Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) 6 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING TABLE OF 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 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 8 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 INTRODUCTION nyone seeing the Hungarian Parliament The last third of the 19th century was a unique Abuilding for the first time will undoubt- period of tranquillity in Hungary’s turbu- edly be amazed. Children are generally 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 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. 10 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING 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 inhabi tants 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 Hradcˇany. 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 Par- liament 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 histori- cal feuds or daily politics. 11 14 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING AT FIRST GLANCE DIMENSIONS he figures quoted by the guides regarding numerals), 29 staircases and originally 13 lifts. Tthe 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 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING AT FIRST GLANCE THE PARLIAMENT There were a number of reasons why the ‘home’ Representatives had 438 members, while the BUILDING IS SO taLL of Hungarian legislation was conceived to be Chamber of Peers had 290. There were also THat FROM THE TOP OF THE DOME ALMOST so monumental by its designer. On the one a large number of staff to support them and THE WHOLE CITY CAN hand, the scale of the building was intended run the building. Originally, the building had a BE SEEN 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 The impressive size of the 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 two 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 addition to wanting to impress the world Since 1 January 2000, the Hungarian corona- CAN NO LONGER AFFORD with its splendour and ornaments, the tion regalia (the Holy Crown, the sceptre, the SUCH EXTRAVAGANCE: In FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS Parliament building was, after all, built to orb and the coronation sword) have also been NOW taKE PRECEDENCE perform a specific function. Three of its most kept in the Dome Hall. OVER DECORatIVE DETAILS important sections can be clearly seen, even Hungary has had a unicameral (single-cham- from a distance, between its turrets and but- ber) Parliament since December 1944. For three t resses. 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 Hun- gary celebrated its 1,000th anniversary – in the then half-finished building. 18 THE REMARKABLE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING AT FIRST GLANCE 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.