First Hungarian Library Opens in the United Arab Emirates

Hungary Today 2024.01.05.

On January 6, the first Hungarian library in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opens its doors in Dubai, on a private initiative. The aim of the institution is to unite the Hungarian colony of almost 5,000 people around Hungarian culture, reports Magyar Nemzet.

In addition to Hungarian classics such as Mór Jókai and Magda Szabó, the library houses works by modern writers, including the writings of Bohumil Hrabal, a popular Czech author of the 20th century.

Alongside literary works, the Hungarian library will also include children’s and educational books.

The library was founded by Judit Kinga Szabó, a businesswoman who has been living in the UAE for 12 years, and donated her private collection to the library. The institution is also housed in her office in the center of Dubai.

Szabó is committed to the library’s mission to help the local Hungarian community to foster culture and preserve Hungarian heritage.

The library is expected to host a number of cultural events for the Hungarian community in the Emirates.

Fact

Another significant Hungarian library can be found at the other side of the world, in the United States, in New York City. Founded in 1955, the American Hungarian Library and Historical Society is located on the premises of the Hungarian House, in Yorkville, the traditional Hungarian neighborhood of New York. Their mission is very similar to that of the recently established Hungarian library in Dubai. Their aim is to promote interest in and knowledge about Hungary, to gather and preserve books and material with historical value, and make them available to the public. The library is the hub of literary, cultural, and social life for the Tri-State (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut) )Hungarian-American community, organizing numerous meet-the-author events and book launches with award-winning, bestseller writers; academic lectures with leading historians and scientists; a monthly film club; concerts, plays, and other cultural events.

The building of the Hungarian House in New York. Photo via Facebook/American Hungarian Library and Historical Society

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Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image via Pexels