TRAVELLERS AND EXPATRIATES ALIKE. IT IS A BOOK
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE
REMARKABLE BUILDING HUNGARIANS ARE SO PROUD OF.
EVEN A QUICK BROWSE THROUGH WILL REVEAL WHY
HUNGARIANS LOVE AND ADMIRE IT SO MUCH.
THE AUTHORS – AN URBAN HISTORIAN AND AN ARCHITECT –
HOPE THAT READERS WILL COME TO FEEL THE SAME WAY.
THIS BOOK ASPIRES TO SHARE THE OBVIOUS CHARMS
AND HIDDEN SECRETS OF THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING
ILLUSTRATING THEM WITH 65 ARCHIVE PHOTOS,
FOUR SPECIAL EXPLANATORY DRAWINGS AND 111 ORIGINAL
PHOTOGRAPHS.
THE PEOPLE WHO RUN AND MAINTAIN WHAT IS ONE OF
THE LARGEST PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD ARE ALSO
REMEMBERED. DEFYING ITS AGE, THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING
WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1885 AND 1904, DURING A PERIOD
OF HUNGARY’S HISTORY WHEN, ALTHOUGH STILL PART OF
THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MONARCHY, THE COUNTRY HAD
ALREADY EMBARKED UPON THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE.
THE PARLIAMENT ENCAPSULATES HUNGARY’S PAST.
THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING WAS FITTED WITH
STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY – THE BEST THAT WAS
AVAILABLE AT THE TIME – MAKING IT INTO A CURIOUS BLEND
OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION FROM THE LATE 1890S.
FASCINATING THOUGH THIS BOOK IS, NOTHING CAN
COMPARE WITH A VISIT TO THE BUILDING ITSELF.
THE BOOK BRIEFLY TOUCHES ON THE INCREDIBLY
TURBULENT STORY OF THE SQUARE IN FRONT OF THE
BUILDING. STATUES HAVE COME AND GONE EVEN IF MOST
OF THEM HAVE RETURNED. HOPEFULLY, THIS VOLUME WILL
NOT HAVE TO BE RE-WRITTEN IN THE COMING DECADES.
THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING
THIS IS AN UNCONVENTIONAL BOOK FOR TOURISTS,
ANDRÁS
TÖRÖK
TAMÁS
WACHSLER
THE REMARKABLE
HUNGARIAN
PARLIAMENT
BUILDING
Parliament Guide Books
Series Editor
Margit Kerekes
This book has been published
by The Directorate of Cultural
Affairs of the Office of the
Hungarian National Assembly
Director
István Bellavics
Publishing coordinator
Csaba Németh
All rights reserved. Evidence of
the publisher’s express, written
permission is required for any
and all copying, reproduction,
or recording on any storage
device.
Issued by the Office of
the National Assembly,
publisher:
György Such
Designed by
Balázs Vargha
András
Török
Tamás
Wachsler
THE REMARKABLE
HUNGARIAN
PARLIAMENT
BUILDING
The Office
of the National
Assembly
Budapest 2016
Revised by:
János Pótó
The authors were assisted
in searching for archive photos by:
Éva Dúzsi
Adaptation of the Hungarian
manuscript of the text:
Szilvia Széll
Adaptation of the text of the original
Hungarian edition:
Tamás Eiler, Zsuzsa Macskássy
Translated into english:
EDIMART
English version revised by:
ADRIAN HART
Graphic design:
Balázs Vargha, Stalker Studio
Font: Gotham, Olsen, Didot
Printed and bound by
Dürer Printing House Ltd.,
in Gyula, in 2016
Executive manager:
Viktor Fekete, Managing Director
ISBN 978–615–5674–00–6
ISSN 2498-7980
Dedicated
to the memory of
Ilona Zámborszky
librarian
and historian
(1904–1991)
and
Ferenc Vadas
architectural
historian
(1958–2010)
6
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
TA B LE O F CONTENTS
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
10
Introduction
13
AT FIRST GLANCE
15
Dimensions
18
Function
21
Style
23
Ornamentation
26
Order
31
HOW IT WAS BUILT
32
The Plot
34
The Decision and the Tender
39
Imre Steindl, DESIGNER, and builder
45
The Construction
51
A traditional Building with Modern Technology
57
THE PART OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
59
A Main Entrance Rarely Used
63
Stairways, lifts and Corridors
67
The Dome Hall and the Holy Crown
69
The Holy Crown
71
The Two Lounges
72
Gallery of Crafts
75
The Two Chambers
83
IN THE TEMPEST OF HISTORY
85
The Birth and Tribulations of the painting of
‘The Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin’
7
89
A Lesson in History in Twenty-Four Pictures
94
THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING’S RESIDENTS
96
During and after the Siege of Budapest
99
THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING after 1945
100
8
1956 by the PARLIAMENT BUILDING and the Square
105
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
107
Endless Corridors Adorned by Miksa Róth’s Windows
110
Thék and Jungfer, the Two ‘Master Craftsmen’ Industrialists
113
The Hunter’s Hall and its Painters
