PREMIER Béla Imrédy VINTAGE ORIGINAL PHOTO Former Prime Minister of Hungary

$301.66 Buy It Now, Click to see shipping cost, 30-Day Returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176301211726 PREMIER Béla Imrédy VINTAGE ORIGINAL PHOTO Former Prime Minister of Hungary. PREMIER Béla Imrédy VINTAGE ORIGINAL 6 1/2 X 8 1/2 INCH PHOTO Former Prime Minister of Hungary Béla vitéz Imrédy de Ómoravicza was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1938 to 1939. Born in Budapest to a Catholic family, Imrédy studied law as a young man before he started working for the Hungarian Ministry of Finance.

Béla vitéz Imrédy de Ómoravicza (Hungarian: Vitéz ómoraviczai Imrédy Béla; 29 December 1891 in Budapest – 28 February 1946 in Budapest) was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1938 to 1939. Born in Budapest to a Catholic family, Imrédy studied law as a young man before he started working for the Hungarian Ministry of Finance. Eventually becoming a skilled economist and financier, Imrédy was made Director of the Hungarian National Bank in 1928. In 1932, he was appointed Minister of Finance under the fascist Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös. After resigning in 1935, Imrédy became President of the Hungarian National Bank. Extremely ambitious, Imrédy was known to hold right wing views on matters of domestic and social policy. On matters of foreign policy, Imrédy was pro-British, a sentiment which was to help him gain the position of Minister of Economic Coordination under Prime Minister Kálmán Darányi. When Darányi resigned in May 1938, Imrédy was appointed prime minister by Regent Miklós Horthy. Imrédy's attempts to improve Hungary's diplomatic relations with Britain initially made him very unpopular with Germany and Italy. Imrédy realized that he could not afford to alienate the two fascist powers on a long term basis, however, and from the autumn of 1938 onward his foreign policy became increasingly pro-German and pro-Italian. Imrédy also worked to gain a base of power in Hungarian right wing politics, founding the Movement of Hungarian Life. He was quick to suppress any rivals in his quest for power, and influential fascists such as Ferenc Szálasi were harassed by Imrédy's administration. As Imrédy drifted further to the right, he proposed that the government be reorganized along totalitarian lines and enacted legislation that restricted the freedom of the press and caused many Jews to suffer economically. Béla Imrédy on trial before the People's Tribunal in Budapest In February 1939, Imrédy's moderate political opponents, angered at his growing compliancy to Germany and Hungary's right wing, presented evidence to Regent Horthy that suggested Imrédy's great-grandfather was Jewish. When Horthy confronted Imrédy with the evidence, Imrédy could not deny the claims about his heritage and resigned the premiership on 13 February 1939. Imrédy served in the Hungarian Army for a time in 1940, and in October of that year he founded the pro-fascist, Anti-Semitic Party of Hungarian Renewal. When German troops occupied Hungary in 1944, Imrédy was German Plenipotentiary Edmund Veesenmayer’s top choice to replace Miklós Kállay as prime minister. Horthy could not be swayed to accept the idea, however, and Döme Sztójay was made prime minister instead. Imrédy became Sztójay's Minister of Economic Coordination in May 1944, but he was forced to resign in August. After German forces were driven out of Hungary, Imrédy was arrested and tried by a People's Tribunal in November 1945. Found guilty of war crimes and collaboration with the Nazis, he was sentenced to death and executed by a firing squad in the courtyard of the jail in Markó street, Budapest, in 1946. The prime minister of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország miniszterelnöke) is the head of government of Hungary. The prime minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate. The current holder of the office is Viktor Orbán, leader of the Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance, who has served since 29 May 2010.[3] According to the Hungarian Constitution, the prime minister is nominated by the president of Hungary and formally elected by the National Assembly. Constitutionally, the president is required to nominate the leader of the political party who wins a majority of seats in the National Assembly as prime minister.[4] If there is no party with a majority, the president holds an audience with the leaders of all parties represented in the assembly and nominates the person who is most likely to command a majority in the assembly, who is then formally elected by a simple majority of the assembly. In practice, when this situation occurs, the prime minister is the leader of the party winning a plurality of votes in the election, or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. Official title The title of Hungary's head of government in Hungarian is miniszterelnök. Literally translated, this means "minister-president". However, since "prime minister" or "premier" is the more usual title in a parliamentary system for a head of government in English-speaking nations, the title is translated as "prime minister" by most English sources. History of the office Portrait of Count Lajos Batthyány by Miklós Barabás, 1848. He was appointed as Hungary's first Prime Minister. Palatine of Hungary Main article: Palatine (Kingdom of Hungary) The palatine (Latin: comes palatii, comes palatinus, later palatinus (regni), Hungarian: nádorispán/nádor, Slovak: nádvorný župan / nádvorný špán, later: palatín/nádvorník, German: Palatin) was the highest dignitary in the Kingdom of Hungary after the king (a kind of powerful Prime Minister and supreme judge) from the kingdom's rise up to 1848/1918. Initially, he was in fact the representative of the king, later the vice-regent (viceroy). In the early centuries of the kingdom, he was appointed by the king, later elected by the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary. After the Habsburgs solidified their hold of Hungary, the dignity became an appointed position once again. Finally, it became hereditary in a cadet (junior) branch of the Habsburg dynasty after King Francis appointed his brother Joseph. Creation of the position Main article: Hungarian Revolution of 1848 During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 the revolutionaries wanted the creation of a Hungarian cabinet which would be independent from the Austrian Empire and the Buda Chancellery (which was office of the imperial governor-general). One of the 12 points said: 2. A responsible government in Buda-Pest. Ferdinand V appointed Count Lajos Batthyány for the position of prime minister of Hungary on 17 March 1848. The government was called ministry, differently from the current acceptation. The ministries were called departments. The position was vacant after the defeat of the freedom fight. List of officeholders Further information: List of prime ministers of Hungary See also Records of prime ministers of Hungary List of prime ministers of Hungary by tenure List of prime ministers of Hungary (graphical) List of heads of state of Hungary List of Hungarian monarchs List of palatines of Hungary Budapest (UK: /ˌb(j)uːdəˈpɛst, ˌbʊd-, ˈb(j)uːdəpɛst, ˈbʊd-/, US: /ˈbuːdəpɛst, -pɛʃt, ˌbuːdəˈpɛʃt/;[8][9][10] Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] ⓘ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and it was the largest city on the Danube river;[11][12][13] today it is the second largest one. The city has an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres (203 square miles).[14] Budapest, which is both a city and county, forms the centre of the Budapest metropolitan area, which has an area of 7,626 square kilometres (2,944 square miles) and a population of 3,303,786. It is a primate city, constituting 33% of the population of Hungary.[15][16] The history of Budapest began when an early Celtic settlement transformed into the Roman town of Aquincum,[17][18] the capital of Lower Pannonia.[17] The Hungarians arrived in the territory in the late 9th century,[19] but the area was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241–42.[20] Re-established Buda became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture by the 15th century.[21][22][23] The Battle of Mohács, in 1526, was followed by nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule.[24] After the reconquest of Buda in 1686, the region entered a new age of prosperity, with Pest-Buda becoming a global city after the unification of Buda, Óbuda and Pest on 17 November 1873, with the name 'Budapest' given to the new capital.[14][25] Budapest also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,[26] a great power that dissolved in 1918, following World War I. The city was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Battle of Budapest in 1945, as well as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.[27][28] Budapest is a global city with strengths in commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment.[29][30] Hungary's financial centre, Budapest is also the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology,[31] the European Police College[32] and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency.[33] Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest, including Eötvös Loránd University, Corvinus University, Semmelweis University, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.[34][35] Opened in 1896,[36] the city's subway system, the Budapest Metro, serves 1.27 million, while the Budapest Tram Network serves 1.08 million passengers daily.[37] The central area of Budapest along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has several notable monuments of classical architecture, including the Hungarian Parliament and the Buda Castle.[38] The city also has around 80 geothermal springs,[39] the largest thermal water cave system,[40] second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building in the world.[41] Budapest attracts around 12 million international tourists per year, making it a highly popular destination in Europe.[42] Etymology and pronunciation The previously separate towns of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest were officially unified in 1873[43] and given the new name Budapest. Before this, the towns together had sometimes been referred to colloquially as "Pest-Buda".[44][45] Pest is used pars pro toto for the entire city in contemporary colloquial Hungarian.[44] All varieties of English pronounce the -s- as in the English word pest. The -u in Buda- is pronounced either /u/ like food (as in US: /ˈbuːdəpɛst/[46]) or /ju/ like cue (as in UK: /ˌb(j)uːdəˈpɛst, ˌbʊd-, ˈb(j)uːdəpɛst, ˈbʊd-/). In Hungarian, the -s- is pronounced /ʃ/ as in wash; in IPA: Hungarian: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] ⓘ. The origins of the names "Buda" and "Pest" are obscure. Buda was probably the name of the first constable of the fortress built on the Castle Hill in the 11th century[47] or a derivative of Bod or Bud, a personal name of Turkic origin, meaning 'twig'.[48] or a Slavic personal name, Buda, the short form of Budimír, Budivoj.[49] Linguistically, however, a German origin through the Slavic derivative вода (voda, water) is not possible, and there is no certainty that a Turkic word really comes from the word buta ~ buda 'branch, twig'.