Molnár József - Szilas Péter: Night Lights - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)
to build its own power plant in Kelenföld to supply the electricity needed by the city’s populace and industry. It was realized that the only way to economically operate an energy system was through the large-scale sale of electricity. The project, which was scheduled to take three years, was finished in a year! The boulevards on the left bank of the Danube, together with Kossuth Lajos utca and part of the lower embankment were supplied with electric lighting. The assembly gave permission for the installation of electric arc lights along further streets, including Állatkerti körút and Podmaniczky utca. Arc lamps were also set up on the promenade along the Danube. Most of the lamp standards were rolled steel made into tubes by Mannesmann standing on ornamental cast iron bases. Public lighting during and after World War I World War 1 broke out in 1914. Life went on, however. The municipality of the capital city bought off the two power stations and their networks in 1919. That move was timed to precede the expiry of the concession partly in order that the costs of public lighting could be reduced. Needless to say, the war had not left the energy situation untouched. In 1916, due to the worsening coal shortage, the Municipal Board ordained, in accordance with a decree issued by the Minister of the Interior, that public street lighting should be discontinued as of 1 January. That was the first measure to restrict electric energy consumption in Hungary. A 1918 ordinance regulated the illumination of offices and other work places stipulating that no more than one 60 watt bulb was to be used in each. In spite of the restrictive measures there followed a quantitative increase in public lighting. Due to the shortage of imported coking coal in the last years of the war, the provision of the capital with gas became increasingly difficult. The gas factory in Ferencváros was actually forced to terminate production in the May of 1918. The compelling force of circumstances necessitated the reduction of gas consumption. The first to be put out of operation were the street lamps with only a few remaining in service in places which were considered critical from the point of view of traffic. This lighting was highly insufficient as far as crime prevention was concerned, which situation called for urgent measures. But as domestic coal was unsuitable 22
