Horváth J. András: A megigényelt világváros. Budapest hatósága és lakossága a városegyesítés éveiben - Disszertációk Budapest Főváros Levéltárából 2. (Budapest, 2010)

Summary

characteristics of the people, and for the tax-capacity weakness. The difficulty was due not only to the slim layer of the society middle strata, or the lower third striking poverty, or the overburdening of the élites. The main problem was, in addition to these, the low level of civilisation need of the bulk of the local society, which had serious impacts on local governance. Small inclusions of the local élite inspired the local politics and a certain „from above” character prevailed both in the representation and administration. Masses of inhabitants, because of their cultural-civilization definitenesses were basically indifferent in completing general tasks and demands were programmatically declared by higher circles of the local society.

Missing the broad social basis in creating a real metropolis explains the atmosphere of an elitist autonomy on the one hand, and a general need to maintain strong and active urban bureaucratic apparatus on the other. The traditional burocrats rarely tended demonstrating social sensibility, but regarding issues of managing or technology the council was more often ready to accept up-to-date solutions than the assembly.

Finally, urban institutions and administration culture were held by contemporaries as chief conditions to develop the city effectively. Although, they were not really successful to find the most suitable tools for it. The most important physical infrastructure objects were performed in the following fifteen years - basically the realisations of aims conceptualized in the period discussed. The administration of Budapest in the 1900’s despite all its insufficiencies was able through its structures to take up the fight in providing new urban needs.

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