Twin cities
The settlements indicated by red colour on the map have a sister town in Finland; and there is a friendship association operating at the locations indicated by green.
The relationship of the Hungarian and Finnish languages aroused scientists' interest as early as the beginning of the 1800s; by the end of that century, cooperation between linguists and culture researchers had multiplied. In the 1920s and 1930s, Hungarian-Finnish relations deepened due to Finno-Ugrian congresses of culture in particular.
The first official Finnish-Hungarian cultural exchange took place in 1937. The new post-war cultural agreement was signed in 1959. The Finnish-Hungarian Society was founded in Helsinki in 1950; its first president was Ele Alenius. Establishment of the Hungarian-Finnish Society (28 February 1989, Kalevala day) had to wait for the political changeover in Hungary.
The first twin city relationship was established between Lahti and Pécs in 1956, and between Kemi and Székesfehérvár the following year. The process accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s. Nowdays there are more than 60 pairs of Finnish-Hungarian twin cities.Cultivation and development of relations between twin cities is a central area of operation for both the Finnish-Hungarian Society and the Hungarian-Finnish Society. The member organisations of the Societies organise various lectures, exhibitions, and concerts, where they present each other's culture, society, and history. Exchanges and visits between cities form an important part of the activities of the Societies.
According to the Hungarian-Finnish Society in Hungary there are 59, and according to the Finnish-Hungarian Society in Finland 56 active friendship associations.