[50] According to a legend recorded in chronicles from the Middle Ages, "Buda" comes from the name of its founder, Bleda, brother of Hunnic ruler Attila. Attila went in the city of Sicambria in Pannonia, where he killed Buda, his brother, and he threw his corpse into the Danube. For while Attila was in the west, his brother crossed the boundaries in his reign, because he named Sicambria after his own name Buda's Castle. And though King Attila forbade the Huns and the other peoples to call that city Buda's Castle, but he called it Attila's Capital, the Germans who were terrified by the prohibition named the city as Eccylburg, which means Attila Castle, however, the Hungarians did not care about the ban and call it Óbuda [Old Buda] and call it to this day. — Mark of Kalt: Chronicon Pictum[51] The Scythians are certainly an ancient people and the strength of Scythia lies in the east, as we said above. And the first king of Scythia was Magog, son of Japhet, and his people were called Magyars [Hungarians] after their King Magog, from whose royal line the most renowned and mighty King Attila descended, who, in the 451st year of Our Lord's birth, coming down from Scythia, entered Pannonia with a mighty force and, putting the Romans to flight, took the realm and made a royal residence for himself beside the Danube above the hot springs, and he ordered all the old buildings that he found there to be restored and he built them in a circular and very strong wall that in the Hungarian language is now called Budavár [Buda Castle] and by the Germans Etzelburg [Attila Castle] — Anonymus: Gesta Hungarorum[52] There are several theories about Pest. One[53] states that the name derives from Roman times, since there was a local fortress (Contra-Aquincum) called by Ptolemy "Pession" ("Πέσσιον", iii.7.§ 2).[54] Another has it that Pest originates in the Slavic word for cave, пещера, or peštera. A third cites пещ, or pešt, referencing a cave where fires burned or a limekiln.[55] History Main article: History of Budapest For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Budapest. Early history Buda during the Middle Ages, woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493) The first settlement on the territory of Budapest was built by Celts[17] before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans. The Roman settlement – Aquincum – became the main city of Pannonia Inferior in 106 AD.[17] At first it was a military settlement, and gradually the city rose around it, making it the focal point of the city's commercial life. Today this area corresponds to the Óbuda district within Budapest.[56] The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.[57] The Roman city of Aquincum is the best-conserved of the Roman sites in Hungary. The archaeological site was turned into a museum with indoor and open-air sections.[58] The Magyar tribes led by Árpád, forced out of their original homeland north of Bulgaria by Tsar Simeon after the Battle of Southern Buh, settled in the territory at the end of the 9th century displacing the founding Bulgarian settlers of the towns of Buda and Pest,[19][59] and a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary.[19] Research places the probable residence of the Árpáds as an early place of central power near what became Budapest.[60] The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quickly proved it is difficult to defend a plain.[14][19] King Béla IV of Hungary, therefore, ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns[19] and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361 it became the capital of Hungary.[20][14] The cultural role of Buda was particularly significant during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus. The Italian Renaissance had a great influence on the city. His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second in size only to the Vatican Library.[14] After the foundation of the first Hungarian university in Pécs in 1367 (University of Pécs), the second one was established in Óbuda in 1395 (University of Óbuda).[61] The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473.[62] Buda had about 5,000 inhabitants around the year 1500.[63] Retaking of Buda from the Ottoman Empire, painted by Frans Geffels in 1686 The Ottomans conquered Buda in 1526, as well as in 1529, and finally occupied it in 1541.[64] The Ottoman Rule lasted for more than 150 years.[14] The Ottoman Turks constructed many prominent bathing facilities within the city.[19] Some of the baths that the Turks erected during their rule are still in use 500 years later, including Rudas Baths and Király Baths. By 1547 the number of Christians was down to about a thousand, and by 1647 it had fallen to only about seventy.[63] The unoccupied western part of the country became part of the Habsburg monarchy as Royal Hungary. In 1686, two years after the unsuccessful siege of Buda, a renewed campaign was started to enter Buda. This time, the Holy League's army was twice as large, containing over 74,000 men, including German, Croat, Dutch, Hungarian, English, Spanish, Czech, Italian, French, Burgundian, Danish and Swedish soldiers, along with other Europeans as volunteers, artillerymen, and officers. The Christian forces seized Buda, and in the next few years, all of the former Hungarian lands, except areas near Temesvár (Timișoara), were taken from the Turks. In the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz, these territorial changes were officially recognized as the end of the rule of the Turks, and in 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule. Contemporary history after Unification See also: Hungary during World War II Millennium Underground (1894–1896), the second oldest metro in the world (after the Metropolitan line of the London Underground) The Hungarian revolutionary army liberates the Buda castle in May 1849. The 19th century was dominated by the Hungarian struggle for independence[14] and modernisation. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848 and was defeated one and a half years later, with the help of the Russian Empire. 1867 was the year of Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary. This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest, lasting until World War I. In 1849 the Chain Bridge linking Buda with Pest was opened as the first permanent bridge across the Danube[65] and in 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Old Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. Ethnic Hungarians overtook Germans in the second half of the 19th century due to mass migration from the overpopulated rural Transdanubia and Great Hungarian Plain. Between 1851 and 1910 the proportion of Hungarians increased from 35.6% to 85.9%, Hungarian became the dominant language, and German was crowded out. The proportion of Jews peaked in 1900 with 23.6%.[66][67][68] Due to the prosperity and the large Jewish community of the city at the start of the 20th century, Budapest was often called the "Jewish Mecca"[20] or "Judapest".[69][70] Budapest also became an important center for the Aromanian diaspora during the 19th century.[71] In 1918, Austria-Hungary lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic (Republic of Hungary). In 1920 the Treaty of Trianon partitioned the country, and as a result, Hungary lost over two-thirds of its territory, and about two-thirds of its inhabitants, including 3.3 million out of 15 million ethnic Hungarians.[72][73] The Hungarian State Opera House, built in the time of Austria-Hungary Bond of the City of Budapest, issued 1 May 1911 The Chain Bridge was destroyed during the Siege of Budapest. Soviet tanks in Budapest (1956) In 1944, a year before the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids (first attack 4 April 1944[74][75][76]). From 24 December 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the Battle of Budapest. Budapest sustained major damage caused by the attacking Soviet and Romanian troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. More than 38,000 civilians died during the conflict. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. The stone lions that have decorated the Chain Bridge since 1852 survived the devastation of the war.[77] Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross Party, during the German occupation of Hungary, from 1944 to early 1945.[78] Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz rescued tens of thousands of Jews by issuing Swiss protection papers and designating numerous buildings, including the now famous Glass House (Üvegház) at Vadász Street 29, to be Swiss protected territory. About 3,000 Hungarian Jews found refuge at the Glass House and in a neighboring building. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Budapest by giving them Swedish protection papers and taking them under his consular protection.[79] Wallenberg was abducted by the Russians on 17 January 1945 and never regained freedom. Giorgio Perlasca, an Italian citizen, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews posing as a Spanish diplomat.[80][81] Some other diplomats also abandoned diplomatic protocol and rescued Jews. There are two monuments for Wallenberg, one for Carl Lutz and one for Giorgio Perlasca in Budapest. Following the capture of Hungary from Nazi Germany by the Red Army, Soviet military occupation ensued, which ended only in 1991. The Soviets exerted significant influence on Hungarian political affairs. In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic (People's Republic of Hungary). The new Communist government considered the buildings like the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed (also see Stalin era). On 23 October 1956 citizens held a large peaceful demonstration in Budapest demanding democratic reform. The demonstrators went to the Budapest radio station and demanded to publish their demands. The regime ordered troops to shoot into the crowd. Hungarian soldiers gave rifles to the demonstrators who were now able to capture the building. This initiated the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The demonstrators demanded to appoint Imre Nagy to be Prime Minister of Hungary. To their surprise, the central committee of the "Hungarian Working People's Party" did so that same evening. This uprising was an anti-Soviet revolt that lasted from 23 October until 11 November. After Nagy had declared that Hungary was to leave the Warsaw Pact and become neutral, Soviet tanks and troops entered the country to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until mid November, leaving more than 3000 dead. A monument was erected at the fiftieth anniversary of the revolt in 2006, at the edge of the City Park. Its shape is a wedge with a 56 angle degree made in rusted iron that gradually becomes shiny, ending in an intersection to symbolize Hungarian forces that temporarily eradicated the Communist leadership.[82] From the 1960s to the late 1980s Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the Eastern bloc, and much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired. Work on Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1964. In the early 1970s, Budapest Metro's east–west M2 line was first opened, followed by the M3 line in 1976. In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Andrássy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere, and Városliget) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002. In the 1980s, the city's population reached 2.1 million. In recent times a significant decrease in population occurred mainly due to a massive movement to the neighbouring agglomeration in Pest county, i.e., suburbanisation.[83] In the last decades of the 20th century the political changes of 1989–90 (Fall of the Iron Curtain) concealed changes in civil society and along the streets of Budapest. The monuments of the dictatorship were removed from public places, into Memento Park. In the first 20 years of the new democracy, the development of the city was managed by its mayor, Gábor Demszky.[84] In October 2019, opposition candidate Gergely Karácsony won the Budapest mayoral election, meaning the first electoral blow for Hungary's nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán since coming to power in 2010.[85] Geography Topography Satellite imagery of Budapest Budapest, strategically placed at the centre of the Pannonian Basin, lies on an ancient route linking the hills of Transdanubia with the Great Plain. By road it is 216 kilometres (134 mi) south-east of Vienna, 545 kilometres (339 mi) south of Warsaw, 1,565 kilometres (972 mi) south-west of Moscow, 1,122 kilometres (697 mi) north of Athens, 1,235 kilometres (767 mi) north-east of Rome, 788 kilometres (490 mi) north-east of Milan, 443 kilometres (275 mi) south-east of Prague, 343 kilometres (213 mi) north-east of Zagreb, 748 kilometres (465 mi) north-east of Split and 1,329 kilometres (826 mi) north-west of Istanbul.