Contributions to the Evaluation of the Turkish–Hungarian connections between 1456 and 1526

Abstract

Following the capture of Byzantium the Osman army invaded the Hungarian kingdom, and tried to occupy the south ‘gate’ of it, Nándorfehérvár/Belgrade in 1456. The pope, Callixtus III called for crusaders and ordered the ringing of bells in all Europe. Only some weeks aft er this order János Hunyadi and the crusaders of Giovanni di Capestrano succeeded to gain a decisive victory above the Turkish army. The Christian world were relieved, but the daily bell ringing remained as a remembrance for the victory. The bells ring after more than 550 years also today in every noon, but instead of calling to fight, they proclaim reconciliation and the peaceful coexistence of peoples.