115
The Crown Guards
117
The Parliament Guards
118
Caretakers of the PARLIAMENT BUILDING
121
TRADITION AND INNOVATION
122
Lipótváros, Parliament District
125
The Statues on the Square Before 1945
131
The square After 1945
139
The Parliamentary Library
143
Exhibition Spaces at the Museum of the National Assembly
147
Kossuth Square statue minipaedia
148
APPENDIX
150
Photo Credits by Page
152
FURTHER READING IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN HUNGARIAN
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
TA B LE O F CONTENTS
9
Introduction
A
nyone seeing the Hungarian Parliament
building for the first time will undoubt-
period of tranquillit y in Hungar y’s turbu-
ed ly be a m a zed. C h i ld ren a re genera l ly
lent history. The independence lost centuries
attracted by the building’s ‘fairytale’ charac-
before seemed to be within reach again. Under
ter, while adults are fascinated by its sheer
the umbrella of the Habsburg Empire, in the
scale. This huge, unique, ornate building was
shade of the authority of a long-reigning king,
designed by Imre Steindl (1839-1902) as a wor-
Franz Joseph I (1848-1916), Hungary underwent
thy expression of Hungarian statehood.
significant development. In 1867, the dynasty
The capital city of Hungary was established
10
The last third of the 19th century was a unique
reached a compromise with Hungary, which
in 1873 with the unification of three settle-
had resisted the Austrians until that time; as
ments – Pest, Buda and Óbuda. The founding
a result the Austro-Hungarian Empire was
fathers’ aim was to build a new, modern capital
established and lasted until 1918. One part of
city for Hungary that would have few rivals. It
the confederation was formed by the Austrian
was in the interests of both the developing city
Empire, and the other by the Kingdom of Hun-
and the country to have a large-scale Parlia-
gary. In 1892, Budapest gained the status of
ment building constructed.
capital city, alongside Vienna.
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
Introduction
The view of
the Danube
is dominated
by the
Parliament’s
skyline
There are several buildings in Budapest that
The building was constructed for what was then
look much older than their actual age. All of
the bicameral Parliament of a much larger coun-
these buildings – the Basilica, Matthias Church,
try than modern-day Hungary. Its huge presence
the Fisherman’s Bastion, the old Royal Pal-
provided a comforting sight for the residents of
ace, and Vajdahunyad Castle in the City Park
Hungary, a nation that lost World War I, with the
(Városliget) – were built in a unique golden
country reduced to a third of its size following the
era, when a city was built that filled even the
Treaty of Trianon (1920). From 1945 the National
poorest inhabi­tants of the city with pride. Hun-
Assembly became unicameral, and as Parlia-
gary’s capital city attempted to compensate for
ment reduced in size, other high public offices
the grand buildings destroyed or never built
moved to the Parliament building. In 1950, dur-
during its glorious and difficult history – if you
ing the Communist dictatorship, an illuminated
will, its own Notre-Dame, St. Peter’s Basilica
red star was attached to the top of the dome. In
and Hradčany. The Parliament building is an
1989, the Republic of Hungary was proclaimed
esteemed ‘imprint’ of this effort.
and the star was removed from the building. The
change in the political system brought freedom
and independence for the country, and the Parliament building was again used in accordance
with its original purpose from then on. The love
and admiration of Hungarians for the Hungarian
Parliament building has remained undiminished
over the years, free from the influence of historical feuds or daily politics.
11
12
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
AT F IRST GLANCE
AT
FIRST
GLANCE
13
14
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
AT F I R S T G L A N C E
Dimensions
T
he figures quoted by the guides regarding
numerals), 29 staircases and originally 13 lifts.
the sheer scale of the Parliament build-
On the exterior of the building there are 90
ing are likely to astonish visitors who go on a
statues, with a further 152 inside the build-
tour of the building: it is 265 metres long, 123
ing. In addition, there are lots of gargoyles and
metres wide, and a maximum of 96 metres
other monstrous shapes visible on the roof.
high measured from pavement level.
