The cult of Kisfaludy, Sümeg

The building and cultivation of the Kisfaludy cult is of particular importance for the preservation and transmission of the cultural heritage of Sümeg and the Lake Balaton Highlands. Sándor Kisfaludy, the defining figure of Hungarian Romanticism, not only enriched Hungarian culture with his literary oeuvre, but also became one of the most important cultural symbols of Sümeg and the region through his personal ties. The programmes based on the Kisfaludy cult aim not only to preserve the values of the past, but also to present them in a new way and make them a community experience. Two series of Kisfaludy-focused events have been implemented as part of the European Capital of Culture programme.

23-25 September 2022 - Kisfaludy 250 Conference and Himfy Street Theatre Festival

250th anniversary of the birth of Sándor Kisfaludy - a three-day series of events to commemorate the anniversary. The town of Sümeg is still proud of the fact that Sándor Kisfaludy, an outstanding figure of Hungarian literature and Hungarian civic life, lived and worked here.

22- 24 September 2023 - Kisfaludy 2023 streetTheatre Festival 

The event harmonized with the values of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme in many ways, as it encompassed several segments of theatre, community building, local identity and international outlook

In recent years, several initiatives have been launched to present the Kisfaludy legacy from new perspectives:

• Memorial sites and cultural events: the Sándor Kisfaludy Memorial House regularly hosts literary programmes, educational projects and cultural events that make the oeuvre accessible to a wide audience
• Community involvement and volunteering: local communities and NGOs are actively involved in the cult of Kisfaludy. The programmes involve local residents and visitors in an interactive way, strengthening cultural identity and community cohesion.
• Involving young people: an important part of the Kisfaludy tradition is to attract younger generations to the cultural heritage of the region. This is an important part of the culture's appeal to young people.
• Communicating European values: the presentation of Kisfaludy's work and related programmes will emphasise the place of Hungarian literature in the European cultural space, thus strengthening the international importance of the region.

The cult of Kisfaludy is not just a literary heritage, but a community asset that creates a link between the past and the present. True to the spirit of the European Capital of Culture programme, the Kisfaludy Cult contributes to the preservation of local identity, while at the same time placing the cultural values of the Lake Balaton Highlands in an international context.