XX. századi műemlékek és védelmük (A 26. Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1996 Eger, 1996)

Előadások: - Sztálinváros – the Hungarian paradigm of socialist urban vision

On the 7

th of November 1951, on the basis of a local initiative, the town took on the name of Stalin. Beyond the fact that a „Sztálinváros" already existed in most of the peoples republics, the political leadership maintained that it is with the personal contribution and support of Comrade Stalin that the town has come into existence. Naming the Steel-works after Stalin was motivated also by the totally irrational consideration that this would morally commit the Soviet economic authorities to maintaining planning (the steel-works plans) and delivery deadlines. The Pártház (Party Headquarters), which represented the first element of the Fő tér (Main Square), was already standing in 1951, although the general town-plan was only completed in the Autumn of 1952. This followed a resolution of the Council of Ministers in April 1951 concerning the development of Sztálinváros as a town. Relative to Social Realist and the monumental expactations of the propaganda, the Party Headquarters itself was rather insignificant and without bravery. Yet it also illustrated architecturally a clear shift in direction, directly opposed to earlier modernist conventions. These expectations were realised at a conceptual level: the minor programme did not allow for design of an enormous building which would express the power of the party in its physical dimensions. Thus, the designer had to heighten his inner socialist enthusiasm to resolve this modest building... The intimate, inner courtyard and the onlooking corridor provided brightly lit spaces for the workers and at the same time ensured the feeling of forged bonds, thus symbolising the strength of the Party." In December 1952, the Director of the Országos Tervhivatal (National Planning Office) outlined the general town plan to the Allamgazdasági Bizottság (Committee of State Finance) and, in revised form, to the Politikai Bizottság (Politburo). At this time the construction of Sztálin út (Stalin Avenue), the major avenue connecting the main square and the factory entrance, was at an advanced stage. This is despite the fact that the Építészetei Tanács (Architectural Council) only evaluated the plans in the middle of 1953. The Tervhivatal (Planning Office) reported summarily that the construction of the first socialist city in our country should reflect the ,,superiority of the socialist economic system and the power and goals of the working class. For these reasons, the external appearance and internal structure of the city should express the happy life of the liberated working class and demonstrate how the Party and the State, through the city and its institutions, satisfies in every respect the physical and cultural needs of the workers". The town structure and centre was becoming increasingly enriched and more complex. The basis of the structure was the intersection of three axes which form the „natural location of the town centre": the route from Budapest (the main transport axis of the town), the avenue ending at the entrance to the steel-works (Sztálin út, the route of the May Day march) and the route from the train station. This centre should „form the most important quarter" of the town. This space would have a ,,square-like" character and contain the most important political, administrative and cultural institutions, and in addition ,,the statue of Comrade Stalin, leadere of the Béketábor (People fighting for peace) must be erected" here. This document dealt in detail with the most problematic aspect of the design, the development of a vegetation-free main square. It pointed out that the completed three-storey party headquarters determined the architectural context to such an extent that even a competition organised by the Építésügyi Minisztérium (Ministry of Construction) in May 1952 was unable to produce a successful resolution. According to the program of the competition, the six-storey apartment buildings under construction on Sztálin út had to be stepped down to a two-storey height approaching the square, so as not to harm the proportions of the party headquarters. Thus they decided not to respect the height of the existing