Hungrian castles
Bastions of european christianity

Hungary has been from the time of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin (896) the strongest kingdom in Europe; it had the most efficient and strongest army. The kings of the country created a well-developed system of border castles of almost two thousand castles.

Then the Muslim Osman Empire and the greatest army of the world tried to destroy the Christian belief in Europe. Hungary stayed on the way of the Muslim expansion as the strong bastion of Christian Europe. The way led through Hungary to Europe. Already in the 14th century there were constant border clashes with the Turks, and in the 15th century the Hungarian kings led several campaigns through the Balkans repelling the Turks and keeping them at bay. At the beginning of the 16th century Hungary struggled through a severe inner strife and the king on the throne was weak; this led to the lost battle of Mohács in 1526, which started a 150 years long patriotic war.

Hungary did not give in! The land-owning gentry and the border castles fought divided, one by one against the strongest army of the time. Several well-known films were made of heroes of the world. But only a few know what happened in Hungary during these 150 years. If the Osman Empire went through Hungary and conquered the weak and divided Europe of the time, then world history would have another course today...

During the fights in this 150 year period two thirds of these border castles fell, only those on the northern mountains remained intact.

Every siege is an epic history; every one of them could be a Hollywood blockbuster... unfortunately only the border castle ruins make us remember these heroic times. In Europe every people feared the Hungarians since the 5th century, the arrival of the Huns of Attila, so the whole Europe gloated over the 150 years of war with the Turks. We did not receive any help; moreover, the neighboring German Empire captured from the northern territories whatever they could.

At the end of the 17th century with the weakening of the Osman Empire the united European army with German leadership “liberated” Hungary and created the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This liberation led to the destruction of the remaining castles and the dismembering, weakening of Hungary by all possible means.

In the storms of history the Magyars survived, and though many peoples disappeared, they remained alive. As we walk the ruins of our once proud castles, never forget, that the proud Europe should thank them their Christianity.