Holló Szilvia Andrea: Budapest's Public Works - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2010)

Town gas from coal - The Óbuda Gas Works (1913-84)

to be transferred to four-storey high holders. Made of steel sheets riveted together and covered by a mantel of reinforced concrete, these holders stood upon foundations prepared with peculiar circumspection because of the loose, sandy soil. The gas was eventually compressed into the pipeline.

During World War I, workers were enlisted, but the real problem was caused by the increasingly severe shortages of coal; with deliveries stalling and reserves dwindling, lower-grade coal was used as a substitute. Under the Soviet Republic, People's Commissar Mihály Max (a locksmith by training) was in charge of managing the Óbuda works, but he had sufficient foresight to keep Győző Schön by his side, which is why production continued at a professional level. With the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, no feedstock arrived from the distant mines of the Dual Monarchy, and it was to be feared that the lower-grade coal which was available would soon destroy the expensive machinery. Thanks to general manager Ferenc Ripka’s intercession, high quality Czech and German coal was procured in time. Adverse circumstances did not discourage the community of gasworks employees. In the twenties, the management kept working on improvements - resulting in large numbers of foreign experts coming to the company to acquaint themselves of its up-to-date equipment and technologies.

■ Poster by György Konecsni from (938 ("It's cheap if you use economy gas!")

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