A szegedi nagyárvíz és újjáépítés. Európa Szegedért (Budapest- SZeged, 2004)

I. Az árvíz - Zombori István: Az 1879. évi árvíz

ISTVÁN ZOMBORI:

THE GREAT FLOOD OF SZEGED

The flood of 12th March 1879 inundated the second largest and second most populated city of Hungary. More than 70.000 inhabitants had to be saved in an extremely fast and organised way. These vast works could only be carried out with the help of the army, under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Pultz, partly by military vessels and partly by the organisation of the inhabitants’ escape. The essay examines, within the local administrational and political possibilities and in the national and Austro- Hungarian organisational framework, how they managed to achieve a minimal personal loss. According to our present knowledge, due to drowning, collapsing houses and subsequent illnesses and injuries approximately 200 people were killed. Considering the conditions of that age this was a relatively low number.

At the same time most of the city’s 6000 buildings were destroyed, only 300 buildings remained. The basic epidemic danger was further increased by the lack of drinking water, the cemeteries that were flooded and the fact that the work of the hospitals became impossible, just like that of the city hall that was responsible for running the city. The essay scans through the quick measures and the operations, with the help of which the city managed to avert the primary danger. The essay also mentions the visit of the King, I Frank Joseph on 17th March. This royal visit and the promise that was made by him and the subsequent reaction of the Hungarian and European press had considerably contributed the fact that a significant financial basis was created through donations for the re-building of Szeged.

12. A Klauzál tér- Kárász utca víz alatt

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