2027 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture: Geresdlak
On Saturday, 20 June, at the Juhannus festival in Hancock, the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for 2027 was announced to be Geresdlak.
As part of the Juhannus Festival in Hancock on Saturday, 20 June, the next Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture was announced by Uralic Centre and Sukukansojen ystävät. Out of the two candidates for the title of 2027 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture, the winner is Geresdlak in southern Hungary. The symbol of the Capitals of Culture, the Tsirk bird, was received by Bogáta Timár on behalf of Geresdlak.
Fenno-Ugria congratulates the village of Geresdlak on becoming the 2027 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture!
Geresdlak
Geresdlak is located in Baranya County. It has 808 inhabitants and it is first mentioned in 1292. It is also close to the location of the Battle of Mohács in 1526. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
Many of the village’s inhabitants belong to the Hungarian German minority with Swabian roots. There are also many Székely and Šokci (South Slavic ethnic group) performers active in the cultural tapestry of the whole region. Now, Geresdlakians wish to show their unique linguistic and ethnographic heritage, where many different cultural traditions find a new harmony, to the Finno-Ugric world.
The well-kept traditional Southern Hungarian structure of Geresdlak village with its scenic views is made even more iconic by the iconic gingerbread village exhibition that unites the whole village. Each year, during Advent the whole of the village is built using gingerbread and this miniature version of it can be seen all year round, attracting many visitors to the village.