[86] The 525 square kilometres (203 sq mi) area of Budapest lies in Central Hungary, surrounded by settlements of the agglomeration in Pest county. The capital extends 25 and 29 km (16 and 18 mi) in the north–south, east–west direction respectively. The Danube enters the city from the north; later it encircles two islands, Óbuda Island and Margaret Island.[14] The third island Csepel Island is the largest of the Budapest Danube islands, however only its northernmost tip is within city limits. The river that separates the two parts of the city is 230 m (755 ft) wide at its narrowest point in Budapest. Pest lies on the flat terrain of the Great Plain while Buda is rather hilly.[14] The wide Danube was always fordable at this point because of a small number of islands in the middle of the river. The city has marked topographical contrasts: Buda is built on the higher river terraces and hills of the western side, while the considerably larger Pest spreads out on a flat and featureless sand plain on the river's opposite bank.[87] Pest's terrain rises with a slight eastward gradient, so the easternmost parts of the city lie at the same altitude as Buda's smallest hills, notably Gellért Hill and Castle Hill.[88] The Buda hills consist mainly of limestone and dolomite, the water created speleothems, the most famous ones being the Pálvölgyi cave (total length 7,200 m or 23,600 ft) and the Szemlőhegyi cave (total length 2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The hills were formed in the Triassic Period. The highest point of the hills and of Budapest is János Hill, at 527 metres (1,729 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is the line of the Danube which is 96 metres (315 feet) above sea level. Budapest is also rich in green areas. Of the 525 square kilometres (203 square miles) occupied by the city, 83 square kilometres (32 square miles) is green area, park and forest.[89] The forests of Buda hills are environmentally protected.[90] The city's importance in terms of traffic is very central, because many major European roads and European railway lines lead to Budapest.[88] The Danube was and is still an important water-way and this region in the centre of the Carpathian Basin lies at the cross-roads of trade routes.[91] Budapest is one of only three capital cities in the world which has thermal springs (the others being Reykjavík in Iceland and Sofia in Bulgaria). Some 125 springs produce 70 million litres (15,000,000 imperial gallons; 18,000,000 US gallons) of thermal water a day, with temperatures ranging up to 58 Celsius. Some of these waters have been claimed to have medicinal effects due to their high mineral contents.[88] Climate Main article: Climate of Budapest Budapest has a humid temperate climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Doa) with warm to hot summers and chilly winters.[92] Winter (November until early March) can be cold and the city receives little sunshine. Snowfall is fairly frequent in most years, and nighttime temperatures of −10 °C (14 °F) are not uncommon between mid-December and mid-February. The spring months (March and April) see variable conditions, with a rapid increase in the average temperature. The weather in late March and in April is often very agreeable during the day and fresh at night. Budapest's long summer – lasting from May until mid-September – is warm or very warm. Sudden heavy showers also occur, particularly in May and June. The autumn in Budapest (mid-September until late October) is characterised by little rain and long sunny days with moderate temperatures. Temperatures often turn abruptly colder in late October or early November. Mean annual precipitation in Budapest is around 23.5 inches (596.9 mm). On average, there are 84 days with precipitation and 1988 hours of sunshine (of a possible 4383) each year.[93][94][95] From March to October, average sunshine totals are roughly equal to those seen in northern Italy (Venice). The city lies on the boundary between Zone 6 and Zone 7 in terms of the hardiness zone.[96][97] Climate data for Budapest, 1991–2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 18.1 (64.6) 19.7 (67.5) 25.4 (77.7) 30.2 (86.4) 34.0 (93.2) 39.5 (103.1) 40.7 (105.3) 39.4 (102.9) 35.2 (95.4) 30.8 (87.4) 22.6 (72.7) 19.3 (66.7) 40.7 (105.3) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.1 (39.4) 6.6 (43.9) 11.8 (53.2) 18.3 (64.9) 22.9 (73.2) 26.6 (79.9) 28.6 (83.5) 28.6 (83.5) 22.8 (73.0) 16.8 (62.2) 10.1 (50.2) 4.6 (40.3) 16.8 (62.2) Daily mean °C (°F) 1.4 (34.5) 3.4 (38.1) 7.7 (45.9) 13.3 (55.9) 17.7 (63.9) 21.4 (70.5) 23.3 (73.9) 23.2 (73.8) 18.0 (64.4) 12.7 (54.9) 7.2 (45.0) 2.2 (36.0) 12.6 (54.7) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.2 (29.8) 0.1 (32.2) 3.6 (38.5) 8.3 (46.9) 12.6 (54.7) 16.2 (61.2) 18.0 (64.4) 17.7 (63.9) 13.2 (55.8) 8.6 (47.5) 4.3 (39.7) −0.2 (31.6) 8.4 (47.1) Record low °C (°F) −25.6 (−14.1) −23.4 (−10.1) −15.1 (4.8) −4.6 (23.7) −1.6 (29.1) 3.0 (37.4) 5.9 (42.6) 5.0 (41.0) −3.1 (26.4) −9.5 (14.9) −16.4 (2.5) −20.8 (−5.4) −25.6 (−14.1) Average precipitation mm (inches) 37 (1.5) 29 (1.1) 30 (1.2) 42 (1.7) 62 (2.4) 63 (2.5) 45 (1.8) 49 (1.9) 40 (1.6) 39 (1.5) 53 (2.1) 43 (1.7) 532 (20.9) Average precipitation days 7.3 6.1 6.4 6.6 8.6 8.7 7.2 6.9 5.9 5.3 7.8 7.2 84 Average relative humidity (%) 79 74 66 59 61 61 59 61 67 72 78 80 68.1 Mean monthly sunshine hours 62 93 137 177 234 250 271 255 187 141 69 52 1,988 Average ultraviolet index 1 2 3 5 7 8 8 7 6 4 2 1 5 Source: Average temperatures 1991-2020: OMSZ - Hungarian Meteorological Service.[98] Architecture See also: Category:Buildings and structures in Budapest and List of churches in Budapest Clockwise, from upper left: the ruins of the Celtic and Roman civil town of Aquincum; Romanesque 12th century Gercse Parish Church; the Buda Castle; Kós Károly Square in the Wekerletelep; Ottoman Tomb of Gül Baba; and Gothic Mary Magdalene Church Budapest has architecturally noteworthy buildings in a wide range of styles and from distinct time periods, from the ancient times as Roman City of Aquincum in Óbuda (District III), which dates to around 89 AD, to the most modern Palace of Arts, the contemporary arts museum and concert hall.[101][102][103] Most buildings in Budapest are relatively low: in the early 2010s there were around 100 buildings higher than 45 metres (148 ft). The number of high-rise buildings is kept low by building legislation, which is aimed at preserving the historic cityscape and to meet the requirements of the World Heritage Site. Strong rules apply to the planning, authorisation and construction of high-rise buildings and consequently much of the inner city does not have any. Some planners would like see an easing of the rules for the construction of skyscrapers, and the possibility of building skyscrapers outside the city's historic core has been raised.[104][105] In the chronological order of architectural styles Budapest is represented on the entire timeline, starting with the Roman City of Aquincum representing ancient architecture. The next determinative style is the Gothic architecture in Budapest. The few remaining Gothic buildings can be found in the Castle District. Buildings of note are no. 18, 20 and 22 on Országház Street, which date back to the 14th century and No. 31 Úri Street, which has a Gothic façade that dates back to the 15th century. Other buildings with Gothic features are the Inner City Parish Church, built in the 12th century,[106] and the Mary Magdalene Church, completed in the 15th century.[107] The most characteristic Gothic-style buildings are actually Neo-Gothic, like the most well-known Budapest landmarks, the Hungarian Parliament Building[108] and the Matthias Church, where much of the original material was used (originally built in Romanesque style in 1015).[109] The next chapter in the history of human architecture is Renaissance architecture. One of the earliest places to be influenced by the Renaissance style of architecture was Hungary, and Budapest in particular. The style appeared following the marriage of King Matthias Corvinus and Beatrice of Naples in 1476. Many Italian artists, craftsmen and masons came to Buda with the new queen. Today, many of the original renaissance buildings disappeared during the varied history of Buda, but Budapest is still rich in renaissance and neo-renaissance buildings, like the famous Hungarian State Opera House, St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.[110] During the Turkish occupation (1541–1686), Islamic culture flourished in Budapest; multiple mosques and baths were built in the city. These were great examples of Ottoman architecture, which was influenced by Muslims from around the world including Turkish, Iranian, Arabian and to a larger extent, Byzantine architecture as well as Islamic traditions. After the Holy League conquered Budapest, they replaced most of the mosques with churches and minarets were turned into bell towers and cathedral spires. At one point the distinct sloping central square in Budapest became a bustling Oriental bazaar, which was filled with "the chatter of camel caravans on their way to Yemen and India".[111] Budapest is in fact one of the few places in the world with functioning original Turkish bathhouses dating back to the 16th century, like Rudas Baths or Király Baths. Budapest is home to the northernmost place where the tomb of influential Islamic Turkish Sufi Dervish, Gül Baba is found. Various cultures converged in Hungary seemed to coalesce well with each other, as if all these different cultures and architecture styles are digested into Hungary's own way of cultural blend. A precedent to show the city's self-conscious is the top section of the city's main square, named as Szechenyi. When Turks came to the city, they built mosques here which was aggressively replaced with Gothic church of St. Bertalan. The rationale of reusing the base of the former Islamic building mosque and reconstruction into Gothic Church but Islamic style architecture over it is typically Islamic are still visible. An official term for the rationale is spolia. The mosque was called the djami of Pasha Gazi Kassim, and djami means mosque in Arabic. After Turks and Muslims were expelled and massacred from Budapest, the site was reoccupied by Christians and reformed into a church, the Inner City Parish Church (Budapest). The minaret and Turkish entranceway were removed. The shape of the architecture is its only hint of exotic past—"two surviving prayer niches facing Mecca and an ecumenical symbol atop its cupola: a cross rising above the Turkish crescent moon".[111] The most famous Budapest bridge, the Chain Bridge, the icon of the city's 19th century development, built in 1849 After 1686, the Baroque architecture designated the dominant style of art in catholic countries from the 17th century to the 18th century.[112] There are many Baroque-style buildings in Budapest and one of the finest examples of preserved Baroque-style architecture is the Church of St. Anna in Batthyhány square. An interesting part of Budapest is the less touristy Óbuda, the main square of which also has some beautiful preserved historic buildings with Baroque façades. The Castle District is another place to visit where the best-known landmark Buda Royal Palace and many other buildings were built in the Baroque style.[112] The Classical architecture and Neoclassical architecture are the next in the timeline. Budapest had not one but two architects that were masters of the Classicist style. Mihály Pollack (1773–1855) and József Hild (1789–1867), built many beautiful Classicist-style buildings in the city. Some of the best examples are the Hungarian National Museum, the Lutheran Church of Budavár (both designed by Pollack) and the seat of the Hungarian president, the Sándor Palace. The most iconic and widely known Classicist-style attraction in Budapest is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.