SOPRON, HUNGARY

This is the boarder between Austria and Hungary.  In 1989 the students from Debrecsen had an idea that changed the world.  They wanted the Austrian citizens to be able to visit their family and friends in Hungary who were behind the "Iron Curtain".  Hungary was under the Soviet control at this time. 

The Pan-European Picnic was a peace demonstration held on the Austrian-Hungarian border near the town of Sopron, Hungary on 19 August 1989, an important event during the Revolutions of 1989 that led to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany. It was organised by the Pan-European Union and the Hungarian opposition Hungarian Democratic Forum under the protection of Otto von Habsburg and Imre Pozsgay.  (In other words some students at the University in Debrecan, Hungary.)   This is a monument at the park.  You can see people coming out of the ground or out of confinment.  The actual pictures of the people walking through the gate is amazing.  People left their cars, tents, everything to walk to freedom.  

This is the original guard tower over looking the park, the road to Austria and the Iron Ceurtain.  

This is a repulica of the Iron Curtain.  This fence isn't very high.  I'm sure the real one was a few feet higher.  Can you see the other fence and the grassy area between the 2 fences?  The grassy area was kept scraped clean so that the guards could easily see if someone was trying to escape.  The fence is only barbed wire, can you imagion?  (The actors are Sisters Scherrer, Brown, Viernes and Borgstrom.

Another Hungarian sight to see is the Easterházy Palace.  

The Concert Hall.  Famous Austrian composer Joseph Haydn spend 24 years there.  One of his famous works was Farewell Symphony".  

I like the grounds.  Wouldn't this swirl pattern in the grass look terrific in a quilt?  

This is the apartment of Queen Maria Theresa.  The stoves in each room are heated with wood put in by the servents.  The stove door is behind the wall.  The tour guide said the chimney was the servents quarters behind the wall.  

This is the music salon.  Prince Nicholas played an unusual stringed instrument called "baritone".  He spent most of his life fighting the Turks.  He took part in the reconquest of Buda in 1686.  As a result of that he was raised to Imperial Princedom in 1686.

The sala terrena was used as the reception room at the time of Prince Nicholas.  The frescoes on the ceiling were created by Austrian artist, Köpp.  On the frescoes little angles are holding flowers which compose letters. (I am not sure if this is a Z or an N).  

This is the Train Museum in Sopron.

Elder Brown is either trying to find the engine or maybe he's looking for a place to hide.  Hahaha.  The Browns are very fun people to hang around with.  

City Center of Sopron.

Yes indeed, I just love a manly man.

Sister bertha Scherrer and Sister Helen Brown.

The story goes that after there was a hugh fire they built this fire tower.  From the top you can see the entire city of Sopron.

This is called the Roman Wall"  You can see the rooms of the building.  Now they have built the city on top of the wall.  This ancient city with these original walls have exsisted since VI Century BC.