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Hungarians and Slovaks share breakfast on Danube bridge that survived war and division
Dozens of residents were paired by interests and languages as they shared croissants, ham, cheese and coffee on the Maria Valeria Bridge.
On Saturday, residents from Esztergom, Hungary, and Sturovo, Slovakia, gathered on The Maria Valeria Bridge for a community breakfast, celebrating friendship between the two neighboring communities across the Danube.
The Maria Valeria Bridge was destroyed by German troops in 1944, lay neglected for nearly 60 years, and reopened in 2001, restoring the direct crossing between the two towns after decades of ferry dependence.
Participants were paired based on interests and languages to encourage new connections; attendee Mark Zelenak from Esztergom said "I met a really lovely and kind person here this morning on the bridge."
Organizer Norbert Nagy stated "I think the people of Esztergom and Parkany could mix a bit more," reflecting hopes that the breakfast would deepen social integration between the towns.
While political tensions occasionally surface over Slovakia's Ethnic Hungarians—about 9% of the 5.5 million population—resident Laszlo Valacsay insisted such friction was "generated" by politicians, not local people living peacefully side by side.