Hungary lies at the heart of Europe. Firstly from a geographical point of view, it lies at the crossroads of the Germanic and Balkan regions. From a historical point of view it was linked to Austria for a long time, which was a major power in Europe until the start of the 20th century; it fitted perfectly with its time, for the best with its many intellectuals and internationally renowned artists, and for the worse, with the rise of vehement nationalism that placed Hungary in the fascist sphere of influence in the darkest hours of the 20th century. After having freed itself of Austrian domination after the First World War it had to free itself, more painfully from the Soviet grip in order to turn the page on the Cold War and to take full part in the adventure of European integration.