How Hungaricums Affect the Lives of the People in Cities and Villages and the Role of Hungaricums in Community Development

Dr. Anett Tőzsér’s (researcher, Research Institute for National Strategy) article.

Hungaricums can play an important role in shaping national consciousness, since a nation’s positive self-assessment depends on it being endowed with as many valuable qualities as possible.

Lake Hévíz (source: www.hungarikum.hu )

For certain regions, the Hungaricums can even represent a breakthrough opportunity, their preservation and utilization bring many direct and mainly indirect benefits for the society and economy of the given regions. They contribute, for example, to creating and maintaining local jobs, increasing local tax revenues, building community and encouraging cooperation. In addition, especially in cities, they can play a significant role in offering diversity and choices in products.

The analysis of Hungaricums has shown that the presence of a particular valuable item/concept in the development of a municipality has a wider impact on job creation and business. Food products also have an impact on job creation and business stimulation at national level, and cultural heritage at regional level, while World Heritage sites have a more local impact. However, World Heritage sites and cultural heritage sites contribute more to community building. It has also been shown that food products have much more potential for community building than has been utilized so far.

Hollókő Old Village (source: www.hungarikum.hu )

Our research has shown that the use of Hungaricums in the development of settlements is linked to the local perception of values. We have found that the positive attitude of municipal leaders towards the use of values can also influence the public’s perception. Indeed, in municipalities where the municipal leadership pays a lot of attention to the utilization of these assets, there is a more positive perception and a greater sense of pride among the population.

We have observed that the population is prouder of its cultural heritage than of its World Heritage Sites, which are the outstanding treasures of humanity. This may be explained by the fact that these values are cultural expressions passed on as knowledge by living communities, which still strongly determine the attachment of the communities, groups and individuals concerned to their localities. This common (community) knowledge can be a significant factor in the sustainability of a settlement and can provide resources for the survival of a community.

For more information on this research topic, see the documents below:

Tőzsér Anett (2023). A hungarikumok szerepe a magyar identitás és az országimázs formálásában: Egyetemi tankönyv. Budapest: Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó, 202 p. Elérés

Tőzsér Anett (2021). A hungarikumok hatása a települési identitásra: Kutatási jelentés. Budapest: Nemzetstratégiai Kutatóintézet, 62 p. Elérés

Tőzsér, Anett (2021). The Role of Hungaricums in the Development of Settlements. Polgári Szemle: Gazdasági és Társadalmi Folyóirat, 17, Special Issue: 415–430. Elérés

Tőzsér Anett (2022). A hungarikumok szerepe a települések fejlődésében. Polgári Szemle: Gazdasági és Társadalmi Folyóirat, 18, 1–3: 154– 171. Elérés