Lajos Kossuth Square
Encyclopedia
Lajos Kossuth Square ( or ) 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
(Hungarian: Országház). There is a station of the M2 (East-West) line
of the Budapest Metro
on the square.
was previously known by several names including; Országház tér ("Parliament Square") (1898-1927), Tömő tér or Stadt Schopper Platz in German
("Landfill Square")(1853- 1898). This name recalls how the low-lying territory flanking the river, then outside the town of Pest
, was filled with rubbish to raise the level of the ground. The first recorded name was Stadtischer Auswind Platz ("Unloading Square for the Ships") in 1820.
In the second half of the 19th century, great public buildings were erected on the square and it became the symbolic centre of the Hungarian state
. The most important among them is the Hungarian Parliament Building
on the western side.
Facing the Parliament, the Museum of Ethnography
(originally the Palace of Justice) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development can be found.
After World War II
, a temporary bridge across the Danube, Kossuth híd, was built between Lajos Kossuth Square and Batthyány Square
, and functioned from 1946 until 1960. It was dismantled when most of the permanent bridges were re-built. It is marked with memorial stones on the Pest and the Buda sides. In its place, a pontoon bridge
was built in 1973 and in 2003, for a few days around national holidays
.
From 17 September 2006 Kossuth Square was the scene of the great anti-government demonstrations
against Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
triggered by the release of Gyurcsány's speech in which he confessed that he had lied to win the 2006 elections. Until 23 October the square was continuously occupied by the demonstrators.
After the 23 October riots the police closed off the square with cordons. The long closure of square caused controversy. The cordons were removed only on 19 March 2007. The damaged park was subsequently restored and the square was given back to the public.
The square will soon be closed again—by decision of the Parliament, it will regain its original, pre-1944 view.
and an equestrian statue of Francis II Rákóczi
, as well as a memorial for the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
. A modern statue of Attila József
is nearby, south of the Parliament, sitting on the bank of the river (actually he is sitting on a grassy mound quite far from the water) as described in his poem By the Danube.
Lipótváros
Lipótváros is a traditional neighbourhood in the city centre of Budapest, Hungary. It comprises the northern part of District V , north of the Belváros. Lipótváros was established in the early 19th century, and became the political centre of Hungary in the early 20th century when the Hungarian...
neighbourhood 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...
, District V, 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....
. Its most notable landmark is the Hungarian Parliament Building
Hungarian Parliament Building
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...
(Hungarian: Országház). There is a station of the M2 (East-West) line
Line 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,...
on the square.
Name and History
The square, renamed in 1927 in honor of Lajos KossuthLajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
was previously known by several names including; Országház tér ("Parliament Square") (1898-1927), Tömő tér or Stadt Schopper Platz in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
("Landfill Square")(1853- 1898). This name recalls how the low-lying territory flanking the river, then outside the town of Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
, was filled with rubbish to raise the level of the ground. The first recorded name was Stadtischer Auswind Platz ("Unloading Square for the Ships") in 1820.
In the second half of the 19th century, great public buildings were erected on the square and it became the symbolic centre of the Hungarian state
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...
. The most important among them is the Hungarian Parliament Building
Hungarian Parliament Building
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...
on the western side.
Facing the Parliament, the Museum of Ethnography
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...
(originally the Palace of Justice) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development can be found.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a temporary bridge across the Danube, Kossuth híd, was built between Lajos Kossuth Square and Batthyány Square
Batthyány Square
Batthyány Square is a town square in Budapest. It is located on the Buda side of the Danube directly opposite the Hungarian Parliament Building...
, and functioned from 1946 until 1960. It was dismantled when most of the permanent bridges were re-built. It is marked with memorial stones on the Pest and the Buda sides. In its place, a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
was built in 1973 and in 2003, for a few days around national holidays
Public holidays in Hungary
- Fixed public holidays :- Remembrance days endorsed by the state :Remembrance Days are working days in Hungary.- Holidays not endorsed by the state :- Special events :...
.
From 17 September 2006 Kossuth Square was the scene of the great anti-government demonstrations
2006 protests in Hungary
The 2006 protests in Hungary were a series of anti-government protests triggered by the release of Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's private speech in which he confessed that his Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election, and had done nothing worth mentioning in the...
against Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány is a Hungarian politician. He was the sixth Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009.He was nominated to take that position on 25 August 2004 by the Hungarian Socialist Party , after Péter Medgyessy resigned due to a conflict with the Socialist Party's coalition partner...
triggered by the release of Gyurcsány's speech in which he confessed that he had lied to win the 2006 elections. Until 23 October the square was continuously occupied by the demonstrators.
After the 23 October riots the police closed off the square with cordons. The long closure of square caused controversy. The cordons were removed only on 19 March 2007. The damaged park was subsequently restored and the square was given back to the public.
The square will soon be closed again—by decision of the Parliament, it will regain its original, pre-1944 view.
Memorials
In front of the Parliament building are the Kossuth MemorialKossuth 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 an 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...
, as well as a memorial for the 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....
. A modern 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...
is nearby, south of the Parliament, sitting on the bank of the river (actually he is sitting on a grassy mound quite far from the water) as described in his poem By the Danube.