Field trip in South-Transdanubia

 Author: Rohtla Madli

On October 18, the second year students in the Regional and Environmental Economics program went on a two-day trip, organized within a class titled Project Course that aims to introduce regional trends and issues in Hungary through an active learning format. We were accompanied by professors János B. Kocsis and Nuno Morgado and PhD student Gábor Porhajas from the Department of Geography, Geoeconomy, and Sustainable Development.

 The focus of the trip was South-Transdanubia, a region with a recorded history dating back to the Roman Empire and more recently an important point of passage from Turkey and the Balkans to Austria and regions further west. This area was frequently pillaged by the Ottoman armies during the 16th century, resulting in an exodus of people from its villages. Later, during the 19th century, the growing population was yet again shrunk under the Calvinist “one child policy” aimed at increasing the wealth of families through marriage.

Our first stop in South-Transdanubia was the Old Drava Visitor Center where we learned about the traditional farming practices in the region and about the fluctuating border of Hungary and Croatia, caused by the changes in the bends of the border river Drava. We visited the historic Siklos Castle which provided hair-raising experiences both in the medieval torture chambers full of grotesque instruments to inflict pain as well as on the upstairs terraces with scenic views of the surrounding hills and plains. We continued to the popular Villanyi wine region to observe patterns of rural gentrification (and to sample some of the regional specialties from its wine cellars). As we entered Pecs through a large Socialist-era housing estate, the sun had already set so we could see the city spread on the hills, decked in lights. The day ended with a walk through the pedestrian streets of the old town.

 

The second day began with an excursion into the industrial-turned-cultural Zsolnay quarter where we admired the eosin wall tiles and the lush Art Nouveau decorations that gave the former ceramic factory buildings a chique manor-like look. Yet other buildings in the area had been converted for academic use, and the two parts of the quarter that lay on either side of an important thoroughfare, had been connected by a pedestrian bridge that tastefully combined the region’s industrial past and its new cultural functions. Walking back towards the downtown area, we passed the new concert hall and library whose pompous size and sleek designs indicated the desire of the local government to direct Pecs away from its industrial and mining history, towards culture as its future key function. As we learned from stories shared by our guides, this is a task easier said than done, even after the financial support that came with the European Capital of Culture title in 2010.

 

Following this, we returned to the town hall square to explore the unique structure and history of the Parish Church that had been a mosque during the Ottoman era. The main hall of the church, divided into two with a more Islamic design on one side and a more Catholic side on the other, aims to preserve the complex history of this building that has been reconstructed numerous times over the last five hundred years. As some of us in the group have close connections with either culture, there was sharing of mixed emotions evoked by this religious design “combo.” We then visited the 4th century Roman burial chambers, a UNESCO World Heritage site located nearby the Pecs Cathedral. Our final stop in South-Transdanubia was the planned Socialist mining town of Komlo, just north and over the hills from Pecs, which had undergone some urban regeneration. The park bench with a NFC wireless charging device powered by solar panels was definitely installed with future prospects in mind, as most of our smartphones were too old to benefit from it (but we could appreciate the sitting function of the bench!).

 

To sum up, these two days gave us an appreciation for both the beauty and cultural potential of this region as well as its challenges. A huge thanks to our trip leaders, our reliable and professional bus driver, and the Geo Department for putting this trip together. Not only was this trip a great way to get new insights about Hungary; it was also a chance for us to come together socially as a class in the times of Covid-19. Those of us who weren’t able to join – you were missed!

Balaton was the last stop of the trip on the way back.