IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 400
Congratulating the Republic of Hungary on the millennium of its foundation
as a state.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 14, 2000
Mr. ISTOOK (for himself and Mr. PALLONE) submitted the following concur-
rent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Re-
lations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Congratulating the Republic of Hungary on the millennium
of its foundation as a state.
Whereas the ancestors of the Hungarian nation, 7 tribes ex-
celling in horsemanship and handicrafts, settled in the
Carpathian basin around the end of the 9th century;
Whereas during the next century this tribal association had
accommodated itself to a permanently settled status;
Whereas the ruler of the nation at the end of the first millen-
nium, Prince Stephen, realized with great foresight that
the survival of his nation depends on its adapting itself
to its surroundings by becoming a Christian kingdom and
linking its future to Western civilization;
Whereas in 1000 A.D. Stephen, later canonized as Saint Ste-
phen, adopted the Christian faith and was crowned with
•HCON 400 IH
a crown which he requested from Pope Sylvester II of
Rome;
Whereas, by those acts, Saint Stephen, King of Hungary, es-
tablished his domain as 1 of the 7 Christian kingdoms of
Europe of the time and anchored his nation in Western
civilization forever;
Whereas during the past 1,000 years, in spite of residing on
the traditional crossroads of invaders from the East and
the West, the Hungarian nation showed great vitality in
preserving its unique identity, language, culture, and tra-
ditions;
Whereas in his written legacy, Saint Stephen called for toler-
ance and hospitality toward settlers migrating to the land
from other cultures;
Whereas through the ensuing centuries other tribes and eth-
nic and religious groups moved to Hungary and gained
acceptance into the nation, enriching its heritage;
Whereas since the 16th century a vibrant Protestant commu-
nity has contributed to the vitality and diversity of the
Hungarian nation;
Whereas, particularly after their emancipation in the second
half of the 19th century, Hungarians of the Jewish faith
have made an enormous contribution to the economic,
cultural, artistic, and scientific life of the Hungarian na-
tion, contributing more than half of the nation’s Nobel
Prize winners;
Whereas the United States has benefitted immensely from
the hard work, dedication, scientific knowledge, and cul-
tural gifts of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from
Hungary; and
•HCON 400 IH
Whereas in this year Hungary also celebrates the 10th anni-
versary of its first post-communist free and democratic
elections, the first such elections within the former War-
saw Pact: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) congratulates the Republic of Hungary, and
Hungarians everywhere, on the one thousandth anni-
versary of the founding of the Kingdom of Hungary
by Saint Stephen; and
(2) commends the Republic of Hungary for the
great determination, skill, and sense of purpose it
demonstrated in its recent transition to a democratic
state dedicated to upholding universal rights and lib-
erties, a free market economy, and integration into
European and transatlantic institutions.
Æ