Budapest

The Chain Bridge was completely renovated 35 years ago, but the Kádár coat of arms was not replaced The Chain Bridge was last renovated in 1986–1988 before the current reconstruction, and the crossing was closed to cars on 1 March 1987. The renovation affected almost every part of the bridge, which was already in extremely poor condition at the time: the rusty chains as well as the stone surfaces and ornaments of the gates and the structure of the roadway. Although the Hungarian coat of arms with a crown-laurel wreath was already adorned on the candelabras, the idea of exchanging the coats of arms of Kádár on the pylons had to wait for years.

Nándor Hidegkuti, to the miracle striker of the Golden Team, was born in Óbuda a hundred years ago The excellent footballer of MTK, who became the Olympic champion in 1952 with the legendary Golden Team, started playing football with a rag ball next to the brick factory in Újlak. He had come a long way from Óbuda to world fame, but he managed to achieve what many longed for. Nándor Hidegkuti was born a hundred years ago.

From a noisy apartment building to the palace of the Academy: János Arany lived in many places in Pest Born 205 years ago, János Arany first saw Pest in 1843, but he only became a permanent resident of the city more than a decade and a half later, in 1860 - and remained so until his death. Several of the poet's former homes in Pest still stand today: the two classicist houses on Üllői Road preserve the memory of the poet, as well as the magnificent palace of the Academy, in which he lived for the rest of his life.

Rising houses - How did Budapest's development into a world city begin? As a result of the Compromise of 1867, dizzying economic development began in Hungary. This was particularly striking in the capital, which in a few decades has evolved from a medium-sized settlement to one of the largest cities in Europe. People flocked to Budapest from the countryside, and more and more houses were built to give the new townspeople a place to live.

Kőbánya can also cause surprises Kőbánya is one of the most deplorable districts in Budapest. Lately, unfortunately, this part of the city has entered the national press in connection with more internet memes or crimes. However, PestBuda undertook to explore the green parks of the 10th District, prepared for the worst. Our journalists were very pleasantly surprised in most places. The street scene, public safety has improved a lot lately in the areas they have explored. Take a look at the pleasant surprises.

History on the map - What do Budapest's street names tell us? Browsing the street names in Budapest, the question may arise: who did the streets and squares we pass through every day get their name from? A recent interactive map that can be browsed by anyone can help you navigate the maze of names: for example, it is clear that real people can be namesakes as well as fictional characters, and some eras, such as the 19th century, gave the city far more names than others. We tried out the interactive map and came across exciting connections.

Hundred thousand people at the opening, millions at the exhibition - The House of Terror Museum opened 20 years ago 20 years ago, on the eve of Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism, the House of Terror, the former Arrow Cross and then Communist torture house, opened at 60 Andrássy Avenue. The interest was huge, almost a hundred thousand people appeared at the opening to get acquainted with two terrible periods of Hungarian history.

There is no cable car on Gellért Hill - The capital withdraws from the contract The local council of Budapest is withdrawing from the 2009 contract for the construction of the Gellért Hill cable car and the planned bus car park at the lower station. The reason for today's decision of the General Assembly of the Capital City was that more than thirteen years had passed since the entry into force of the contract, without any substantial construction work for the implementation of the investment under the contract having begun at all.

The Józsefváros Telephone Centre fit perfectly into the city, today it houses elegant hotels The incorporation of industrial buildings into the urban environment was an important urban development issue in the 1880s. On the one hand, they tried to move - in many cases relocate - the noisy large plants that often emit polluting substances farther from the city centre, and on the other hand, the leaders of the capital wanted to design the centres suitable for the development and service of public utilities and communications in such a way that they fit as closely as possible into the architecture of a given street or space. Fortunately for posterity, this intention has mostly produced eye-catching results, a good example of which is the József Telephone Centre.

The connection between Nyugati and Déli Railway Stations was also planned in the 19th century - now it is made underground In recent years, the idea has emerged to connect the Déli and Nyugati Railway Stations with a tunnel. The plan of the Budapest Development Centre is now one step closer to implementation, as a contract has been signed for the preparation of an environmental impact assessment of the connecting railway tunnel to be built under the Danube. The idea of connecting the Déli [Southern] and Nyugati [Western] Railway Stations, which are relatively close to each other, is not a new idea. It arose almost immediately after the opening of the Déli Railway Station in 1861, although an overground connection was still imagined at the time.

