Budapest Régiségei 35/2. (2002)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Irásné Melis Katalin: Régészeti kutatások a 15. századi pesti városfal Károly kőrúti szakaszán : Budapest V. Károly körút 28-30. 549-585

RÉGÉSZETI KUTATÁSOK A 15. SZÁZADI PESTI VÁROSFAL KÁROLY KÖRÚTI SZAKASZÁN REMAINS OF THE 16-17™ CENTURY FORTIFICATION Signs of a gun-emplacement made of stakes and palisades were recovered in the 10m wide strip of land in front of the city wall. The gun-emplacement itself can be seen on the city wall's Northwestern side on pictures of the siege from the end of the 17

th century Based on layer analyses, it seems that the outer gun-emplacement was built in the 17

th century during the Turkish occupation. According to archeological observations, the gun-emplacement was disassembled during peacetime. Signs of the stakes and palisades were well-preserved in the undisturbed yellow sandy soil underneath the medieval layers. The gunemplacement's outer edge is one with the edge of an 8 m wide and 6 m deep outer trench. It is presumable that by the time the 8 m wide trench was being dug out the gun-emplacement had already been disassembled, since the layers of soil are very loose here, which means a danger of landslides. It is possible that this large trench was dug out - in place of an earlier, much smaller trench - by the German citizens of Pest against the Kuruts (Ferenc Rákóczi's insurrectionist forces fighting against the Habsburg) in the early 1700s. The 6 m wide and 4 m deep inner trench from the Turkish occupation was also enlarged at the start of the 18

th century In some places, signs of a fence or a row of palisades were also recovered at the inner side. A section of the trench that cuts through the Northwestern part of the city was also found in the area most stirred up by the excavation. This trench is known from the 17

th century pictures depicting the siege. Based on the archeological layers, it seems that the trench was dug out in the middle of the 16

th century and could still be seen in the middle of the 18

th century HISTORICAL SUMMARY Based on the archeological data, the city wall was constructed in the second half of the 15

th century during the reign of King Matthias (Corvin Mátyás) (14581490). It is first mentioned in a charter from 1493. Its gates were mentioned in 1512,1516 and 1522. Prior to the city wall's construction the area was rearranged through extensive landworking. The citizens of Pest, Újbécs and Szentfalva agreed to build a common city wall which would defend all three settlements. They also decided that the areas enclosed by the city wall would be parcelled out based on a uniform system. In compliance with the new plans, those building and edifices that fell in the city wall's intended line were pulled down. This involved houses in Újbécs and Szentfalva, the remains of the 13

th century Pest city wall, the unfinished royal castle's buildings around Régiposta street and a large leather processing workshop in the city's Southwestern part (the author's excavations, 1967-1997). The redistributed plots were quickly built upon. The medieval city's new layout of plots and street network is preserved even today By the early 1500s Pest became a free royal city The dynamic development of city life was interrupted by the Turkish victory at Mohács in 1526. The Turkish forces that arrived to Buda burned Pest down as well. The Turks did not remain in Buda, but the joint effect of groups of nobles struggling for royal power and the impending danger of another Turkish attack resulted in Pest not being able to rebuild itself and forever losing its medieval greatness. During 1526 and 1541 Pest suffered a great deal from the struggle for possession of the royal palace. János Szapolyai and Ferdinand Habsburg, the two opposing Hungarian kings and their allies (Hungarian, German and Turkish forces) fought bitterly on the Pest side as well. By this time Pest became Buda's military fortification, as signalled by the city wall's reconstruction and strengthening around 1538. In 1541 Buda fell into Turkish hands and Hungary split into three parts. Buda became one of the Turkish Empire's outermost military garrisons, while Pest - for as long as the technical level of guns made it possible - functioned as a fortification defending Buda. During the campaigns aiming to recapture Buda the Imperial forces recaptured Pest (1602) and held it for two years, during which the Turks held the city's Northwestern part under constant cannonade from Buda. As a result of the advancements in gun technology Pest's military significance and power dwindled. Holding on to Pest while sieging Buda meant serious losses. In 1604 the Imperial command withdrew its forces from Pest and gave up the city but not before the city wall was demolished and the city burned down. In 1606 the Turkish, Hungarian and German rulers made peace in Zsitvatorok and Buda remained under Turkish control. During the 17

th century the Turks reconstructed the fortifications in Pest and until 1684 lived undisturbed in Buda. In 1684 the Holy League - a coalition of European nations aiming to drive the Turks from Europe - was formed and military operations began. With news of the united European forces approaching, the Turks abandoned Pest in 1684, but went on to defeat the Imperial forces at Buda. The retreating Imperial troops once again torched Pest, this time there was no reconstruction. Troops began arriving to liberate Buda in 1686. From these troops, the Bavarian corps were stationed in and around the ruins of Pest. The united Hungarian and Western forces liberated Buda after a 75 day siege and ended 150 years of Turkish occupation. 571