The Capital City Assembly decided on new public space designations on Wednesday, 8 June. The Board adopted the 13th district government's proposal to name a promenade from Gyula Horn, the former prime minister of the MSZP. The nomination provoked heated debate, with Fidesz MP Attila Ughy saying that it could offend many to name Gyula Horn a public space because he was a controversial figure, and even President László Sólyom refused to sign the nomination in 2007 (citing that Gyula Horn's role in the 1956 revolution and his views on it, which have been maintained throughout it, are contrary to the values of the constitution of the Hungarian Republic, so it is obligatory to refuse the award - Ed.

A name that no longer exists today: Parn Barnabás street. Rehabilitation of historic city names began after the free elections of 1990 and the formation of the new parliament (Photo: Fortepan / Fig. 53023)

Others defended the former socialist politician, calling him a historical figure, and it was also argued that of the nearly 3,200 settlements in Hungary, only 23 districts in Budapest could not decide for themselves who they would name a public space after.

According to Mayor Gergely Karácsony, "we all know that there was a moment in history when Gyula Horn was on the wrong side," but added: "confessed sins can be forgiven."

The General Assembly, in which the representatives of the balliberal parties are in the majority, finally voted in favor of the motion. Thus, in the district, at the Children's Square, on which the whole statue of Gyula Horn has stood since 2014, hence the name Gyula Horn Promenade.

A public area will also be named after Gedeon Richter, a well-known Hungarian pharmacist born 150 years ago, and his promenade in the 10th district will be named after the promenade at the suggestion of the district local council, namely the section of Vaspálya Street between Kőér Street and Noszlopy Street.

There will be three new street names in Soroksár, here we will name unnamed public areas: Márton Weiss Street (from the local patriot of a smallholder in the first half of the 20th century), István Bajtai Street (a nobleman living here in the 18th century) and Bodzavirág Street.

Also read our other articles on street names!

In this article we wrote about the fact that in 1990 the historical parts of Budapest got their name back.

We also wrote that almost a thousand street names are reminiscent of cross-border areas in Budapest.

We also wrote an article about the fact that there are still authoritarian street names in the capital.

In our other article, you can read that a street has been named after the sage of the homeland.