Culture

Literature

There have been a large number of Hungarian writers since the 1800s. One of the most important of them is Sándor Petőfi, who wrote the lyrics of the national anthem. Poetry and short stories are particularly popular types of literature. Probably the best-known contemporary Hungarian author is the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature, Imre Kertész (1929–‍2016).

Music

The most famous Hungarian composer is Franz Liszt (1811–‍1886). Other famous composers include Zoltán Kodály (1882–‍1967) and Béla Bartók (1881–‍1945).

Cinema

Hungarian films are shown and appreciated internationally, too. The Academy Award (Oscar) for Best International Feature Film has been given to the Hungarian films Mephisto (1981) and Saul fia (Son of Saul) (2016). The film Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul) (2017) won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and was also nominated for the Academy Awards.

There are a total of 13 Hungarian-born Nobel Prize winners.