In the summer of 2026, the Hungarian National Museum is presenting the diverse and eventful history of Hungarian emigration and the Hungarian diaspora to mark the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the American Declaration of Independence. This is a story of hopes and losses, fresh starts and disillusionment, triumphs and failures, but above all of roots and the lifelong search for home. It comes to life in the most ceremonial spaces of the museum’s neoclassical building: on the grand staircase, beneath the dome, and in the adjoining fireplace rooms.

Millions set out for the far side of the ocean. The fortunate and the unfortunate, the poor and the wealthy, adventurers and refugees left their homeland behind to seek opportunity, freedom, and a future in the New World. For many, the ’Promised Land’ meant the hope of advancement: the belief that in the United States anyone could shape his or her own destiny through hard work and perseverance. For some, the American dream came true; for others, it brought only struggle, hard labor, and the experience of being a stranger. Most quietly built a new life, but some left a lasting mark on human history through their names and their achievements. Yet all of them, through their work and talent, served not only their own future but also the rise of the United States of America.

It is important that we know these stories, because the lives of emigrants and diaspora communities are as much a part of the national past as the lives of those who remained at home. Hungarians who moved far away carried with them their language, culture, memories, and traditions, while also becoming active participants in building their new homeland. Through stories of migration, freedom, rise, and success, the curators seek to present more than 250 years of historical and cultural ties between Hungary and the United States of America: a many-stranded relationship in which Hungarians not only found a new homeland, but also helped shape the world that welcomed them.

The exhibition is available until November 1, 2026.

Read more: https://mnm.hu/en/exhibitions/american-dream-hungarians-united-states-1776-2026-0