Radó Dezső: Parks and Forests - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)

16-18 m tall willows nid-nodding by the original creek- bed in front of Petőfi Hall. Other trees nearby and at the lakeshore with a similar origin are examples of Ta- xodium. The 20 m tall Taxodium near the sunbathing field was planted by Palatine Joseph in 1846, one year prior to his death. Unfortunately the apex of this tree is drying and we cannot expect a much longer life of it. The double-stemmed yew near Stefánia út near the tobogganing hill is worth to take a look at. One should be aware, however, that its shoot and fruit contain ta- xine, a toxic substance.

PEOPLE’S PARK (NÉPLIGET)

People’s Park is a modest relative of Margaret Island and the City Park. It lies between the József Town district and Kőbánya, administratively belonging to the latter. Although it is located in the geographical centre of Budapest, it is still considered an ill-fated park on the outskirts of the city. A quick look at its location and particulars, however, is enough to conclude that this park has a promising future. It covers an area of 112 hectares, more than one square kilometre. 56.8 hectares are equipped with an irrigation system. 7765 valuable trees grow here and facilities include 28 playgrounds covering 5 hectares. The elevation of the park is 117 m above sea level, a mere 50 m less than Castle Hill.

Neither prominent historical figures nor writers have paid much attention to the People’s Park, though there was not enough reason to do so. The land called Kéwer (or Kőér), a windy, broken terrain unsuitable for agricultural use was donated to the city of Pest by King Béla IV in 1244. Its next mention did not occur in the records until 1703, when Lipót I issued a charter confirming the possession of this estate. The 18th century and the first half of the 19th century passed unnoticed along with the shifting sand. In 1855 locust trees were planted in order to bind the drift sand. The first plantation was not successful as many trees died due to the dry conditions. Nevertheless, in the newspapers of the early 1860’s it was referred to as the People’s Garden or New City Park. On a map published in 1863 the name Städtische Acker Gründe (City Cornfields) appeared. Councillor József llenczfalvy Sárkány was the first to suggest turning the area into a park. He proposed establishing a nursery as a first step toward this goal. The accelerated development of the adjacent districts made the initiative

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