History of the Hungarians

Épisodes

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  46 - Western Connections 05.08.2026 28min

  This week, we continue discovering the tales of the daughters of Árpád’s House, focusing on those who lived their lives in Western Europe. We shall talk about three women, one uncertain relative, a forgotten story, and one of the more beloved saints of Medieval Europe. Their origins may have been similar, but their stories are spread across the three centuries of the last 10 months’ narrative, intersecting often.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.
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  45 - The Princess on the Island 29.07.2026 24min

  Today, we begin approaching the end of our season, with a mini-series I dubbed “The Daughters of Árpád’s House”. And who else better to usher in these stories than arguably the most well-known one of them – in Hungary, at the least. Saint Margit’s story inspired people in her own time, up until to our present day. The princess, who lived on an island became venerated even in her own life, then continued to excite the national consciousness for centuries.Come, join us as we discuss what might be the reason for the longevity of her story, and how she came to influence not just the city that grew up around her island, but Hungary’s own, national memory.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.
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  44 - A century of decline 22.07.2026 27min

  Last week, the story of the Árpádian dynasty came to an end. For 300 years, we followed the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Hungary, even longer, if we add the years spent with them in Season One. Today’s episode is not just a focused look back over the 13th century, but also an examination of the Árpádians: their history, their legacy, and whether or notthere is a place for us to reinterpret their actions in the light of modern historiography.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.
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  43 - The Last Little Golden Branch 15.07.2026 25min

  In the last few years of András III’s reign, the king has to face enemies new and old, young and generational as he attempts one more time to stop Hungary’s disintegration. Today marks the end of the story we began back in November, 2025 – the Árpádian dynasty is coming to the end as the Last Little Golden Branch falls.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 bMartin Schmeling.
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  42 - The Venetian Claimant 08.07.2026 23min

  With András III, a new – and hotly disputed – branch of the Árpádian family rises to the crown. The new king is faced with two crises that shall define his reign: the overmighty barons and pretenders from the major European powers. Join me as we dwell into how the king attempted to tackle both, as we get a fairly dismal picture of the late-13th century state of Hungary, where might made right.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.
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  Tales of the Hungarians. The Legend of the Stag 03.07.2026 13min

  Today marks the release of the first Tales of the Hungariansepisode. We are delving into where the Legend of the Stag comes from, how it harkens back to ancient Steppe-roots, and discuss how one man created a myth that influenced the thinking of people centuries later.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. The story heard in this episode is my own translation of Ferenc Móra’s The Tale of the Stag.
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  41 - The Cuman King 01.07.2026 26min

  László IV – the Cuman – comes of age and is immediately surrounded by strife. His kingdom is still disintegrating, and a Papal legate is attempting to take away the one group he can rely on to arrest the collapse. Join us today as we discuss the tale of arguably the last Árpádian ruler, his strange lifestyle and his life filled with conflict until he burns every bridge that was available to him – and meets his end from those he least expected to cause him harm.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.
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  40 - Ambitions Unleashed 24.06.2026 24min

  As István V dies, the Barons rise – with the king a ten year old boy, they correctly assume that there is little to no check on them. Baronial groups form to fight one another for power and influence in court, old scores are settled on battlefields everywhere in the kingdom. And at the very heart of it, a young king is growing up who knows no stability, only a realm that disintegrates under his very feet.Join us today as we discuss those five crucial years between 1272 and 1277, in which the barons grew more and more ambitions and independent. And the war beyond the border approaches its final conclusion too – and Hungary will have a role to play in bringing the Habsburgs to power.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.
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  39 - Bitter Spoils 17.06.2026 22min

  István V – the last Hungarian king to be named István – ascends to the throne after his father’s death. Conflict is pre-determined as his rule begins, with his sister leading a powerful faction of nobles to the court of Ottokar, the Iron and Golden King of Bohemia. But the famed Premyzlid, as well as his own barons shall soon learn that István is not his father, and has the power to stand up for himself, and for his crown.Alongside his tragic story today’s episode also features a longer discussion on what to expect from the podcast in the coming weeks and months. I rarely take such a chunk out to talk about this stuff, but…well, there is a lot to talk about.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.
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  38 - Family Affairs 10.06.2026 24min

