Hungarian Parliament Building
Encyclopedia
The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary
, one of Europe's oldest legislative
buildings, a notable landmark
of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest
. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube
, in Budapest
. It is currently the largest building in Hungary
.
resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl
emerged as the victor; the plans of two other competitors were later also realized in the form of the Ethnographical Museum
and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, both of which face the Parliament Building.
Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904. (The architect of the building went blind before its completion.)
About one thousand people were involved in construction, during which 40 million brick
s, half a million precious stone
s and 40 kilograms (88.2 lb) of gold
were used.
After World War II the diet became single-chambered and today the government uses only a small portion of the building. During the communist regime
a red star
perched on the top of the dome, but was removed in 1990. Mátyás Szűrös
declared the Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Lajos Kossuth Square
on 23d October in 1989.
Similar to the Palace of Westminster
, the Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical facade and a central dome. Also from inside the parliament is symmetrical and thus has two absolutely identical parliament halls out of which one is used for the politics, the other one is used for guided tours. It is 268 m (879.3 ft) long and 123 m (403.5 ft) wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevator
s, 27 gates, 29 staircases
and 691 rooms (including more than 200 offices). With its height of 96 m (315 ft), it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica
. The number 96 refers to the nation's millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary
in 896.
The main façade faces the River Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square in front of the building. Inside and outside, there are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls.
On the façade, statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders and famous military people are displayed. Over the windows, there are pictures of coats of arms
of kings and dukes. The main entrance is the stairs located on the eastern side, bordered by two lions.
When entering the Parliament, visitors can walk up great ornamental stairs, see fresco
es on the ceiling and pass by the bust of the creator, Imre Steindl, in a wall niche. Other statues include those of Árpád
, Stephen I and John Hunyadi
.
One of the famous parts of the building is the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided)
central hall, with huge chambers adjoining it: the Lower House (today the National Assembly
meets here) and the Upper House (until 1945). The Holy Crown of Hungary, which is also depicted in the coat of arms of Hungary
, has been displayed in the central hall since 2000.
Further features include the stained glass
and glass mosaic paintings by Miksa Róth.
Due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, the building is almost always under renovation.
During the Communist regime, the government added a large red star to the central steeple at the dome of the building, but after its downfall, the star was removed from the steeple.
of the Budapest Metro
, from the Lajos Kossuth Square station.
In front of the building a 1956 Hungarian Revolution
memorial is to be found, as well as the imposing Kossuth Memorial
and the equestrian statue of Francis II Rákóczi
. There is also a sitting statue of Attila József
at the side of the Parliament building, as described in his poem By the Danube. Martyrs' Square (Vértanúk tere) is immediately adjacent to Kossuth Square, with a statue of Imre Nagy
.
National Assembly of Hungary
The National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members...
, one of Europe's oldest legislative
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
buildings, a notable landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. It is currently the largest building in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
History
Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the dietDiet of Hungary
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period...
resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl
Imre Steindl
Imre Steindl was a Hungarian architect.- Biography :He graduated at the Technical University of Budapest and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. He was a teacher of the Budapest Technical University from 1869...
emerged as the victor; the plans of two other competitors were later also realized in the form of the Ethnographical Museum
Ethnographic Museum (Budapest)
The Ethnographic Museum is a national museum in Budapest, Hungary.- History :It was founded as the Ethnographic Department of the Hungarian National Museum in 1872...
and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, both of which face the Parliament Building.
Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904. (The architect of the building went blind before its completion.)
About one thousand people were involved in construction, during which 40 million brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s, half a million precious stone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s and 40 kilograms (88.2 lb) of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
were used.
