for the black "Know a promotion code?" button. Click it and enter SOPHY-15 there to apply the savings!
Don’t miss this beautiful cinematic experience on the big screen!

🍂 Stay Tuned: We are hosting a live conversation with Sophie Romvari this fall. Follow us for more details soon!