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Conference: My city in Europe, Europe in my city

2020.09.18

On September 9, 2020, the Otto von Habsburg Foundation organized a conference entitled My City in Europe, Europe in My City in the Gobelin Hall of the Danubius Hotel Gellért. Our choice of the venue was based on the fact, that the hotel was one of the favourite residences of Otto von Habsburg since 1988.

Conference: My city in Europe, Europe in my city

2020.09.18

On September 9, 2020, the Otto von Habsburg Foundation organized a conference entitled My City in Europe, Europe in My City in the Gobelin Hall of the Danubius Hotel Gellért. Our choice of the venue was based on the fact, that the hotel was one of the favourite residences of Otto von Habsburg since 1988.

The purpose of the conference was to offer an opportunity to the mayors and representatives of the municipalities that gave honorary citizenship to Otto von Habsburg to get acquainted with the work of the Foundation and to build relationships while recalling the Crown Prince’s legacy. Further aim with the event was to show participants the government’s ideas for the future distribution of European funds for municipalities.

In front of the Gobelin Hall, we exhibited the traveling exhibition showcasing Otto von Habsburg’s oeuvre. The exhibited roll-ups presented by our Foundation in January 2020 be sent to the municipalities where Otto von Habsburg received the Honorary Citizen title.

After the welcoming words of Ambassador György Habsburg, Member of the Otto von Habsburg Foundation Board and a greeting from Dr. Csaba Latorcai, State Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources, Member of the Supervisory Board; Director Gergely Prőhle greeted the conference and gave a presentation of the Foundation’s work.

Following the opening part, Dr. Ottó Almacht gave a nostalgic speech. As a former organizer of the programs of Otto von Habsburg in Hungary and as a member of the Pan-European Movement, he lingered on many anecdotal details of their joint travels, highlighting Otto von Habsburg’s eternal curiosity and close emotional attachment to the Hungarian countryside.

Dr. János Tittmann, Mayor of Dorog, gave a presentation entitled Heritage-Driven Urban Development about the relationship between Otto von Habsburg and the city of Dorog, the history and present of the former mining town. He also recalled the moments of the award ceremony. He emphasised that “by choosing Otto von Habsburg as an honorary citizen, the feeling of belonging to the European values ​​was strengthened in the citizens of Dorog.” He underlinded that modern urban development is only possible by strengthening historical awareness.

The mayor’s speech was followed by a thought-provoking lecture by Dr. Szabolcs Varga, a lecturer at the Károli Gáspár University, entitled The Change of the European Idea: The Impact of the Habsburgs on Hungarian Settlements. Among other things, he spoke about the changes in the perception of the Habsburg House in Hungary throughout the centuries. The attitude towards the Habsburgs is mostly negative in Hungary, however, their role in modern state organization and in advanced military defence would be unhistorical to dispute. According to Szabolcs Varga the 18th century and the period of the Monarchy is much more positive than what is taught in history-related studies.

After a historical outlook and a coffee break, Dr. Eszter Vitályos, State Secretary for EU Development Policy at the Ministry of Human Resources, reported on the regional and human development programs implemented in the 2014–2020 EU tender cycle in Hungary. She also outlined the opportunities that can be expected in the seven-year period ahead.