[113] Budapest's two most beautiful Romantic architecture buildings are the Great Synagogue in Dohány Street and the Vigadó Concert Hall on the Danube Promenade, both designed by architect Frigyes Feszl (1821–1884). Another noteworthy structure is the Budapest Western Railway Station, which was designed by August de Serres and built by the Eiffel Company of Paris in 1877.[114] The Hungarian Parliament, completed in 1904 Art Nouveau came into fashion in Budapest by the exhibitions which were held in and around 1896 and organised in connection with the Hungarian Millennium celebrations.[115] Art Nouveau in Hungary (Szecesszió in Hungarian) is a blend of several architectural styles, with a focus on Hungary's specialities. One of the leading Art Nouveau architects, Ödön Lechner (1845–1914), was inspired by Indian and Syrian architecture as well as traditional Hungarian decorative designs. One of his most beautiful buildings in Budapest is the Museum of Applied Arts. Another examples for Art Nouveau in Budapest is the Gresham Palace in front of the Chain Bridge, the Hotel Gellért, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music or Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.[101] It is one of the world's outstanding urban landscapes and illustrates the great periods in the history of the Hungarian capital. UNESCO[116] The second half of the 20th century also saw, under the communist regime, the construction of blocks of flats (panelház), as in other Eastern European countries. In the 21st century, Budapest faces new challenges in its architecture. The pressure towards the high-rise buildings is unequivocal among today's world cities, but preserving Budapest's unique cityscape and its very diverse architecture, along with green areas, forces Budapest to balance between them. The Contemporary architecture has wide margin in the city. Public spaces attract heavy investment by business and government also, so that the city has gained entirely new (or renovated and redesigned) squares, parks and monuments, for example the city central Kossuth Lajos square, Deák Ferenc square and Liberty Square. Numerous landmarks are created in the last decade in Budapest, like the National Theatre, Palace of Arts, Rákóczi Bridge, Megyeri Bridge, Budapest Airport Sky Court among others, and millions of square meters of new office buildings and apartments. But there are still large opportunities in real estate development in the city.[117][118][119] From left: Saint Anne Parish; Matthias Church; Fisherman's Bastion; and Stigmatisation of Saint Francis Church Districts Main article: List of districts in Budapest Budapest's twenty-three districts overview Administration Population Area and Density District Official name Official 2013 Km2 People/km2 I Várkerület 24.528 3,41 7.233 II Rózsadomb 88.011 36,34 2.426 III Óbuda-Békásmegyer 123.889 39,69 3.117 IV Újpest 99.050 18,82 5.227 V Belváros-Lipótváros 27.342 2,59 10.534 VI Terézváros 43.377 2,38 18.226 VII Erzsébetváros 64.767 2,09 30.989 VIII Józsefváros 85.173 6,85 11.890 IX Ferencváros 63.697 12,53 4.859 X Kőbánya 81.475 32,5 2.414 XI Újbuda 145.510 33,47 4.313 XII Hegyvidék 55.776 26,67 2.109 XIII Angyalföld, Göncz Árpád városközpont, Újlipótváros, Vizafogó 118.320 13,44 8.804 XIV Zugló 123.786 18,15 6.820 XV Rákospalota, Pestújhely, Újpalota 79.779 26,95 2.988 XVI Árpádföld, Cinkota, Mátyásföld, Sashalom, Rákosszentmihály 68.235 33,52 2.037 XVII Rákosmente 78.537 54.83 1.418 XVIII Pestszentlőrinc-Pestszentimre 94.663 38,61 2.414 XIX Kispest 62.210 9,38 6.551 XX Pesterzsébet 63.887 12,18 5.198 XXI Csepel 76.976 25,75 2.963 XXII Budafok-Tétény 51.071 34,25 1.473 XXIII Soroksár 19.982 40,78 501  City of Budapest 1,740,041 525.2 3,313.1 Hungary 9,937,628 93,030 107.2 Source: Eurostat,[120] HSCO[121] Most of today's Budapest is the result of a late-nineteenth-century renovation, but the wide boulevards laid out then only bordered and bisected much older quarters of activity created by centuries of Budapest's evolution as a city. Budapest's vast urban area is often described using a set of district names. These are either informal designations, reflecting the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units of former boroughs.[122] Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without official boundaries.[123] Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. Since 1950, Greater Budapest has been divided into 22 boroughs (and 23 since 1994). At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. The city now consists of 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel Island between them. The city centre itself, in its broadest sense, comprises Districts V, VI, VII, VIII, IX[124] and XIII on the Pest side, and I, II, XI and XII on the Buda side of the city.[125] District I is a small area in central Buda, including the historic Buda Castle. District II is also in Buda, in the northwest, and District III stretches along the northernmost part of Buda. To reach District IV, one must cross the Danube to Pest (the eastern side), where it occupies the northernmost point. With District V, another circle begins, located right in the absolute centre of Pest. Districts VI, VII, VIII and IX are the neighbouring areas to the east, going southwards, one after the other. District X is another, more external circle, also in Pest, while one must jump to the Buda side again to find Districts XI and XII, going northwards. No other districts in this circle remain in Buda. We must retrace our steps to Pest again to find Districts XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX and XX (mostly external parts of the city ), lying almost regularly in a semicircle, going southwards again. District XXI is the extension of the above circle between two branches of the Danube, the northern tip of a long island south of Budapest. District XXII is still on the same circle in southwest Buda, and finally District XXIII is again in southernmost Pest, irregular only because it was part of District XX until 1994.[126] Demographics Main article: Demographics of Budapest Budapest population pyramid in 2022 Budapest compared to Hungary and EU Budapest Hungary European Union Total Population 1,763,913 9,937,628 507,890,191 Population change, 2004 to 2014 +2.7%[127] −1.6%[127] +2.2%[128] Population density 3,314 /km2 107 /km2 116 /km2 GDP per capita PPP $52,770[129] $33,408[130] $33,084[131] Bachelor's Degree or higher 34.1%[132] 19.0%[132] 27.1%[133] Foreign born 7.3%[134] 1.7%[135] 6.3%[136] Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1784 57,100 —     1850 206,339 +261.4% 1870 302,086 +46.4% 1880 402,706 +33.3% 1890 560,079 +39.1% 1900 861,434 +53.8% 1910 1,110,453 +28.9% 1920 1,232,026 +10.9% 1930 1,442,869 +17.1% 1941 1,712,791 +18.7% 1949 1,590,316 −7.2% 1955 1,713,552 +7.7% 1960 1,804,606 +5.3% 1965 1,877,916 +4.1% 1970 1,945,083 +3.6% 1980 2,059,226 +5.9% 1990 2,005,028 −2.6% 2001 1,773,401 −11.6% 2011 1,729,040 −2.5% 2022 1,682,426 −2.7% 1784,[137] Population 2001 to 2019[127] Present-territory of Budapest Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. Budapest is the most populous city in Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union, with a growing number of inhabitants, estimated at 1,763,913 in 2019,[138] whereby inward migration exceeds outward migration.[11] These trends are also seen throughout the Budapest metropolitan area, which is home to 3.3 million people.[139][140] This amounts to about 34% of Hungary's population. In 2014, the city had a population density of 3,314 people per square kilometre (8,580/sq mi), rendering it the most densely populated of all municipalities in Hungary. The population density of Elisabethtown-District VII is 30,989/km2 (80,260/sq mi), which has the highest population density figure in Hungary and one of the highest in the world. For comparison, the density in Manhattan is 25,846/km2.[141] Budapest is the fourth most "dynamically growing city" by population in Europe,[142] and the Euromonitor predicts a population increase of almost 10% between 2005 and 2030.[143] The European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion says Budapest's population will increase by 10% to 30% only due to migration by 2050.[144] A constant inflow of migrants in recent years has fuelled population growth in Budapest. Productivity gains and the relatively large economically active share of the population explain why household incomes have increased in Budapest to a greater extent than in other parts of Hungary. Higher incomes in Budapest are reflected in the lower share of expenditure the city's inhabitants allocate to necessary spending such as on food and non-alcoholic drinks.[139] According to the 2016 microcensus, there were 1,764,263 people living in Budapest in 907,944 dwellings.[145] Some 1.6 million persons from the metropolitan area may be within Budapest's boundaries during working hours, and during special events. This fluctuation in the population is caused by hundreds of thousands of suburban residents who travel to the city for work, education, health care, and special events.[146] By ethnicity there were 1,697,039 (96.2%) Hungarians, 34,909 (2%) Germans, 16,592 (0.9%) Romani, 9,117 (0.5%) Romanians and 5,488 (0.3%) Slovaks.[147] In Hungary people can declare multiple ethnic identities, hence the sum may exceed 100%.[148] The share of ethnic Hungarians in Budapest (96.2%) is slightly lower than the national average (98.3%) due to the international migration.[148] According to the 2011 census, 1,712,153 people (99.0%) speak Hungarian, of whom 1,692,815 people (97.9%) speak it as a first language, while 19,338 people (1.1%) speak it as a second language. Other spoken (foreign) languages were: English (536,855 speakers, 31.0%), German (266,249 speakers, 15.4%), French (56,208 speakers, 3.3%) and Russian (54,613 speakers, 3.2%).[134] According to the same census, 1,600,585 people (92.6%) were born in Hungary, 126,036 people (7.3%) outside Hungary while the birthplace of 2,419 people (0.1%) was unknown.[134] Although only 1.7% of the population of Hungary in 2009 were foreigners, 43% of them lived in Budapest, making them 4.4% of the city's population (up from 2% in 2001).[135] Nearly two-thirds of foreigners living in Hungary were under 40 years old. The primary motivation for this age group living in Hungary was employment.[135] Budapest is home to one of the most populous Christian communities in Central Europe, numbering 698,521 people (40.4%) in 2011.[134] According to the 2011 census, there were 501,117 (29.0%) Roman Catholics, 146,756 (8.5%) Calvinists, 30,293 (1.8%) Lutherans, 16,192 (0.9%) Greek Catholics, 7,925 (0.5%) Jews and 3,710 (0.2%) Orthodox in Budapest. 395,964 people (22.9%) were irreligious while 585,475 people (33.9%) did not declare their religion.[134] The city is also home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe.[149] Economy Further information: List of companies based in Budapest and Economy of Hungary This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2018) MOL Group solar powered filling station in Budapest Research and development centre of Richter Gedeon in Budapest Budapest Stock Exchange at Liberty Square Budapest is a significant economic hub, classified as a Beta + world city in the study by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network and it is the second fastest-developing urban economy in Europe as GDP per capita in the city increased by 2.4 per cent and employment by 4.7 per cent compared to the previous year in 2014.[150][30] On national level, Budapest is the primate city of Hungary regarding business and the economy, accounting for 39% of the national income. The city had a gross metropolitan product of more than $100 billion in 2015, making it one of the largest regional economies in the European Union.