Publication of Himnusz

Himnusz, which means Hymn, is the national anthem of Hungary. Its words come from a poem by Ferenc Kolcsey, written in 1823 and first published in 1829, which asks God to bless the Hungarian people and reflects on their history of hardship and defeat. In 1844 the composer Ferenc Erkel set it to music in a competition, and his melody was soon widely adopted. The anthem was not made official for a long time, but it was used on national occasions and was formally recognized in the constitution during the 20th century, and the current Fundamental Law of 2011 confirms it. Only the first stanza is usually sung, in a slow and solemn style.

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