A lecture on the topic “The Importance of Hungary in the Life of Nikola Tesla” was held on May 27, 2025, at the Sava Tekelija Foundation – the Tekelijanum, in Budapest. The lecture was delivered by Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotić, Head of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci (AEM) and author of a scholarly study on Nikola Tesla, the English edition of which has just been published.
The lecture was opened by the director of the Tekelijanum, the archpriest Zoran Ostojić, episcopal dean, who introduced the speaker to the Budapest audience and formally commenced the event. In his presentation, Fr. Oliver Subotić outlined the many facets of Hungary’s influence on the life and work of Nikola Tesla. The lecture addressed Tesla’s arrival in Budapest at the recommendation of his uncle, Colonel Pajo Mandić, a friend of Ferenc Puskás; the event of his discovery of the rotating magnetic field generated by alternating currents during a walk in a Budapest park; his friendship with the Hungarian engineer Antal Szigeti; the influence of the novel Abafi by the Hungarian writer Miklós Jósika; and various other connections relevant to the topic. Attention was also given to the ways in which certain figures from Serbian history—such as Saint Despot Stefan Lazarević and Nikola Tesla-may serve as cultural bridges between Serbia and Hungary.
In the dialogical segment of the lecture, special emphasis was placed on the influence of Tesla’s Christian family background in shaping the character of this most brilliant Serbian inventor. At the conclusion of his lecture, Fr. Oliver Subotić, on behalf of the “Petar Mandić” Foundation, donated one copy of his English-language book on Tesla to the libraries of the Tekelijanum and the “Nikola Tesla” Serbian Gymnasium.
The lecture was well received by a large audience from Budapest, which included professors and students from the “Nikola Tesla” Gymnasium. After the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to personally meet the speaker and exchange views.
Among the attendees were the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mrs. Biljana Gutić Bjelica; the Cultural Advisor of the Serbian Embassy in Hungary, Mrs. Ivana Kunc; the Vice President of the National Council of Serbs in Hungary, Mr. Andrija Rockov; the Editor-in-Chief of the Serbian National Newspaper, Mr. Milan Stepanov; and many others.
The lecture was recorded and will be published on the official website of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci as soon as the technical processing is completed.
Photo credit: Varos RTV
