Budapest, 1946. (2. évfolyam)

5. szám - BENEDEK ANDRÁS: Színházi esték

BUDAPEST ILLUSTRATED HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL REVIEW PUBLISHED BY THE CITY OF BUDAPEST THE MILLENARY EXHIBITION FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF FIFTY YEARS It will be exactly fifty years ago this May that the Millenary Exhibition was formally opened. The purpose of the exhibition was to recall all that had happened during a thousand years of Hungarian history, to offer tangible proof of the results achieved and, at the same time, to lay the foundations of the new millenium. The organisers wished create an exhibition that would become an eighth wonder, that would be the envy of France and the United States, an exhibition that would bring untold benefits to the domestic industries, that wipe out the national debt and that, might even induce the reigning monarch to leave his palaces in Vienna and bring him back to Budapest. The exhibition was intended to lure inumerable visitors to the Hungarian capital, a record of the brilliant past and a promise for the years to come. Over four years were spent in preparation for the event. To begin with, the powers that be spent their time in heated arguments: disputes and procrastination were the order of the day! »If you get good marks, I shall take you to see the exhibition« were the words with wich fond parents drove their progeny to still further efforts in the schools. »If you behave well, you will be allowed to go to the exhibition« was the promises made by doting mothers to their 'teen-age daughters. Every possible means of propaganda was used to induce all Hungary to visit the exhibition. One of the most popular booksellers of the day, William Méhner, devoted one of his widely read series of booklets to the exhibition. In this work, »A preview of the Millenary Exhibition«, the enthusiastic author promised that the exhibition would be »the sensation in the lives of his good Hungarian countrymen.« »It will bring joy to the hearts of our friends and make our enemies green with envy«. »At last, we shall show the world who we are and what we are made of and how great our value among the nations of the world.« Ten days after the exhibition had been opened, ten thousand men marched through the streets of Pest with posters bearing the words »Free rights of suffrage« and it took detachments of mounted police to disperse crowds. Faven the dust storms swept up by that event were swallowed by the gaping crowds that milled around the marvellous sights before them. After all, they thought, holidays are far and few between and then let's enjoy ourselves if we are on a holiday. As one observant writer said »who can blame the poor workman, if on his day of rest he puts on his Sunday best although he may wear rags during the week.«? The country too dressed itself in all its finery, paid the admission charge and flocked to see the marvels of the thousand years. j . ^ ß -д. FROM THE FIFTY-YEAR OLD UNDERGROUND RAILWAY TO THE NET-WORK OF EXPRESS TRAMWAYS May 2n

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1896 was notable day in the annals of the Hungarian capital. It was on that day that the underground railway was first placed in service The underground of Budapest was the first electrically driven underground railway in Europe. The work of construction and planning was entrusted to Siemens & Halske, one of the leading firms of electrical engineers of the time. The length of the track is 3.7 kilometres of which 3.2 kilometres are underground. The walls of the underground consist of concrete blocks one meter thick. The roof is supported by rolled iron girders. At important cross roads, the roof has been built to stand a weight of twentyfour tons ; elsewhere it has a weight bearing capacity of sixteen tons. Asphalt was used to prevent sub-soil water from seeping into the tunnel and to make the roof watertight. A sum of three million florins was allocated for the purpose of constructing the underground railway and of two hundred and ten thousand for the construction of the carriages. The earth and cement work was entrusted to the Resicai Works; the track was supplied by the Diósgyőr Foundry ; the carriages were constructed by the Schlick Factory ; the majolica used in the construction of the stairways and used in the walls at the various stations was supplied by the Zsolnay Factory. The Letter Patent of the underground ensured a ninety years right of ownership. When the Municipality acquired possession the company, main, the underground railway passed into the possession of the Municipality. Had the underground railway not been built under the Andrássy Avenue but, for the sake of argument down the Rákóczi Street or under the Great Boulevard, it is sure that it would have developed far more and that, today, there would be an extensive net-work of tracks which could be used for the purpose of developing a system of express tramways. As it is, the underground railway can hardly be fitted into this system. Yet the time has arrived when decision will have to be taken regarding the question of communications in Budapest. It will not be possible to delay the construction of a network of express tramways in Budapest very much longer. Great sacrifices will have to be made. These demand that we should pay particular care and forethougth when planning the course the system of express tramways will take. J

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„os Szemere THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMEDY THEATRE It will be fifty years this year that the theater-loving public of Budapest first attended the opening performance in the Gaiety Theatre. The where the site of the theatre was selected was then Leopold-Boulevard an ugly thoroughfare and situated in a part of the town rarely visited by the inhabitants of the Hungarian capital. There were heaps of rubble and rubbish, there was a montsrous steam mill, there was a garden full of KÉSZÍTMÉNYEI ÁRBAN ÉS MINŐSÉGBEN 45 ÉV ÓTA VEZETNEK SHOE AND BOOT SPECIALITIES, TO ORDER SP ECIA LIT E S DES SOULIERS ET BOTTES MASSCHUHE S P EC IA LI TÄ TEN Ű J CÍME: CSÁKÁNY CIPŐSZALON " CÉGT.: ÖZV. CSÁKANYNÉ CIPŐTEREM K. F. T. BUDAPEST, IV., VÁCI-UTCA 12. FÉLEMELETEN TÁVBESZÉLŐSZÁM: 3 80- 1 28 203