Armuth Miklós - Lőrinczi Zsuzsa (szerk.): A Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem Történeti Campusa (Budapest, 2023)
A Műegyetem története - The History of the University of Technology GY. Balogh Ágnes
3 A /Ä (formally known as Miklós Horthy Bridge) closed the subsidiary channel of the Danube to the Buda side. In 1936 a construction committee was established to further develop the university on 20 acres of former marshland to the south of the existing campus. Although funds prevented a large scale project from being developed, the Aerodynamic Institute and Laboratory (Ae) was built between 1936 and 1939 on the corner of Bertalan Street and Sztoczek Street, the Technical University Athletic Football Club (MAFC) and an explosives storage yard placed between the Main and Chemistry buildings designed by Professor Iván Kotsis. In order to mitigate the demand for lecture halls and drawing studios a new development to the roof was constructed to the Main Building's south-west wing in 1961-1962. Consequently this included the infill of the courtyard directly adjacent to the library building in 1963 and the construction of the Auditorium Maximum (the Institution's highest capacity lecture hall). Construction of the "A" building following plans prepared by Szabolcs Horváth commenced in 1963, finally completed in 1969. This was intended as a Hall of Residence but finally realised as an academic building. World War II resulted in severe destruction. At the end of 1966 the German and Hungarian army used the Campus as an army base. The third floor of the main (K) building was used as barracks, whilst the classrooms and courtyards as munitions stores. In the last months of the war the university teaching staff and students were evacuated to the west, leaving the university as a battle ground. 20% of the buildings (about 70 million Pengő) damage was inflicted in addition to damage and loss of equipment. Further losses were inflicted due to looting after fighting subsided. Found amongst the rubble of the main building was the original brass cylinder that contained the original celebratory foundation documents, sadly these had been burned in a grenade attack, only copies of these documents remained. The universities other buildings also suffered severe damage. For three years following war university education faced difficult circumstances. In 1965 debris was removed in order to commence repairs. The new rector was assigned to work as a forced labourer under the leadership of teachers and students, the state could not solve the university's problems, as part of the "Workers for Knowledge - Knowledge for Workers" campaign. During this three-year period 60 million Forint was spent on the restoration of the university. Not only the buildings needed restoration: so did the individual departments and their respective equipment. During reconstruction, however it was not always possible to restore the original condition or quality, this is why the Assembly Hall was not restored. KOTSIS IVÁN TERVÉNEK FÖLDSZINTI ALAPRAJZA | IVÁN KOTSIS’ GROUND FLOOR PLAN