  After the Mongol invasion, Béla IV ruled for another twenty-eight years. While the most memorable reforms of that time we discussed last time, there are a few things that happen apart – like Hungary’s return to regional power-plays, or Béla’s conflicts within the family. Despite all the kingdom just survived, the Árpádians won’t be any less of a quarrelsome bunch. But there is a new element in these conflicts that was not really there before: the over-mighty barons, flexing their muscles.We also begin the discussion on the War of the Babenberg Succession – which would bring a family into our narrative whose role will grow and grow over time.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.
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  37 - The Second Founding 03.06.2026 26min

  The medieval Kingdom of Hungary survived the Mongol invasion – but not intact. Vast swathes of the kingdom lay in ruin and depopulated. Yet, Hungary bounces back quickly. How is that possible? Join us today as we take a look at the massive societal and economic reforms, and the changes that accompany them that collectively would be called the Second Founding, and earn for Béla IV the name: the Second Founder.These reforms would reach and affect every part of Hungarian society in the middle ages, laying down the groundwork of what the state would become – reforms that would echo well past the 13th century.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.
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  36 - Where the Mongols Tread 27.05.2026 30min

  “The Kingdom of Hungary, that stood for 350 years, was utterly destroyed by the Mongols.”This is how the annals of a Bavarian monastery refer to the year 1241 – and while they were not exactly correct, they were not far off the mark. Following the Battle of Muhi and its disastrous end, the invading Mongol forces moved swiftly to take control of their prize. What this meant for the population already living there was widespread slavery and death. For one year, the Mongol forces would hold absolute, uncontestable dominion over the eastern half of the Kingdom of Hungary.Come, join us today as we take stock of this horrific year, the lengths the population went to just to survive, and see what the king was willing to do to get help from the west.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.
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  35 - The Battle of Muhi 20.05.2026 23min

  We put it off long enough, and cannot anymore – the Mongols are here! In 1241, the armies of Hungary massed against this threat, one that they seemingly did not even fully understand. The resulting battle shaped the future of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom, as Saint István’s system is put to the ultimate test. Come, find out if the time allotted to Béla for preparations thanks to Friar Julianus amounted to much, and if his policy of keeping the Cumans close gave him the edge he needed to safeguard the kingdom.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 byMartin Schmeling.
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  34 - The Travels of Brother Julianus 13.05.2026 24min

  Today we head back to whence we came: the Great Eurasian Steppe, as we follow a friar of the Dominican Order on a grand quest in search of Magna Hungaria – and some long-lost brothers they believed still dwelt there. Their journey, undertaken as the Steppe itself was undergoing afundamental change due to the emergence of the Mongol Empire, is an inspiring, and yet tragic tale that every Hungarian child learns of in school. It is also an immensely important journey, as Brother Julianus interacts directly with the threat – and lives to tell the tale back home.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.
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  33 - Before the Storm 06.05.2026 24min

  Today, we begin discussing the life and reign of Béla IV – without question one of the most important, most influential kings of the Árpádian dynasty, with a long-lasting legacy. Béla would have to show his mettle in situations no other Árpádian faced, but his early years are mostly about dealing with the legacy of his father. András II broke the kingdom’s equilibrium, and Béla was intent on rebuilding the power and majesty the medieval Kings of Hungary once held – but time has passed, and turning back the clock always comes with upsetting the now-established status quo.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.
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  Special Episode - the 2026 Election 01.05.2026 28min

  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.
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  32 - Visit You in Your Descendent 29.04.2026 24min

  András II found no rest even after issuing the Golden Bull – albeit never holding himself to what he promised in it might be the reason why. In the last decade of his reign, András struggled with his son, Béla, who was dead-set on ending the mass alienation of royal land, and the Church, who felt that they drew the short stick during the Golden Bull. During thislatter conflict, the king who has been threatened with excommunication basically all his life by various ecclesiastic authorities found the hammer finally coming down.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.
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  31 - The Golden Bull of 1222 22.04.2026 28min

  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.
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  30 - Holy Tourism 15.04.2026 20min

  Send your questions for the Q&A to: historyofthehungarians@gmail.comWe take a view at something that took up much of András II’s time: his wars and his ambitions abroad. From his attempt to reclaim the kingdom he held as a child, to attempting to take the crown of the Latin Empire, András was active on the European stage. Come, join us, and see how his desire for the Latin Emperorship finally got András to make good on the oath he inherited from his father, and go on Crusade – and what he did once in the Holy Land.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.
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  29 - Afraid you should be not 08.04.2026 26min

  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.