Bethlen G1On November 12, 2013, a Memorial Exhibition of Bethlen entitled The code: Bethlen 1613 was opened in the Hungarian National Museum remembering that 400 years ago, on 23 October, 1613, Gabriel Bethlen ascended the throne. After the welcome speech of László Csorba, Director General of the Museum, Pál Fodor, the Director General of the Research Centre for Humanities, HAS, opened the exhibition with some thoughts about the difficulties of the formation of the Principality of Transylvania, the new state in early modern Hungarian history, its place in the Ottoman world and its memory today.

The modern and interactive exhibition focuses on the exceptional personality and life of Gabriel Bethlen, showing his human side as well as the politician, too. The exhibition was compiled and directed by notable researchers of Bethlen and his age, from the Hungarian National Museum (Angelika Orgona, Róbert Szvitek, Erika Kiss), Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (Ildikó Horn), and History Institute, RCH HAS (Teréz Oborni, senior researcher). Objects – works of arts, documents, printed matters, everyday objects of the age of Bethlen and connected to the Prince himself – are shown with the help of the cooperation of various institutions in Hungary.

On November 19, 2013, a Bethlen Memorial Conference was held in the Hungarian National Museum entitled Transylvania in Europe. The international relations of the principality of Transylvania in the age of Bethlen, organized by the Hungarian National Museum and the Institute of History, Research Centre for Humanities, HAS. The conference was opened by Pál Fodor, the Director General of RCH HAS, and was closed with a music program presenting the Hungarian and Turkish music of the age of Bethlen. The program can be read here.