[151] According to Eurostat GDP, per capita in purchasing power parity is 147% of the EU average in Budapest, which means €37,632 ($42,770) per capita.[129] Budapest is also among the Top 100 GDP performing cities in the world, measured by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The city was named as the 52nd most important business centre in the world in the Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index, ahead of Beijing, São Paulo and Shenzhen and ranking 3rd (out of 65 cities) on the MasterCard Emerging Markets Index.[152][153] The city is 48th on the UBS The most expensive and richest cities in the world list, standing before cities such as Prague, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Buenos Aires.[154] In a global city competitiveness ranking by the EIU, Budapest stands before Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Moscow and Johannesburg among others.[155] The city is a major centre for banking and finance, real estate, retailing, trade, transportation, tourism, new media as well as traditional media, advertising, legal services, accountancy, insurance, fashion and the arts in Hungary and regionally. Budapest is home not only to almost all national institutions and government agencies, but also to many domestic and international companies. In 2014 there were 395.804 companies registered in the city.[156] Most of these entities are headquartered in Budapest's Central Business District, in the District V and District XIII. The retail market of the city (and the country) is also concentrated in the downtown area, among others, in the two largest shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe, the 186,000 sqm WestEnd City Center and the 180,000 sqm Arena Plaza.[157][158] Budapest has notable innovation capabilities as a technology and start-up hub. Many start-ups are headquartered and begin their business in the city. Some of the best known examples are Prezi, LogMeIn and NNG. Budapest is the highest ranked Central and Eastern European city in the Innovation Cities' Top 100 index.[159] A good indicator of the city's potential for innovation and research, is that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology chose Budapest for its headquarters, along with the UN, whose Regional Representation for Central Europe office is in the city, responsible for UN operations in seven countries.[160] Moreover, the global aspect of the city's research activity is shown through the establishment of the European Chinese Research Institute in the city.[161] Other important sectors also include, natural science research, information technology and medical research, non-profit institutions, and universities. The leading business schools and universities in Budapest, the Budapest Business School, the CEU Business School and Corvinus University of Budapest offer a whole range of courses in economics, finance and management in English, French, German and Hungarian.[162] The unemployment rate in Budapest is by far the lowest within Hungary. It was 2.7%, with many thousands of employed foreign citizens.[163] Budapest is among the 25 most visited cities in the world, welcoming more than 4.4 million international visitors each year,[164] therefore the traditional and the congress tourism industry also deserve a mention, as they contribute greatly to the city's economy. The capital is home to many convention centres and there are thousands of restaurants, bars, coffee houses and party places, besides a full range of hotels. As regards restaurants, examples can be found of the highest quality Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Onyx, Costes, Tanti and Borkonyha. The city ranked as the most liveable city in Central and Eastern Europe on EIU's quality of life index in 2010. Finance and corporate location Hungarian Stock Exchange Palace on Liberty Square The Budapest Stock Exchange, a key institution of publicly offered securities in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe, is situated in Budapest's CBD at Liberty Square. BSE also trades other securities such as government bonds and derivatives as well as stock options. Large Hungarian multinational corporations headquartered in Budapest are listed on the BSE, for instance the Fortune Global 500 firms MOL Group, the OTP Bank, FHB Bank, Gedeon Richter, Magyar Telekom, CIG Pannonia, Zwack Unicum and more.[165] Nowadays nearly all branches of industry can be found in Budapest. Although there is no particularly special industry in the city's economy, the financial centre role of the city is strong, with nearly 40 major banks being represented in the city including[166] as well as those like Bank of China, KDB Bank and Hanwha Bank, which are unique in the region. MOL Campus, a neomodern skyscraper and the headquarters of MOL Group Many international banks and financial service providers also support the financial industry of Budapest, firms such as Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, GE Capital, Deutsche Bank, Sberbank, ING Group, Allianz, KBC Group, UniCredit and MSCI among others. Another particularly strong industry in the capital city is the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. There are also traditionally strong domestic companies in Budapest such as Egis, Gedeon Richter, Chinoin as well as international biotechnology corporations such as Pfizer, Teva, Novartis, Sanofi, which also have R&D and production divisions here. Further high-tech industries, involved in software development and engineering are notable as well. Nokia, Ericsson, Bosch, Microsoft and IBM employ thousands of engineers in research and development in the city. Game design is also strongly represented with headquarters of domestic companies Digital Reality, Black Hole and the studios of Crytek and Gameloft. Apart from the above, there are regional headquarters of global firms such as Alcoa, General Motors, General Electric, ExxonMobil, BP, BT, Flextronics, Panasonic, Huawei, Knorr-Bremse, Liberty Global, Tata Consultancy, Aegon, WizzAir, TriGránit, MVM Group and Graphisoft. There is a base for major international companies including, but not limited to, Nissan CEE, Volvo, Saab and Ford. Politics and government Main article: Politics of Hungary Model United Nations conference in the assembly hall of House of Magnates Old building (from 1890) of the Hungarian Royal Curia, that operated as the highest court in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1723 and 1949. Now it houses a museum. U.S. President George W. Bush meets with Hungarian President László Sólyom at Sándor Palace in Budapest. Sándor Palace, the official residence and workspace of the president of Hungary As the capital of Hungary, Budapest is the seat of the country's national government. The President of Hungary resides at the Sándor Palace in the District I (Buda Castle District),[167] while the office of the Hungarian Prime Minister is in the Carmelite Monastery in the Castle District.[168] Government ministries are all located in various parts of the city, most of them are in the District V, Leopoldtown. The National Assembly is seated in the Hungarian Parliament, which also located in the District V.[169] The President of the National Assembly, the third-highest public official in Hungary, is also seated in the largest building in the country, in the Hungarian Parliament. Hungary's highest courts are located in Budapest. The Curia (supreme court of Hungary), the highest court in the judicial order, which reviews criminal and civil cases, is located in the District V, Leopoldtown. Under the authority of its president it has three departments: criminal, civil and administrative-labour law departments. Each department has various chambers. The Curia guarantees the uniform application of law. The decisions of the Curia on uniform jurisdiction are binding for other courts.[170] The second most important judicial authority, the National Judicial Council, is also housed in the District V, with the tasks of controlling the financial management of the judicial administration and the courts and giving an opinion on the practice of the president of the National Office for the Judiciary and the Curia deciding about the applications of judges and court leaders, among others.[171] The Constitutional Court of Hungary is one of the highest level actors independent of the politics in the country. The Constitutional Court serves as the main body for the protection of the Constitution, its tasks being the review of the constitutionality of statutes. The Constitutional Court performs its tasks independently. With its own budget and its judges being elected by Parliament it does not constitute a part of the ordinary judicial system. The constitutional court passes on the constitutionality of laws, and there is no right of appeal on these decisions.[172] Budapest hosts the main and regional headquarters of many international organizations as well, including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, European Institute of Innovation and Technology, European Police Academy, International Centre for Democratic Transition, Institute of International Education, International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration, International Red Cross, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Danube Commission and even others.[173] The city is also home to more than 100 embassies and representative bodies as an international political actor. Environmental issues have a high priority among Budapest's politics. Institutions such as the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, located in Budapest, are very important assets.[174] To decrease the use of cars and greenhouse gas emissions, the city has worked to improve public transportation, and nowadays the city has one of the highest mass transit usage in Europe. Budapest has one of the best public transport systems in Europe with an efficient network of buses, trolleys, trams and subway. Budapest has an above-average proportion of people commuting on public transport or walking and cycling for European cities.[175] Riding on bike paths is one of the best ways to see Budapest – there are about 180 kilometres (110 miles) of bicycle paths in the city, fitting into the EuroVelo system.[176] Crime in Budapest is investigated by different bodies. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime notes in their 2011 Global Study on Homicide that, according to criminal justice sources, the homicide rate in Hungary, calculated based on UN population estimates, was 1.4 in 2009, compared to Canada's rate of 1.8 that same year.[177] The homicide rate in Budapest is below the EU capital cities' average according to WHO also.[178] However, organised crime is associated with the city, the Institute of Defence in a UN study named Budapest as one of the "global epicentres" of illegal pornography, money laundering and contraband tobacco, and also a negotiation center for international crime group leaders.[179] City governance See also: Mayor of Budapest, Lord Mayor of Budapest, and General Assembly of Budapest Composition of the 33 seats in the General Assembly   Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union 13 seats   Hungarian Socialist Party 5 seats   Momentum 3 seats   Democratic Coalition 7 seats   Dialogue for Hungary Mayor + 1 seat   Independent 3 seats Central City Hall Budapest has been a metropolitan municipality with a mayor-council form of government since its consolidation in 1873, but Budapest also holds a special status as a county-level government, and also special within that, as holds a capital-city territory status.[180] In Budapest, the central government is responsible for the urban planning, statutory planning, public transport, housing, waste management, municipal taxes, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, among others. The Mayor is responsible for all city services, police and fire protection, enforcement of all city and state laws within the city, and administration of public property and most public agencies. Besides, each of Budapest' twenty-three districts has its own town hall and a directly elected council and the directly elected mayor of district.