Varga László - Lugosi András (szerk.): URBS. Magyar Várostörténeti Évkönyv XIII. - URBS 13. (Budapest, 2019)
Recenziók
380 Abstracts Csaba Gidó Parks near the railway stations - space between the settlement and the world of the railway tracks In the 19th century the railway stops and stations appeared as strange extensions in the peripheral areas of the settlements. The railways were accompanied by industrial establishments, congested traffic, polluted and crowded environment. To alleviate the atmosphere, the railway companies tried to develop green areas and flower beds at the meeting points of the towns and the railway stations. In the second half of the 19th century, the type designs elaborated by MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) included detailed plans for creating flower gardens, growing grass and planting trees around the railway stations. Thanks to Ödön Aczél, railway engineer, a park was created near Csíkszereda railway station, named Erzsébet Park. The first fountain, tennis court and public sculpture of the town were installed in the park. The bust of Queen Erzsébet was inaugurated on 11 September 1910. My study deals with the history of the green areas and parks near the railway stations and analyses their role as public squares between the railway and the towns. The history of Erzsébet Park in Csíkszereda is discussed in more detail. Roland Perényi The guilty People’s Park Criminality, (homo)sexuality and suicide in the largest public park of the capital, 1896-1945 Immediately after it became a public park, the People’s Park became known as a dubious area, where criminals were on the loose, prostitutes were looking for clients and at the same time, the hidden parts of the park became important rendezvous points for the capital’s homosexual subculture. The study shows the use of the park, contrary to norms, between 1896 and 1945. The research is based on contemporary police sources and Budapest press reports. The analysis is focused on three main themes: criminality, (homo)sexuality and suicides committed in the park. During the period the People’s Park played some role in several greater or lesser crime, either as a crime scene or a hiding place of the criminals or the stolen loot. Besides crimes, the People’s Park was an important venue of hetero- and especially homosexual contacts. The police tried to prevent the crimes and the indecent sexual practices with enhanced surveillance and regular police raids. The People’s Park was a common scene for attempted suicides on a public place, too. In the last part of the study I analyse the suicides documented in the park, based on the ways of committing, location, the age and the social status of the person who committed suicide.