After World War II the diet became single-chambered and today the government uses only a small portion of the building. During the communist regime
People's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
a red star
Red star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is an important ideological and religious symbol which has been used for various purposes, such as: state emblems, flags, monuments, ornaments, and logos.- Symbol of communism :...
perched on the top of the dome, but was removed in 1990. Mátyás Szűrös
Mátyás Szurös
Mátyás Szűrös is a Hungarian politician. He served as provisional President of the Republic from October 18, 1989–May 2, 1990. His presidency occurred during Hungary's transition from communist to democratic government...
declared the Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Lajos Kossuth Square
Lajos Kossuth Square
Lajos Kossuth Square is situated in the Lipótváros neighbourhood of Budapest, District V, on the bank of the Danube. Its most notable landmark is the Hungarian Parliament Building...
on 23d October in 1989.
Features
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, the Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical facade and a central dome. Also from inside the parliament is symmetrical and thus has two absolutely identical parliament halls out of which one is used for the politics, the other one is used for guided tours. It is 268 m (879.3 ft) long and 123 m (403.5 ft) wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, 27 gates, 29 staircases
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
and 691 rooms (including more than 200 offices). With its height of 96 m (315 ft), it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica
Saint Stephen's Basilica
St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary , whose mummified fist is housed in the reliquary.-Architecture:...
. The number 96 refers to the nation's millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
in 896.
The main façade faces the River Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square in front of the building. Inside and outside, there are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls.
On the façade, statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders and famous military people are displayed. Over the windows, there are pictures of coats of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of kings and dukes. The main entrance is the stairs located on the eastern side, bordered by two lions.
When entering the Parliament, visitors can walk up great ornamental stairs, see fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es on the ceiling and pass by the bust of the creator, Imre Steindl, in a wall niche. Other statues include those of Árpád
Árpád
Árpád was the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians . Under his rule the Hungarian people settled in the Carpathian basin. The dynasty descending from him ruled the Hungarian tribes and later the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301...
, Stephen I and John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
.
One of the famous parts of the building is the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided)
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
central hall, with huge chambers adjoining it: the Lower House (today the National Assembly
National Assembly of Hungary
The National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members...
meets here) and the Upper House (until 1945). The Holy Crown of Hungary, which is also depicted in the coat of arms of Hungary
Coat of arms of Hungary
The current coat of arms of Hungary was adopted on July 3, 1990, after the end of communist rule. The arms have been used before, both with and without the Holy Crown of Hungary, sometimes as part of a larger, more complex coat of arms, and its elements date back to the Middle Ages.The shield is...
, has been displayed in the central hall since 2000.
Further features include the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and glass mosaic paintings by Miksa Róth.
Due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, the building is almost always under renovation.
During the Communist regime, the government added a large red star to the central steeple at the dome of the building, but after its downfall, the star was removed from the steeple.
Accessibility and Neighbourhood
The Parliament is accessible with Line 2Line 2 (Budapest Metro)
The Metro 2 is the second line of Budapest Metro. It connects the western Déli pályaudvar, and the eastern Örs vezér tere. Daily ridership: 451,627.-History:...
of the Budapest Metro
Budapest Metro
The Budapest Metro is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground. Its iconic Line 1, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.-Lines:The Metro consists of three lines,...
, from the Lajos Kossuth Square station.
In front of the building a 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
memorial is to be found, as well as the imposing Kossuth Memorial
Kossuth Memorial
Kossuth Memorial is an imposing statue of former Hungarian Regent-President Lajos Kossuth in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building on Lajos Kossuth Square in Budapest...
and the equestrian statue of Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
. There is also a sitting statue of Attila József
Attila József
Attila József was one of the most important and well-known Hungarian poets of the 20th century.-Biography:The son of Áron József, a soap factory worker of Romanian origin from Bánát, and Hungarian peasant girl Borbála Pőcze, he was born in Ferencváros, a poor district of Budapest. He had two elder...
at the side of the Parliament building, as described in his poem By the Danube. Martyrs' Square (Vértanúk tere) is immediately adjacent to Kossuth Square, with a statue of Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy was a Hungarian communist politician who was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary on two occasions...
.