Hungarians who influenced culture abroad – VIDEO

Hungary may be a small country in the heart of Central Europe, but a lot of talented people come from here. There are a lot of talented Hungarian sportspeople, for instance, proven by the fact that Hungary has won more Olympic medals than any other nation that has never got the chance to be a host to the Games. However, talent comes in many shapes and forms, and Hungarians are quite influential when it comes to culture, too, both on a national and an international level. Here is a list of people who succeeded in affecting culture abroad.

Gábor Presser

Gábor Presser is a true legend in Central Europe, but he has quite a few achievements that gained him attention in the international limelight. In 1974, he and his band, Locomotive GT, performed at the Ozark Music Festival, one of the biggest hippie celebrations, reports Forbes. His hit song, “Gyöngyhajú lány” (Girl with pearly hair), got reworked by the German band ‘Scorpions’ under the title “White Dove,” which conquered the entire world.

Now, his musical entitled “A padlás” (The Attic) is on the way of being a Broadway show. Presser himself was present at a table read in New York recently. The musical was first performed in 1988 and has been a massive hit in Hungary ever since. It tells the story of a break-in, young love, and four lost souls who desperately want to move on to the afterlife. It is charming yet touching, interspersed with beautiful songs. We cannot wait to hear the international audience’s reaction.

Emma Orczy

Emma Orczy had a fascinating life. Even though she spent most of her life in Britain and wrote her novels in English, her Hungarian heritage was essential for her and influenced her greatly. The title of her first book – Old Hungarian Fairy Tales – illustrates this well. However, the real success came when she published her book entitled The Scarlet Pimpernel. It was soon turned into a theatre production, and later, a movie as well.