Gergely Földváry

The predecessor of Open-Air Stage: The Park cinema opened a 100 years ago in Városmajor Over the past hundred years, a lot has changed in Városmajor, but culture and guaranteed entertainment have always been present and can still be found in the capital's first public park. The predecessor of the Városmajor Open-Air Stage, the open-air Park cinema, opened here more than a hundred years ago, but the fate of the park was also very interesting after that. In 1935, the well-known stage was built, which, along with its surroundings, has undergone continuous transformations over the past century, including recent times.

Hebe's Kiosk: the first outdoor ice cream parlour in Pest Budapest has a long tradition of making ice cream. Already during the Turkish rule, eastern vendors made iced drinks from fruit juices, and then northern Italian immigrants started making ice cream-like sweets in Buda and Pest in the 18th century. However, the real triumph of today's ice cream can be linked to the name of confectioner Péter Fischer in Budapest, who opened his famous kiosk on today's Vörösmarty Square 180 years ago.

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.

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.

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 legendary Zugliget tram line was shut down 45 years ago One of the most popular tram lines, the last of which was the iconic tram 58, was discontinued 45 years ago, on 17 January 1977. One of the first tram lines on the Buda side was the one in Zugliget, which started in 1896, the year of the millennium, and although it was replaced by the 58V replacement bus after the 1977 shutdown, then the 158 bus, and today the 291 bus, to this day, many are waiting for the revival of the tram line in the capital.

It was once a famous ice rink in Buda, today it is one of the busiest junctions in the country Ice skating is one of the most popular winter sports done by many in Budapest. Few people know, but one of the busiest junctions in the country, Széll Kálmán Square, was once home to a famous and very popular ice rink in Buda with a huge, richly decorated skating hall. By the end of the 1930s, the square had been completely transformed and today we only have pictures and stories of the former famous skating rink and sports fields in Buda.

New monumental restorations in the Buda Castle - The Habsburg Gate, the Fountain of the Fishing Children and their surroundings have been beautified We can see another part of the surroundings of the Budavár Palace in the same form as it was once created by the great masters of the turn of the century, the architect Alajos Hauszmann, the sculptor Gyula Jungfer, the sculptors Károly Senyei and Gyula Donáth. Yesterday, the Habsburg Gate, its staircase, and the Fountain of the Fishing Children were handed over, after being renovated together with their surroundings. We visited the site, where we could not only see the demanding restoration of these artistic works, but also see a special festive exhibition as well as an intimate Advent fair.

The House of Creation was demolished 85 years ago One of the famous buildings in Buda was the House of Creation (Teremtés-ház), which later, as House of Formation (Alkotás-ház), gave the name of the street. On the facade of the house was a relief called Creation, which was considered one of the most beautiful works in all of Buda. The work probably owes its existence to Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, presented in 1800 at the Buda Castle. The building was demolished 85 years ago and replaced by a six-story house. On the occasion of the anniversary, Pestubda presents the history of the former famous building.

From whom Gellért Hill was named: the educator of prince Emeric died a martyr's death 975 years ago The name and legend of Saint Gellért is known not only to the Hungarians, but certainly to the tourists visiting here. If for no other reason, because the Gellért Hill statue of the first martyr of Christian Hungary is an integral part of the Budapest cityscape; the bishop has been holding the cross high above the capital for more than a hundred and ten years. The memory of Bishop Gellért, who died a martyr's death in 975 years, is preserved not only on the mountain, but also in many other works in the capital.

Once upon a time there was the Amusement Park - In the early 1800s, the former 'Vurstli' settled in the Városliget The history of the former Amusement Park of Budapest dates back a long time: performers in Városliget entertained the population of the capital since the beginning of the 19th century. The Vurstli, the Ős-Budavár, the Angol Park, and from 1950 the Amusement Park of Budapest were all created to entertain people. The Amusement Park, which has had several golden ages, was finally closed in 2013, and in its place the Holnemvolt Vár can now be seen and the Pannon Park is being built, which will perhaps restore the atmosphere of the former entertainment district.

A decades-old plan comes to life – A tunnel connecting Széll Kálmán Square with Városmajor The construction of the new pedestrian crossing connecting Széll Kálmán Square with the Postapalota (Postal Palace) and Városmajor started last autumn, the two ends of which met under Várfok Street almost a month ago. The tunnel, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will not only provide an unobstructed passage for pedestrians and cyclists in the area to Városmajor but will also create a new entrance to the former Postapalota, also known as the Buda Palace.