The length of the red carpets placed in the hall-
The floor area of the building (with a total
ways and on the stairs is about 3.5 kilometres.
of ten courtyards) is 17,745 square metres and
it is 473,000 cubic metres in volume. It has
27 entrances (traditionally marked by Roman
15
The PARLIAMENT
BUILDING
from Castle Hill
16
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
AT F I R S T G L A N C E
The Parliament
building is so tall
that from the top
of the dome almost
the whole city can
be seen
There were a number of reasons why the ‘home’
Representatives had 438 members, while the
of Hungarian legislation was conceived to be
Chamber of Peers had 290. There were also
so monumental by its designer. On the one
a large number of staff to support them and
hand, the scale of the building was intended
run the building. Originally, the building had a
as a demonstration of wealth; and on the other
total of 691 rooms. Since then, there have been
hand, the Parliament building had to be every
many changes, during which the number of
bit as impressive as the Royal Palace on the
rooms has increased quite significantly, how-
Buda side, and with other Parliament build-
ever the plan is to convert spaces back to their
ings in Europe. During the design phase, Buda
original state.
Castle was much smaller than it is today, and
The Hungarian Parliament building is con-
the decision to extend it to its current size was
sidered one of the world’s largest public build-
only taken when the Parliament building was
ings and has four levels, which are traditionally
already well under construction.
called the basement, ground floor, mezzanine
T he impressive size of t he Parliament
and main floor. During the tour, visitors can
building was also necessary because of the
only view certain parts of the main floor, but
large number of representatives. Until 1944,
this book allows the reader a glimpse of the
the National Assembly had t wo chambers,
other levels as well.
namely the Chamber of Representatives and
the Chamber of Peers. During the time of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Chamber of
17
Function
decoration
Function
Today’s architecture
can no longer afford
such extravagance:
functional elements
now take precedence
over decorative
details
In
addition to wanting to impress the world
Since 1 January 2000, the Hungarian corona-
with its splendour and ornaments, the
tion regalia (the Holy Crown, the sceptre, the
Parliament building was, after all, built to
orb and the coronation sword) have also been
perform a specific function. Three of its most
kept in the Dome Hall.
important sections can be clearly seen, even
from a distance, between its turrets and but­
ber) Parliament since December 1944. For three
t­resses.
years after the end of World War II, parliamen-
The northern wing was designed for the
tary life was vigorous, but the Chamber of Peers
Chamber of Peers and the southern wing for the
was not revived. This marked the beginning of
Chamber of Representatives. Both sections con-
the ‘expropriation’ of the Parliament building for
sist of chambers, lounges, and numerous other
other than legislative purposes, both the Office
facilities, all connected to one another by long
of the Prime Minister and the Head of State were
corridors.
severly damaged by the siege of Budapest. Dur-
The ornate room located beneath the dome
ing the Communist regime between 1949 and
rising high in the middle serves as the main
1990 – which represented a fundamental belief
venue for celebrations and events even now,
in the power of unity, rather than in the principle
but in the past, when the National Assembly
of separation of powers – the National Assembly
functioned with two separate chambers, the
met for only a few days a year.
joint sessions of the two Chambers were also
held there. The very first session took place at
the time of the 1896 millennium – when Hungary celebrated its 1,000th anniversary – in the
then half-finished building.
18
Hungary has had a unicameral (single-cham-
T H E R E M A R K A B L E H U N G A R I A N PA R L I A M E N T B U I L D I N G
AT F I R S T G L A N C E
Tourism was part of the life of the Parliament
sentatives; later, in 1952, it was made publicly
building to varying degrees, but never entirely
available and since then it has been functioning
went away. Even a museum was established
as an open library, with anyone over 18 entitled
there in 1929, although it closed down in 1949.
to register as a member.
The museum was reopened in 2014 (with new
The building also functions as a venue for
exhibits); the permanent exhibition, present-
state functions, independent from parliamen-
ing the history of the National Assemblies, can
tary sessions. Traditionally, the most important
be viewed in the northern part of Kossuth Lajos
Hungarian state awards are bestowed in the
Square, below the surface of the square. The
Parliament building, and it is also where foreign
museum also hosts an exhibition explaining
heads of state and government are received as
the history of the building, as well as the lapi-
guests.
darium and the 1956 memorial, opened in the
former ventilation tunnels.
The establishment of the Parliamentary
Library in the Parliament building was included
Every year there is a program called Christmas for Children in the Parliament building, at
which disadvantaged primary school children
are hosted by the Speaker for an entire day.
in the initial plans. The establishment of the
Of course, the basic function of the Parlia-
library, to assist with legislative work, was
ment building is to serve as a home for the leg-
decided by the Chamber of Representatives at
islature, and this concept heavily dominates the
the end of the 1860s. Initially, it was hosted in
building’s external appearance.
the Hungarian National Museum. From 1873, it
was maintained in the temporary building of
the old Chamber of Representatives, and was
only moved to its final location, the new Parliament building, in 1902. Originally it was a closed
collection and research unit serving the repre-
19