A Sándor Márai memorial exhibition titled “I Moved to Buda” opened on Thursday in the Buda Castle District, at the Benedek Virág House, to mark the Márai Memorial Year, the Buda Castle District Municipality told MTI.
According to the announcement, the exhibition pays tribute to this prominent figure of 20th-century Hungarian literature, who is symbolically “returning home” to Buda. The aim of the first permanent Márai exhibition in Hungary is to make the writer’s intellectual legacy accessible to visitors and to bring the defining periods of his life’s work closer to them.
The commemorative exhibition is part of the Sándor Márai Memorial Year, running from April 11, 2025, to April 10, 2026, which commemorates the writer’s work with a rich series of cultural events over the course of a year. The initiative places special emphasis on Márai’s time in Buda’s Krisztinaváros quarter, which was one of the most productive periods of his creative career.
The exhibition presents the key milestones of the writer’s life through a unique concept. Visitors can view previously unseen photographs and rare volumes, while original furniture—including the writer’s iconic desk—evokes his daily life. The experience is enriched by archival film clips, documents, and period-appropriate interiors. Márai’s works are available in Hungarian and several foreign languages in the reading corner.
The exhibition was opened by László Böröcz, mayor of Budavár, who emphasized that the Márai commemorative year provided an opportunity to realize high-quality cultural programs by building on the openness of the Budavár community. He highlighted that Márai’s legacy is a defining part of the locals’ daily lives and identity.
Csilla Fazekas, Deputy Mayor of Budavár, added that the Budavár Local Government, in cooperation with prestigious national cultural institutions, had implemented an initiative that goes beyond a local investment and enriches the community in the long term.
The press release also quoted Magdolna Závogyán, State Secretary for Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, who emphasized: “This exhibition is not simply a memorial site, but also a meeting point: a symbol of the universal dimensions of Hungarian culture and a venue for cultural dialogue.”
Petra Török, Director General of the Hungarian National Museum Public Collections Center – Petőfi Literary Museum (MNMKK PIM), also spoke at the event, praising the significance of the commemorative year and the exhibition’s professional merits, the press release stated.
Organized jointly by the Buda Castle District Municipality, the Buda Castle Community Nonprofit Ltd., and the MNMKK PIM, the exhibition—curated by literary historian Tibor Mészáros—is open to the public starting Friday.
Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
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