In this paper, we discuss the representation of Hungary and Hungarians in the Netherlands. The focus is on the comparison between two Hungarian historical turning points that received a great deal of attention in the Dutch as well as international press: the Uprising of 1956 and the System Change in 1989-90. The main questions we investigate are: is there a difference in the representation of Hungary and Hungarians in Dutch newspapers between the Uprising and the System Change? How can these differences in the perception of Hungary and Hungarians be traceable? Finally, to what extent does the representation of Hungary and Hungarians in Dutch media change according to the historical contexts in both Hungary and the Netherlands? The starting point is Marácz's (1995) archetypical image of the Hungarian as a ‘barbarian’, ‘warrior’ and ‘fighter’ in Western Europe. Following Leerssen (1993) he demonstrates that the image of Hungary and Hungarians depends on the political attitude of Western Europe towards Hungary. By placing these results in the context of an important change in Dutch history, namely sectarianism (‘verzuiling’), we add an intercultural approach to this subject. While describing the (historical) image of Hungary and Hungarians, we also gain insights into Dutch society. The analysis reveals that images in general are not static but can be considered dynamic - they can change over time and the image can depend on its historical context.