Zeidler Miklós: Sporting Spaces - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2000)

Csepel Island

As early as 1919, the year of its foundation, the Csepel Gymnastics Club (CSTK) had a simple sports field built in the harbour. This, however, was taken away from the workers’ association after the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, to be turned over to Hungary’s National Defence Association in 1920. Not only was the club obliged to settle for a sandy football pitch, but Csepel in general had to go without any serious sports facilities until 1938. The situation was changed by a government decree of 1937 stipulating that every factory form its own sports association. The giant trust Manfréd Weiss Works simply took over CSTK, which it used as the basis of two new clubs: the Football Club of the Manfréd Weiss Companies (WMFC) and the Gymnastics Association of the Manfréd Weiss Companies (WMTK). In the following year, the stadium, Hungary’s first “sports grove”, set in fine natural environment, was built on a 25-acre plot in the woods called Királyerdő or King’s Woods (no. 1 Béke tér, discrict XXI). Lying in the midst of some beautifully kept parklands, the complex included track and field facilities, a grass football pitch and terraces with a capacity of 25,000 built to plans by Aladár Mattyók. A sports hall and a swimming pool were later added to the complex. At the time of large-scale developments in Hungary’s heavy industry between 1948 and

Sports complex of Csepel

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