The National Historical Museum invites you on 02 October 2019, 19:00, at the opening ceremony of the exhibition “White Rose – Geraldina”, which presents the life and social activity of Queen Geraldine and is organized by the National Museum of Hungary and the National Historical Museum of Albania with the support of the Hungarian Embassy in Tirana.
The “White Rose” part of the exhibition’s title recalls an episode from the life of the young Geraldine. In the early 1920s, the picturesque Hungarian town of Zebegény enchanted Geraldine’s beloved aunt, Franciska Apponyi (Fanny) to an extent that not only did she settle there but also bought around a dozen peasant houses. She used these to host children’s camps during the summers. The following years saw serious educational work in these Sunflower houses (named after the Countess’ favourite flower) that earned respect and love with the locals. Fanny, who virtually founded a children’s republic, soon had her relatives and friends involved. This brought about the Virág Egylet Zebegény (V E Z, Zebegény Flower Association), of which the young Geraldine was a member. Every citizen of the ‘republic’ got a flower or an animal name. Countess Fanny, president of the children’s republic, was naturally called “Sunflower”, while Geraldine, or by her well-known nickname Countess Gerry (Zseri in Hungarian) became “White Rose”. The Tirana National Museum of History’s exhibition which showcases the life and personality of Geraldine Apponyi, wife of King Zog I of Albania, titled “The White Rose – Geraldine”, refers to this charming tradition. The exhibition is a part of the 2019 Albanian-Hungarian Cultural Year and is organized by the Hungarian National Museum and National Historical Museum of Tirana, with the support of Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and several Hungarian cultural institutions.
We welcome you on 02 October 2019, 19:00, at the premises of the Main Hall at the National Historical Museum!