Held on 7–9 October 2026, the conference, entitled The Society of Prince Francis II Rákóczi: European Princes, Statesmen, Diplomats, Military Leaders, and Hungary at the Beginning of the 18th Century, was organised by the Institute of History of ELTE’s Faculty of Humanities and the Institute of History of the ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities. Bringing together scholars from Hungary, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, and Slovakia, the event explored political, diplomatic, military, and intellectual history at the turn of the eighteenth century. Particular attention was devoted to the normative frameworks of political thought, the European balance of power, and the culture and practice of peacemaking.
Brigitta Schvéd presented her paper, entitled “The Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Hungary, and the European Balance of Power in Early Eighteenth-Century English Political Discourse”, in the conference’s third panel on October 8. In her presentation, she examined how English public debate connected the Hungarian conflict with the War of the Spanish Succession, the Habsburg Monarchy’s position in East Central Europe, and broader questions concerning the political order of the continent.
The first two days of the conference took place in the Faculty Council Chamber of ELTE’s Faculty of Humanities, with the final day hosted by the French Institute in Budapest. The carefully organised academic programme was complemented by excellent hospitality and Tokaji wine tastings on the first two days, providing further opportunities for informal scholarly exchange. The conference concluded with a reception for participants hosted by the French Ambassador to Hungary at their residence in Budapest. The conference thus offered an excellent opportunity to discuss the research presented and to strengthen Hungarian and international scholarly connections. The organisers also offered an opportunity to publish the selected papers of the conference; Brigitta Schvéd plans to develop her findings in greater detail in an article.