[1] The Mayor of Budapest is Gergely Karácsony who was elected on 13 October 2019. The mayor and members of General Assembly are elected to five-year terms.[1] The Budapest General Assembly is a unicameral body consisting of 33 members, which consist of the 23 mayors of the districts, 9 from the electoral lists of political parties, plus Mayor of Budapest (the Mayor is elected directly). Each term for the mayor and assembly members lasts five years.[181] Submitting the budget of Budapest is the responsibility of the Mayor and the deputy-mayor in charge of finance. The latest, 2014 budget was approved with 18 supporting votes from ruling Fidesz and 14 votes against by the opposition lawmakers.[182] Main sights and tourism See also: List of sights and historic places in Budapest and List of tourist attractions in Budapest Budapest is widely known for its well-kept pre-war cityscape, with a great variety of streets and landmarks in classical architecture. The most well-known sight of the capital is the neo-Gothic Parliament, the biggest building in Hungary with its 268 metres (879 ft) length, also holding (since 2001) the Hungarian Crown Jewels. Saint Stephen's Basilica is the most important religious building of the city, where the Holy Right Hand of Hungary's first king, Saint Stephen is on display as well. The Hungarian cuisine and café culture can be seen and tasted in a lot of places, like Gerbeaud Café, the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world-famous Mátyás-pince [hu] restaurants and beer bars. There are Roman remains at the Aquincum Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum, just 2 out of 223 museums in Budapest. Another historical museum is the House of Terror, hosted in the building that was the venue of the Nazi Headquarters. The Castle Hill, the River Danube embankments and the whole of Andrássy út have been officially recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Castle Hill and the Castle District; there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary – and has been the scene of battles and wars ever since the 13th century. Nowadays it houses two museums and the National Széchenyi Library. The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The seven-hundred-year-old Matthias Church is one of the jewels of Budapest, it is in neo-Gothic style, decorated with coloured shingles and elegant pinnacles. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the Fisherman's Bastion, built in 1905 by the architect Frigyes Schulek, the Fishermen's Bastions owes its name to the namesake corporation that during the Middle Ages was responsible of the defence of this part of ramparts, from where opens out a panoramic view of the whole city. Statues of the Turul, the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District. In Pest, arguably the most important sight is Andrássy út. This Avenue is an elegant 2.5 kilometres (2 miles) long tree-lined street that covers the distance from Deák Ferenc tér to the Heroes Square. This Avenue overlooks many important sites. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As far as Kodály körönd and Oktogon both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and Heroes' Square the houses are detached and altogether grander. Under the whole runs continental Europe's oldest Underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. Heroes' Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle Budapest, and behind City Park opens out, with Vajdahunyad Castle. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the Hungarian State Opera House. Statue Park, a theme park with striking statues of the Communist era, is located just outside the main city and is accessible by public transport. The Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe, and the second largest active synagogue in the world.[183] The synagogue is located in the Jewish district taking up several blocks in central Budapest bordered by Király utca, Wesselényi utca, Grand Boulevard and Bajcsy Zsilinszky road. It was built in moorish revival style in 1859 and has a seating capacity of 3,000. Adjacent to it is a sculpture reproducing a weeping willow tree in steel to commemorate the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust. The city is also home to the largest medicinal bath in Europe (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath) and the third largest Parliament building in the world, once the largest in the world. Other attractions are the bridges of the capital. Seven bridges provide crossings over the Danube, and from north to south are: the Árpád Bridge (built in 1950 at the north of Margaret Island); the Margaret Bridge (built in 1901, destroyed during the war by an explosion and then rebuilt in 1948); the Chain Bridge (built in 1849, destroyed during World War II and then rebuilt in 1949); the Elisabeth Bridge (completed in 1903 and dedicated to the murdered Queen Elisabeth, it was destroyed by the Germans during the war and replaced with a new bridge in 1964); the Liberty Bridge (opened in 1896 and rebuilt in 1989 in Art Nouveau style); the Petőfi Bridge (completed in 1937, destroyed during the war and rebuilt in 1952); the Rákóczi Bridge (completed in 1995). Most remarkable for their beauty are the Margaret Bridge, the Chain Bridge and the Liberty Bridge. The world's largest panorama photograph was created in (and of) Budapest in 2010.[184] Tourists visiting Budapest can receive free maps and information from the nonprofit Budapest Festival and Tourism Center at its info-points.[185] The info centers also offer the Budapest Card which allows free public transit and discounts for several museums, restaurants and other places of interest. Cards are available for 24-, 48- or 72-hour durations.[186] The city is also well known for its ruin bars both day and night.[187] Well-preserved Baroque University Church Well-preserved Baroque University Church   Boscolo Budapest Hotel, café in the ground floor, a 107-room hotel above Boscolo Budapest Hotel, café in the ground floor, a 107-room hotel above   Interior of Gerbeaud Café Interior of Gerbeaud Café   Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, and Chief Rabbi Róbert Frölich in the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, and Chief Rabbi Róbert Frölich in the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe Squares The Holy Trinity column in the Holy Trinity Square, Buda Castle Hill In Budapest there are many smaller and larger squares, the most significant of which are Heroes' Square, Kossuth Square, Liberty Square, St. Stephen's Square, Ferenc Deák Square, Vörösmarty Square, Erzsébet Square, St. George's Square and Széchenyi István Square. The Heroes' Square at the end of Andrássy Avenue is the largest and most influential square in the capital, with the Millennium Monument in the center, and the Museum of Fine Arts and The Hall of Art. Kossuth Square is a symbolic place of the Hungarian statehood, the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Palace of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Liberty Square is located in the Belváros-Lipótváros District (Inner City District), as one of Budapest's most beautiful squares. There are buildings such as the Hungarian National Bank, the embassy of the United States, the Stock Exchange Palace, as well as numerous statues and monuments such as the Soviet War Memorial, the Statue of Ronald Reagan or the controversial Monument to the victims of the German occupation. In the St. Stephen's Square is the St. Stephen's Basilica, the square is connected by a walking street, the Zrínyi Street, to the Széchenyi István Square at the foot of The Chain Bridge. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Gresham Palace and the Ministry of Interior are also located here. Deák Ferenc Square is a central square of the capital, a major transport hub, where three Budapest subways meet. Here is the oldest and best known Evangelical Church of Budapest, the Deák Ferenc Square Lutheran Church. Vörösmarty Square is located in Belváros-Lipótváros District (Inner City District) behind the Vigadó of Pest as one of the endpoints of Váci Street. The Confectionery Gerbeaud is here, and the annual Christmas Fair is held in the Square, as well as is the centre of the Holiday Book Week. Parks and gardens See also: Category:Parks in Budapest The City Park Ice Rink, located in the City Park; the Vajdahunyad Castle is in the background. Budapest has many municipal parks and most have playgrounds for children and seasonal activities like skating in the winter and boating in the summer. Access from the city center is quick and easy with the Millennium Underground. Budapest has a complex park system, with various lands operated by the Budapest City Gardening Ltd.[188] The wealth of greenspace afforded by Budapest's parks is further augmented by a network of open spaces containing forest, streams, and lakes that are set aside as natural areas which lie not far from the inner city, including the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden (established in 1866) in the City Park.[189] The most notable and popular parks in Budapest are the City Park which was established in 1751 (302 acres) along with Andrássy Avenue,[190] the Margaret Island in the Danube (238 acres or 96 hectares),[191] the People's Park, the Római Part, and the Kopaszi Dam.[192] The Buda Hills also offer a variety of outdoor activities and views. A place frequented by locals is Normafa, offering activities for all seasons. With a modest ski run, it is also used by skiers and snowboarders – if there is enough snowfall in winter. Islands Park on Margaret Island Aerial panorama with Margaret Island A number of islands can be found on the Danube in Budapest: Margaret Island (Hungarian: Margit-sziget [ˈmɒrɡit.siɡɛt]) is a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long island and 0.965 square kilometres (238 acres) in area. The island mostly consists of a park and is a popular recreational area for tourists and locals alike. The island lies between Margaret Bridge (south) and Árpád Bridge (north). Dance clubs, swimming pools, an aqua park, athletic and fitness centres, bicycle and running tracks can be found around the Island. During the day the island is occupied by people doing sports, or just resting. In the summer (generally on the weekends) mostly young people go to the island at night to party on its terraces, or to recreate with a bottle of alcohol on a bench or on the grass (this form of entertainment is sometimes referred to as bench-partying). Csepel Island (Hungarian: Csepel-sziget [ˈt͡ʃɛpɛlsiɡɛt]) is the largest island of the River Danube in Hungary. It is 48 km (30 mi) long; its width is 6 to 8 km (4 to 5 mi) and its area comprises 257 km2 (99 sq mi). However, only the northern tip of the island is inside the city limits. Hajógyári Island (Hungarian: Hajógyári-sziget [ˈhɒjoːɟaːrisiɡɛt]), also known as Óbuda Island (Hungarian: Óbudai-sziget), is a human-made island located in the third district. This island hosts many activities such as: wake-boarding, jet-skiing during the day, and dance clubs during the night. This is the island where the famous Sziget Festival takes place, hosting hundreds of performances per year. Around 400,000 visitors attended the last festival. Many building projects are taking place to make this island into one of the biggest entertainment centres of Europe. The plan is to build apartment buildings, hotels, casinos and a marina. Molnár Island [hu] (Hungarian: Molnár-sziget) is an island in the channel of the Danube that separates Csepel Island from the east bank of the river. The islands of Palotai Island [hu], Nép Island [hu], and Háros Island [hu] also formerly existed within the city, but have been joined to the mainland. The Ínség Rock [hu] (Hungarian: Ínség-szikla) is a reef in the Danube close to the shore under the Gellért Hill. It is only exposed during drought periods when the river level is very low. Just outside the city boundary to the north lies the large Szentendre Island (Hungarian: Szentendrei-sziget) and the much smaller Lupa Island (Hungarian: Lupa-sziget). Spas Széchenyi Thermal Bath in the City Park One of the reasons the Romans first colonised the area immediately to the west of the River Danube and established their regional capital at Aquincum (now part of Óbuda, in northern Budapest) is so that they could use and enjoy the thermal springs. There are still ruins visible today of the enormous baths that were built during that period. The new baths that were constructed during the Turkish period (1541–1686) served both bathing and medicinal purposes, and some of these are still in use to this day.