Budapest [antikvár]

This is only a book. A collection of printed words and pictures. It aims to look at the versatile city of Budapest in a mirror that simultaneously reflects its nearly two and a half million inhabitants, the centuries-old houses and the busy-tranquil streets. This, in fact, is an endless task. And still people try time and again hoping for success . . . The Hungarian capital is divided into two parts and yet united forever by its river, the Danube. If it could tell stories, it would be quite a romance. There are archeological finds by the hundred to prove that this area was already inhabited some 100,000 years ago. Vértesszőlös, a village not far from Budapest, is the site where bones of "Samu", prehistoric man, were found. Later, inhabitants included the Thracians, lllyrians and Celts, in the migration period the Germans and Turks, then the Huns, Avars-the list goes on . . . The predecessor of today's Óbuda was the Roman military town Aquincum, founded some 2,000 years ago. Surviving mosaics, amphitheatres and dwelling houses bear witness to the life of this one-time imperial town. The region's history also abounds in cruelties and dark periods. In 1241-1242 the Mongol invasion brought destruction both to this area and the whole country, and it also took its toll of human life. Having hardly recovered, the Hungarians then had to endure 150 years of occupation by the Turks, who also took possession of Buda. Contemporaries could see lofty janissaries making their way through the streets in the Castle district and along the banks of the Danube to the baths, which they themselves erected over the medical waters of the thermal springs. Some of the famous health-giving Turkish baths are still being frequented by locals today. Best known and perharps the most attractive among these is the Rudas bath at the foot of Gellért Hill. In 1686, chroniclers recorded the final expulsion of the last Turks from the Castle of Buda. Independence, however, was not so 'easily' won. Austrians subdued the country by force of arms and annexed it to the Hapsburg Empire. From then on, German words replaced Turkish music in the Castle. Then came the revolution of 1848 in Pest-Buda. It sparked offthe War of Independence which ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Hapsburgs, as stated in the Declaration of Independence by Parliament on April 14,1849. However, on August 13 of the same year the War of Independence yielded to the superiority of the Austrians, who forced the nation back into subjection. The Compromise of 1867 brought to life the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, which existed until 1918. The name Budapest was first printed on maps in 1872, when three towns - Pest, Buda and Óbuda - were united to form the country's administrative capital. Pest-Buda had been the country's commercial centre from the early Middle Ages. In the 13th century, Buda was named the royal seat. Its outstanding geographic location, the intersections of the main trade routes, the safe crossing places on the Danube and the favourable climate all made the settlement fit to become the country's capital. During the period of Austrian rule the town lost its significance; kings succeeding to the Hungarian throne held their coronation ceremonies and parliaments in Bratislava, which lies much closer to Vienna. The second half of the 18th century brought radical changes to the town, and its speedy development drew the cream of the country's intellectuals to Pest-Buda. The thoughts of the best of the nation coincided with progressive minds in Europe; the artistic life of Pest-Buda gained fame abroad; the best composers of the day gave concerts on the banks of the Danube and the voice of its poets could be heard even in Paris . . . Today, Buda Castle is part of our World Heritage. The aspect of Europe's largest inhabited fortified town has been shaped by past centuries, and especially by the eclecticism of the 19th century. However, its modern form is even now being shaped, as the last ruined remnants of World WarTwo are being restored. For the inhabitants of Budapest, the Castle is a symbol. It stands for all the destructions and rebirths history could bring. Indeed, history left its mark upon the Castle: the visitor can see the 18th century for himself among the Baroque, Rococo and Louis XVI-style houses. Budapest abounds in charming and famed buildings, such as Parliament, the Fishermen's Bastion, the Citadel on top of Gellért Hill, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences or the Chain Bridge. The group of buildings and monuments around Heroes' Square Is worthy of true admiration, while the 2.5 km long Népköztársaság útja nearby reminds the visitor of the boulevards of Paris. It would be easy to give a long list of noteworthy sights, but let me instead call attention to a couple of outstanding architectural objects of the recent past, which are simultaneously European and typically Hungarian: the Art Nouveau buildings erected according to the designs of Ödön Lechner and Károly Kós or the buildings of the Museum of Applied Arts or those in the City Zoo can be seen as fine examples of turn-of-the-century architecture which relied heavily on folk architecture and ornamentation. On a sunny day, a glance from the top of Gellért Hill is enough to see the bustling traffic on the eight Danube bridges. In 1945, all these bridges fell into the river below. They were blown up, with the savage aim of cutting the heart ofthe city in two .