One of the oldest ways of the cross in Budapest – The Kiscell Calvary is over 200 years old During the Easter period, people used to visit many calvaries, i.e. Ways of The Cross, in Buda and Pest. One of the oldest calvaries in the city, built 200 years ago and starting next to the Kiscelli Museum, is still one of the most visited Ways of The Cross in Budapest today. Even in 1956, the year of the revolution plenty of people walked the Way, as can be seen in a photo from 65 years ago.

János Esterházy in Budapest – The memorials of a martyr János Esterházy was an outstanding Hungarian statesman, a martyr of the 20th century. He alone did not vote on a bill allowing the deportation of Jews in the Slovak parliament. Although his work is mainly related to Upper Hungary (in present-day Slovakia), Esterházy lived in Budapest several times, and many monuments in the capital are connected to him. Among others, he saved the lives of thousands of Slovak, Hungarian and Jewish people and helped evacuate more than a hundred thousand Poles to Hungary and Budapest. His beatification process began in 2019.

An unexpected safe haven – Actress Gizi Bajor sheltered the hunted during the terrors of World War II The outstanding Hungarian actress, Kossuth prize-winner Gizi Bajor died seventy years ago. Her name is known by everyone that is even slightly interested in Hungarian theatre. What is less known is that her villa was a safe haven in 1944 and 1945, where she sheltered, among others, Jews and famous writers in hiding. Since her death, the villa on Stromfeld Aurél Road in the 12th District has preserved her memory as the Gizi Bajor Museum.

Founded 70 years ago the KFKI served as a meeting place for Nobel laureates The Central Physics Research Institute, KFKI was established in Csillebérc seventy years ago. Near Normafa the institution quickly became a central location of scientific and academic life in Hungary and was visited by several Nobel Prize-winning researchers. The first nuclear reactor in Hungary, which is still operational, was built here, and the Pille radiation dose meter was also developed on the campus. Scientists awarded by NASA have also worked within its walls. Divided into several divisions after the end of socialism in Hungary, Csillebérc still houses committed researchers.

Queen Consort Elizabeth and the most beautiful lookout tower in Budapest The Elizabeth Lookout Tower atop János Hill in Budapest was opened with much ceremony 110 years ago. The tiered, cylindrical tower of snow-white limestone has since then become an unmatched staple of the Buda Hills, as it is visible from large swathes of the city. The present form of the lookout tower should be attributed to Frigyes Schulek. To honour the tower's anniversary, we have collected various images and stories from its past.

Clean Budapest – The city has been cleaned regularly for 125 years The inhabitants of Pest and Buda used to carry garbage to rubbish pits or simply drop it on the banks of the Danube. Because of this, there was often an unbearable stench in the two cities. All this changed radically 125 years ago when an office was established in the capital to clean the roads of Budapest and collect rubbish.

Brides, stuntmen and sandbags have travelled on the Chairlift – Budapest's most unique means of public transport The János Hill chairlift is one of Budapest's most interesting means of transport and has been serving the city since 19 August 1970. There are several interesting facts connected to it. Few know that the first “passengers” on the chair lift were sandbags. A wedding was once held up in the air, and the Trapper jeans brand also shot a commercial on the lift, with a stuntman travelling above the city standing up.

In the footsteps of Kölcsey – The poet who wrote the national anthem of Hungary was born 230 years ago Ferenc Kölcsey, born 230 years ago, was one of the greatest figures of Hungarian literature and public life in the Reform Period. His poem, Himnusz ('hymn'), which became the Hungarian national anthem, elevated him among the immortals of Hungarian culture. Despite this, his memory was not marked in Budapest by any public statue or plaque for a long time. Pestbuda examines the current memorial to the great poet in Budapest.

Jenő Cholnoky, one of the greatest Hungarian geographers, born 150 years ago Every day we walk past buildings whose past we know nothing about. The block of flats delimited by 29 Rákóczi Road - 1 Gyulai Pál Street - 4 Stáhly Street are similar. Today Pestbuda the site because the famous geographer Jenő Cholnoky was born 150 years ago and 100 years ago, in 1920, he moved here. His work is immense, yet he is mostly associated with the study of China and Lake Balaton. Look at his connections in Budapest with Pestbuda.

The Székely national anthem was first played in Budapest – Memorial plaque unveiled on the lyricist's home While many Hungarians know the lyrics to the Székely national anthem, while the work written soon after the Treaty of Trianon was signed quickly became symbolic of Hungarian unity, few know the name of the writer who originally wrote the lyrics: György Csanády. To honour the writer's memory, born 125 years ago, a memorial plaque has been unveiled on the 12th-district house he lived in.