[193][194] Budapest gained its reputation as a city of spas in the 1920s, following the first realisation of the economic potential of the thermal waters in drawing in visitors. Indeed, in 1934 Budapest was officially ranked as a "City of Spas". Today, the baths are mostly frequented by the older generation, as, with the exception of the "Magic Bath" and "Cinetrip" water discos, young people tend to prefer the lidos which are open in the summer. Construction of the Király Baths started in 1565, and most of the present-day building dates from the Turkish period, including most notably the fine cupola-topped pool. The Rudas Baths are centrally placed – in the narrow strip of land between Gellért Hill and the River Danube – and also an outstanding example of architecture dating from the Turkish period. The central feature is an octagonal pool over which light shines from a 10 metres (33 ft) diameter cupola, supported by eight pillars. Gate of the Gellért Spa The Gellért Baths and Hotel were built in 1918, although there had once been Turkish baths on the site, and in the Middle Ages a hospital. In 1927, the Baths were extended to include the wave pool, and the effervescent bath was added in 1934. The well-preserved Art Nouveau interior includes colourful mosaics, marble columns, stained glass windows and statues. The Lukács Baths are also in Buda and are also Turkish in origin, although they were only revived at the end of the 19th century. This was also when the spa and treatment centre were founded. There is still something of an atmosphere of fin-de-siècle about the place, and all around the inner courtyard there are marble tablets recalling the thanks of patrons who were cured there. Since the 1950s it has been regarded as a centre for intellectuals and artists. The Széchenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in all Europe, and the only "old" medicinal baths to be found in the Pest side of the city. The indoor medicinal baths date from 1913 and the outdoor pools from 1927. There is an atmosphere of grandeur about the whole place with the bright, largest pools resembling aspects associated with Roman baths, the smaller bath tubs reminding one of the bathing culture of the Greeks, and the saunas and diving pools borrowed from traditions emanating in northern Europe. The three outdoor pools (one of which is a fun pool) are open all year, including winter. Indoors there are over ten separate pools, and a whole host of medical treatments is also available. The Szécheny Baths are built in modern Renaissance style. Night panorama of the Gellért Hill with the illuminated Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Danube Chain Bridge, Parliament, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest Eye, and Vigadó Concert Hall Panorama of Budapest with Gellért Hill, Liberty Statue, Budapest Eye, Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Parliament, St. Stephen's Basilica Infrastructure and transportation Airport Main article: Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport Budapest International Airport arrivals and departures lounge between terminal 2A and 2B, named SkyCourt Budapest is served by Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) (named after Franz Liszt, the notable Hungarian composer), one of the busiest airports in Central and Eastern Europe, located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east-southeast of the centre of Budapest, in the District XVIII. The airport offers international connections among all major European cities, and also to North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As Hungary's busiest airport, it handles nearly all of the country's air passenger traffic. Budapest Liszt Ferenc handled around 250 scheduled flights daily in 2013, and an ever-rising number of charters. London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, and Amsterdam are the busiest international connections respectively, while Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Doha and Alicante are the most unusual in the region.[195] Today the airport serves as a base for Ryanair, Wizz Air, Budapest Aircraft Service, LOT Polish Airlines and Smartwings Hungary among others. The airport is accessible via public transportation from the city centre by the Metro line 3 and then the airport bus No. 200E.[196] As part of a strategic development plan, €561 million have been spent on expanding and modernising the airport infrastructure until December 2012. Most of these improvements are already completed,[197] the postponed ones are the new cargo area and new piers for terminal 2A and 2B, but these development are on standby also, and will start immediately, when the airport traffic will reach the appropriate level. SkyCourt, the newest, state-of-the-art building between the 2A and 2B terminals with 5 levels. Passenger safety checks were moved here along with new baggage classifiers and the new Malév and SkyTeam business lounges, as well as the first MasterCard lounge in Europe.[198] Public transportation Budapest metro and rapid transit network within the city and to suburbs Green Line 4, a driverless metro line with real-time PIDS system at Kálvin square, a transfer station to Blue Line 3 CAF Tram on Line 17 at Széll Kálmán Square Public transit in Budapest is provided by the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK, Budapesti Közlekedési Központ), one of the largest transportation authorities in Europe.[199] BKK operates 4 metro lines (including the historic Line 1, the oldest underground railway in continental Europe), 5 suburban railway lines, 33 tram lines, 15 trolleybus lines, 264 bus lines (including 40 night routes), 4 boat services, and BuBi, a smart bicycle sharing network. On an average weekday, BKK lines transports 3.9 million riders; in 2011, it handled a total of 1.4 billion passengers.[200] In 2014, the 65% of the passenger traffic in Budapest was by public transport and 35% by car. The aim is 80%–20% by 2030 in accordance with the strategy of BKK.[201] Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland who are at least 65 years old can use the public transport for free.[202] The development of complex intelligent transportation system in the city is advancing; the application of smart traffic lights is widespread, they are GPS and computer controlled and give priority to the GPS connected public transport vehicles automatically, as well as the traffic is measured and analyzed on the roads and car drivers informed about the expected travel time and traffic by intelligent displays (EasyWay project).[203] Public transport users are immediately notified of any changes in public transport online, on smartphones and on PIDS displays, as well car drivers can keep track of changes in traffic and road management in real-time online and on smartphones through the BKK Info.[204][205] As well all vehicles can be followed online and on smartphones in real-time throughout the city with the Futár PIDS system,[206] while the continuous introducing of integrated e-ticket system will help the measurement of passenger numbers on each line and the intelligent control of service frequency. The development of Futár, the citywide real-time passenger information system and real-time route planner is finished already and now all of the public transport vehicle is connected via satellite system. The real-time information of trams, buses and trolleybuses are available for both the operators in the control room and for all the passengers in all stops on smartphone and on city street displays.[207] The implementation of latest generation automated fare collection and e-ticket system with NFC compatibility and reusable contactless smart cards for making electronic payments in online and offline systems in Budapest is started in 2014, the project is implemented and operated by the operator of Hong Kong Octopus card jointly with one of the leading European companies of e-ticket and automated fare collection, Scheidt & Bachmann.[208] The deployment of 300 new digital contactless ticket vending machine will be finished by the end of 2014 in harmonization with the e-ticket system.[209] In 2022, Futár was rebranded as BudapestGo.[210] A Volvo 7900A Hybrid in Budapest on Line 5 operated by BKK Tram lines no. 4 and 6 are the busiest city tram lines in the world,[211] with one of the world's longest trams (54-metre long Siemens Combino) running at 2–3-minute intervals at peak time and 4–5 minutes off-peak. Day services are usually from 4 am until between 11 pm and 0:30 am.[175] Hungarian State Railways operates an extensive network of commuter rail services, their importance in the suburban commuter passenger traffic is significant, but in travel within the city is limited. The organiser of public transport in Budapest is the municipal corporation Centre for Budapest Transport (Budapesti Közlekedési Központ – BKK), that is responsible for planning and organising network and services, planning and developing tariff concepts, attending to public service procurer duties, managing public service contracts, operating controlling and monitoring systems, setting and monitoring service level agreements related to public transport, attending to customer service duties, selling and monitoring tickets and passes, attending to integrated passenger information duties, unified Budapest-centric traffic control within public transport, attending to duties related to river navigation, plus the management of Budapest roads, operating taxi stations, unified control of bicycle traffic development in the capital, preparing parking strategy and developing an operational concept, preparation of road traffic management, developing an optimal traffic management system, organising and co-ordinating road reconstruction and more, in short, everything which is related to transport in the city.[212] Roads and railways Main articles: Hungarian State Railways and Motorways in Hungary Western railway station Megyeri Bridge on M0 highway ring road around Budapest Keleti Railway Station (Budapest East Central) Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus, all of the major highways and railways end within the city limits. The road system in the city is designed in a similar manner to that of Paris, with several ring roads, and avenues radiating out from the center. Ring road M0 around Budapest is nearly completed, with only one section missing on the west side due to local disputes. The ring road is 80 kilometres (50 miles) in length, and once finished it will be 107 kilometres (66 mi) of highway in length. The city is a vital traffic hub because all major European roads and European railway lines lead to Budapest.[88] The Danube was and is still today an important water-way and this region in the centre of the Carpathian Basin lies at the cross-roads of trade routes.[91] Hungarian main line railways are operated by Hungarian State Railways. There are three main railway station in Budapest, Keleti (Eastern), Nyugati (Western) and Déli (Southern), operating both domestic and international rail services. Budapest is one of the main stops of the on its Central and Eastern European route.