Hungary’s government has purchased a building near London’s Trafalgar Square to serve as a hub for Hungarian culture and learning, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
According to the Foreign Minister, the Hungarian House in London will run a weekend school of Hungarian language and culture, a theater where it will host exhibitions and performances, and there will be a café there as well.
“Many of our fellow citizens live, work, or study in and around London. Now I have good news for them,” Szijjártó started his video. Indeed, 200-220,000 Hungarians are estimated to be living in London, also known as the second-largest “Hungarian city.” Szijjártó said that hopefully “the house will be a new meeting point and a community-building force serving Hungarians living in and around London” as “there has not been a worthy home for Hungarian culture, the Hungarian community, and Hungarian identity in London” so far.
It was also announced on Twitter that the building will be the new home of the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London (HCC):
We are delighted to announce our splendid new #venue at 17-19 Cockspur Street, #TrafalgarSquare, #London. Opening in March. See you there! pic.twitter.com/zT5tJM1KcT
— Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London (@HCCLondon) February 20, 2022
Hungarian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ferenc Kumin,m also posted a picture of himself in front of the building on his Twitter page.
HVG reports that what has not been revealed, however, is how much the seven-story building costs, and from whom and under what scheme the Hungarian government bought it. According to a brochure from a few years ago, the asking price for the property was £25 million (which is over HUF 10 billion and almost EUR 30 million).
Featured image: illustration via Pixabay