The government decided to build the Lágymányosi Bridge 30 years ago The government decided on today's Rákóczi Bridge, which for a long time was the youngest Danube bridge in Budapest, exactly 30 years ago, on 20 February 1992. A bridge was planned here as early as the 1960s, so the decision ended a very long, three-decade process. Construction of the bridge could then begin, which was completed in 1995, but the originally planned tram only crossed it in 2015.

Wonder in Kőbánya - We went to the Eiffel Art Studios The Eiffel Art Studios of the Hungarian State Opera is one of the new attractions of the 10th District and of the whole of Budapest. From the former Északi Járműjavító [Northern Locomotiv Workshop] of MÁV, it has become a cultural centre offering colourful programs, while also helping the operation of the Opera. Not only is the Art Studios [Műhelyház in Hungarian, meaning Workshop] interesting because of its complex function, but the recently completed renovation of the hall, originally built in 1886, has also been a great success.

The builder, János Bobula, could live in one of the most beautiful palaces on Andrássy Avenue only for a few years "It is one of the most beautiful buildings on the avenua," said the contemporary press when 62 Andrássy Avenue, formerly known as Bobula Palace, was built in 1882-1883. Maybe it wasn't called that for no reason. The carefully designed building, the list of famous artists of the age, the unique furnishings all suggest that the praise was justified. Moreover, the building faithfully reflected the owner’s financial situation, social status, and architectural views. Although the house is known to everyone today as “a building next to the House of Terror,” Bobula’s Palace deserves much more than that.

The Swan Song - Ödön Lechner's last building In recent days, the Szent László Grammar School in Kőbánya has appeared frequently in the media. Although it was only visible as the background of the events, the viewers may have noticed the special facade of the building and its unique decorative elements - this is explained by the fact that it was the last work of Ödön Lechner (the genius who created the Hungarian architectural form), and it was finished in the year of the master's death, in 1914.

Crowded homes, high mortality: the people of Pest did not have an easy life 150 years ago Today, we cannot imagine the misery of the people of Pest in certain parts of the city before the unification of the city. Nor was it rare, according to statistics from 150 years ago, for several families to live in a single room. Those living in a room crowded with 6 to 10 people died sooner, and the average life expectancy, even in the best parts of downtown, was less than 26 years. PestBuda's article reveals that the misery was great, especially in Ferencváros and Józsefváros, but the situation did not improve in the other districts of the capital for a long time.

In the future, we will also be able to see the exhibitions of the National Museum in the Castle Garden Bazaar From now on, the National Museum will hold at least two exhibitions a year in the Castle Garden Bazaar in co-operation with the Várkapitányság. The exhibition entitled The Hungarian Bride will be held in two locations, in the Museum building and in the Castle Garden Bazaar.

Market halls, which have been handed over 125 years ago, have become the sights of Budapest Modern food supply was one of the important factors in the development of Budapest into a world city. City management found it essential to have indoor, health-friendly stalls, constantly monitored inventory, fixed prices, and fixed opening hours, but little or no open-air markets could meet these conditions. The market halls were designed to regulate all this: the Central Market Hall on Fővám Square, the Rákóczi Square, the Klauzál Square, the Hunyadi Square and the Hold Street Market opened on 15 February 1897, just 125 years ago.

Chain Bridge candelabras: oil lamps shine when handed over, now LED lighting is being installed We signed a contract with the Moon for the lighting of the Chain Bridge: this is how the front page of a funny paper complained in in the middle of the 19th century that the visibility on the first bridge in the capital was poor. The candelabras of the Chain Bridge, currently under renovation, will be restored to their 1914 condition, but will be equipped with energy-saving LED lights. Since the handover of the bridge in 1849, the lighting has changed several times, these are shown below.

It was the largest indoor sports facility in Hungary but it burned down - The Budapest Sports Hall was handed over 40 years ago Forty years ago, the largest indoor sports hall in Hungary at that time, the Budapest Sports Hall with 12,000 seats, was handed over to the public. The huge building hosted world competitions in many sports, but many Hungarian and world-famous foreign bands and performers, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Deep Purple, Elton John and Tina Turner, also performed here. The building was completely burned down in 1999, demolished and replaced by the Papp László Sports Arena.

