History of Budapest

Overview

Budapest has had a long and often tragic history, marked by intermittent periods of conflict and squabbling, interspersed with periods of relative calm.  In more recent years, however, the Queen of the Danube, as the city is known, has enjoyed unprecedented growth and opportunity.  In fact, Budapest is quickly emerging as one of the top medical tourism hubs in Eastern Europe thanks to the city's progressive approach to health care and medicine.  

A Tale of Two Cities

When the Magyar people settled in this region of Hungary, they decided to develop a settlement on both sides of the river.  At the time, both sides of town were called Pest, which means stove, thought to refer to the warm water springs nearby.  When Hungary was invaded by the Mongolians and saw terrible destruction, King Bela IV began a process of building fortified castles as protection against future attacks. The name, Buda, was believed to have been coined at around these times.  The Royal Palace was built on what is now Castle Hill on Buda. 

The Royal Palace continued to expand right up till the coronation of King Matyas. Around this time, Buda became the primary seat of power.  By this time, Pest too was growing in stature and Matyas elevated it to Buda’s status.  

Golden age

Matyas’ rule was one of the golden ages of the city’s history. Under his stewardship, the expansion of the Royal Palace reached its heights, and he commissioned a library for the palace. He thwarted attempts by the Turks to invade Hungary, and was aided by his able Italian born queen Beatrice in his reign. Unfortunately he died without an heir, and the country quickly slipped into chaos.  

As the crisis worsened, the Turks saw an opportunity and attacked. In the battle that followed, Hungarian troops were annihilated, and 15 years later, the Turks returned to claim Buda as the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish influence on the city was huge, and can still be seen in the numerous bath houses they built in and around Budapest. 

The Arrival of the Hapsburgs

In 1686, a siege managed to overthrow the Turks, but the new Hapsburg conquerors proved to be even more vicious than their predecessors.  The catholic Hapsburgs began persecuting the city’s Protestants. The natives did rebel on occasion, but each time they were put down.   

The Hapsburg rule was not all about oppression and tyranny, however.  Pest at this time developed into a wealthy center of commerce, helped in no small part by the cozying relations between Hungarian and Austrian nobility.  Around this time, the immigrants who would give modern Budapest her unique flavor began to arrive – Jews and Serbs. 

During this time was also commissioned the chain mail bridge that would connect the two sides of the river.  The chain mail bridge still remains one of the most recognized landmarks in Budapest, and at the time of its inauguration was one of the largest in the world.  The construction of the bridge was also significant in that it helped unify Buda and Pest into one city.  

In the nineteenth century, the city began a process of industrialization, with railways, modern construction, and widespread manufacturing taking place all over the region.  Budapest was left largely unaffected by the First World War, but the Second War took a terrible toll.  Fleeing Germans blew up bridges across the Danube as they fled, and many historic buildings lay in ruins.  The city was soon rebuilt.  After the Communists took over, the Revolution of 1956 against the Soviets led to terrible fighting.  The buildings on Castle Hill still have bullet holes, from the time.  

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