A forgotten ramp - Another part of Buda Castle is being rebuilt Buda Castle was not only a beautiful architectural work inside and out until the middle of the 20th century, but also a venue for dazzling events, where guests arrived in carriages and later in elegant cars. After 1905, the main entrance opened from Szent György Square, in a newly built wing building with a ramp on the other side. This building, which bridges the level difference, will also be part of the future reconstruction of the palace.

The Lehel Market Hall building was handed over 20 years ago The Lehel Market Hall building was handed over twenty years ago on the site of the more than 100-year-old Lehel Square Market. The view of the huge five-story hall, which includes more than three hundred business premises, is still very divisive. Thousands of people shop every day in the hall built in the postmodern style. How could it be that even though they wanted to design a hall here as early as the 1900s, they had to wait until the 2000s? That is what PestBuda investigated.

The Ikarus 60 trolleybus was introduced seventy years ago In the 1950s, the Hungarian-made solo, ie non-articulated, trolleybuses, which ran until the mid-1970s, began to be produced out of need. Although Soviet technology was used, the body was the same as the Ikarus 60 bus that appeared at the time. The first Ikarus 60T, ie the trolleybus, was introduced to the general public in Budapest 70 years ago.

The new Museum of Ethnography will be handed over in the spring There have been huge changes in City Park recently that are not over yet. The huge car park behind the Kunsthalle (Műcsarnok) has been occupied by an impressive building, the new Museum of Ethnography. It attracts attention not only with its sheer size but also with its shape - all while respecting the park nature of its surroundings. In the spring, anyone will be able to go up to the top of the building, but for the time being, only a few of those interested had the opportunity to do so.

The first section of downtown Arany János Street has been renewed The renovation of the first section of Arany János Street in the 5th district has been completed. During the reconstruction of the part between the Széchenyi embankment and Tüköry Street, a lot of plants were planted, including many trees, and the street was enriched with bicycle storage, new street furniture, widened sidewalks and a street drinking fountain. Renovation of the second section of Arany János Street, leading to Podmaniczky Square, is expected to begin in March.

A statue was erected for György Szepesi, the legendary sports reporter György Szepesi, the legendary sports reporter and the "twelfth member" of the Golden Team, was born in Angyalföld a hundred years ago.

The building that was once home to books - The Révai Brothers' Bookstore on Üllői Road The section of Üllői Road between Kálvin Square and Nagyvárad Square has several buildings that are important not only for their architectural values but also for their cultural history. Fortunately, over the past few years, several of these have been successfully renovated as originally planned. The house at 18 Üllői Road also belongs to this group, it was renovated after many decades of deterioration. Visitors probably do not know that when this house was rebuilt in 1898, it housed the Révai Brothers' Bookstore.

The German Theatre in Pest, once the largest theatre in the city, burned down 175 years ago The side of today's Vörösmarty Square facing the Danube has been lined with many buildings over the past 200 years, the first being the German Theatre in Pest [Pesti Német Színház], which was handed over in 1812. Although excellent Hungarian artists of the time also performed in the huge building, which could accommodate 3,500 spectators, such as Déryné and its second conductor was Ferenc Erkel himself, however, the theater could only be used for 35 years, as it burned down on 2 February 1847.

The former diplomatic residence in the Castle was demolished The demolition of the former diplomatic residence, the later Burg Hotel, was completed this week in the Szentháromság Square in Buda Castle, leaving only piles of rubble. The building, designed by György Jánossy and László Laczkovics and completed in 1981 is planned to be replaced by a house that will evoke the exterior of the buildings originally demolished after World War II.

The tram started on the Várkert Embankment 115 years ago The tramway at the Chain Bridge bypasses the Buda end of the bridge in a tunnel, under the ground. However, when it was built, the tramway was debated for 9 years by the Budapest City Council and the Budapest Public Works Council, it was difficult for them to decide whether to run the tram on the upper or lower embankment. In the end, the dispute was concluded, so 115 years ago, in 1907, trams could start south of the Chain Bridge.