[213] There is also a suburban rail service in and around Budapest, three lines of which are operated under the name HÉV. Ports, shipping and others The river Danube flows through Budapest on its way from (Germany) to the Black Sea. The river is easily navigable and so Budapest historically has a major commercial port at Csepel District and at New Pest District also. The Pest side is also a famous port place with international shipping ports for cargo[214] and for passenger ships.[215] In the summer months, a scheduled hydrofoil service operates on the Danube connecting the city to Vienna. BKK (through the operator BKV) also provides public transport with boat service within the borders of the city. Two routes, marked D11 and D12, connect the two banks with Margaret Island and Óbuda Island, from Rómaifürdő (Buda side, north to Óbuda Island) or Árpád Bridge (Pest side) to Rákóczi Bridge, with a total of 18 stops, while route D2 circulates in the downtown.[216] Line D14 is a ferry service, connecting Királyerdő on the Csepel Island with Molnár Island on the Pest side, south to the city centre.[216] In addition, several companies provides sightseeing boat trips and also an amphibious vehicle (bus and boat) operates constantly. Water quality in Budapest harbours improved dramatically in the recent years, treatment facilities processed 100% of generated sewage in 2010. Budapesters regularly kayak, canoe, jet-ski and sail on the Danube, which has continuously become a major recreational site for the city. Special vehicles in Budapest, besides metros, include suburban rails, trams and boats. There are a couple of less common vehicles in Budapest, like the trolleybus on several lines in Pest, the Castle Hill Funicular between the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, the cyclecar for rent in Margaret Island, the chairlift, the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway and children's railway. The latter three vehicles run among Buda hills. Culture and contemporary life Main pages: Category:Culture in Budapest and Culture of Hungary Hungarian Academy of Sciences seat in Budapest, founded in 1825 by Count István Széchenyi The culture of Budapest is reflected by Budapest's size and variety. Most Hungarian cultural movements first emerged in the city. Budapest is an important center for music, film, theatre, dance and visual art. Artists have been drawn into the city by opportunity, as the city government funds the arts with adequate financial resources. Budapest is the headquarters of the Hungarian LGBT community[Citation needed]. Budapest was named "City of Design" in December 2015 and has been a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network since then.[217] Arany Sas Patika Múzeum, the Pharmacy Museum Museums and galleries Clockwise, from upper left: Museum of Fine Arts Budapest; Museum of Applied Arts; a view of the interior of the Aquincum Museum; and Geological Museum of Budapest Budapest is packed with museums and galleries. The city glories in 223 museums and galleries, which presents several memories, next to the Hungarian ones as well those of universal and European culture and science. Here are the greatest examples among them: the Hungarian National Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts (where can see the pictures of Hungarian painters, like Victor Vasarely, Mihály Munkácsy and a great collection about Italian art, Dutch art, Spanish art and British art from before the 19th century and French art, British art, German art, Austrian art after the 19th century), the House of Terror, the Budapest Historical Museum, the Aquincum Museum, the Semmelweis Museum of Medical History, the Memento Park, Museum of Applied Arts and the contemporary arts exhibition Palace of Arts Budapest.[218] In Budapest there are 837 monuments, which represent the most of the European artistic style. The classical and unique Hungarian Art Nouveau buildings are prominent. Libraries A lot of libraries have unique collections in Budapest, such as the National Széchényi Library, which keeps historical relics from the age before the printing of books. The Metropolitan Szabó Ervin Library plays an important role in the general education of the capital's population. Other libraries: The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös University Library, the Parliamentary Library, Library of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and the National Library of Foreign Literature. Opera and theatres Main article: Hungarian opera Hungarian State Opera House In Budapest there are forty theatres, seven concert halls and an opera house.[219] Outdoor festivals, concerts and lectures enrich the cultural offer of summer, which are often held in historical buildings. The largest theatre facilities are the Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre, the József Attila Theatre, the Katona József Theatre, the Madách Theatre, the Hungarian State Opera House, the National Theatre, the Vigadó Concert Hall, Radnóti Miklós Theatre, the Comedy Theatre and the Palace of Arts, known as MUPA. The Budapest Opera Ball is an annual Hungarian society event taking place in the building of the Budapest Opera (Operaház) on the last Saturday of the carnival season, usually late February.[220] Casinos There are 11 casinos in Hungary (11 is the maximum number of casinos allowed by law), and five of them are located in the capital. All five of these casinos were owned by LVC Diamond Játékkaszinó Üzemeltető Kft, the gambling company of late András Vajna (better known as Andy Vajna) until his death in 2017. The biggest casino in Budapest and in all of Hungary is the Las Vegas Casino at the Corvin promenade.[221] Performing arts and festivals Further information: Music of Budapest Sziget Festival Budapest. One of the largest music festivals in Europe provides a multicultural, diverse meeting point for locals and foreigners every year. Several annual festivals take place in Budapest. The Sziget Festival is one of the largest outdoor music festival in Europe. The Budapest Spring Festival includes concerts at several venues across the city. The Café Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival (formerly the Budapest Autumn Festival) brings free music, dance, art, and other cultural events to the streets of the city. The Budapest Wine Festival and Budapest Pálinka Festival, occurring each May, are gastronomy festivals focusing on culinary pleasures. The Budapest Pride (or Budapest Pride Film and Cultural Festival) occurs annually across the city, and usually involves a parade on the Andrássy Avenue. Other festivals include the Budapest Fringe Festival, which brings more than 500 artists in about 50 shows to produce a wide range of works in alternative theatre, dance, music and comedy outside the mainstream. The LOW Festival is a multidisciplinary contemporary cultural festival held in Hungary in the cities Budapest and Pécs from February until March; the name of the festival alludes to the Low Countries, the region encompassing the Netherlands and Flanders. The Budapest Jewish Summer Festival, in late August, is one of the largest in Europe. Festive fireworks of the foundation of the Hungarian state on 20 August There are many symphony orchestras in Budapest, with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra being the preeminent one. It was founded in 1853 by Ferenc Erkel and still presents regular concerts in the Hungarian State Opera House and National Theatre. Budapest also has one of the more active jazz scenes in Central Europe.[222] The dance tradition of the Carpathian Basin is a unique area of the European dance culture, which is also a special transition between the Balkans and Western Europe regions. The city is home to several authentic Hungarian folk dance ensembles which range from small ensembles to professional troupes. Budapest is one of the few cities in the world with a high school for learning folk dance. Fashion Budapest is home to a fashion week twice a year, where the city's fashion designers and houses present their collections and provide a meeting place for the fashion industry representatives. Budapest Fashion Week additionally a place for designers from other countries may present their collections in Budapest. Hungarian models, like Barbara Palvin, Enikő Mihalik, Diána Mészáros, Viktória Vámosi usually appearing at these events along international participants. Fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Mango, ESPRIT, Douglas AG, Lacoste, Nike and other retail fashion brands are common across the city's shopping malls and on the streets.[223] Major luxury fashion brands such as Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Versace, Ferragamo, Moschino, Prada and Hugo Boss, can be found among the city's most prestigious shopping streets, the Fashion Street, Váci Street and Andrássy Avenue in Budapest's main upscale fashion district, the Leopoldtown. Media Further information: Category:Mass media in Budapest and List of films shot in Budapest The monocrome logos of the Hungarian MTVA's TV-channels Budapest is a prominent location for the Hungarian entertainment industry, with many films, television series, books, and other media set there. Budapest is the largest centre for film and television production in Hungary. In 2011, it employed more than 50,000 people and generated 63.9% of revenues of the media industry in the country.[224] Budapest is the media centre of Hungary, and the location of the main headquarters of Hungarian Television and other local and national TV and radio stations, such as M1, M2, Duna TV, Duna World, RTL Klub, TV2 (Hungary), Euronews, Comedy Central, MTV Hungary, VIVA Hungary, Viasat 3, Cool TV, and Pro4, and politics and news channels such as Hír TV, ATV, and Echo TV. Documentary channels include Discovery Channel, Discovery Science, Discovery World, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Spektrum, and BBC Entertainment. This is less than a quarter of the channels broadcast from Budapest; for the whole picture see Television in Hungary. In 2012, in Hungary there were 7.2 million internet users (72% of the population)[225] and 2.3 million subscriptions for mobile broadband.[226] Cuisine Further information: Hungarian cuisine In the modern age, Budapest developed its own peculiar cuisine, based on products of the nearby region, such as lamb, pork and vegetables special to the region. Modern Hungarian cuisine is a synthesis of ancient Asiatic components mixed with French, Germanic, Italian, and Slavic elements. The food of Hungary can be considered a melting pot of the continent, with a culinary base formed from its own, original Magyar cuisine. Considerable numbers of Saxons, Armenians, Italians, Jews and Serbs settled in the Hungarian basin and in Transylvania, also contributing with different new dishes. Elements of ancient Turkish cuisine were adopted during the Ottoman era, in the form of sweets (for example different nougats, like white nougat called törökméz), quince (birsalma), Turkish delight, Turkish coffee or rice dishes like pilaf, meat and vegetable dishes like the eggplant, used in eggplant salads and appetizers, stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage called töltött káposzta. Hungarian cuisine was influenced by Austrian cuisine under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed from Austrian cuisine, and vice versa.[227] Budapest restaurants reflect diversity, with menus carrying traditional regional cuisine, fusions of various culinary influences, or innovating in the leading edge of new techniques. Budapest' food shops also have a solid reputation for supplying quality specialised culinary products and supplies, reputations that are often built up over generations. These include many shops, such as Café Gerbeaud, one of the greatest and most traditional coffeehouses in Europe, or the Gundel restaurant and gastro shop in the City Park. Foodies can also find the highest quality foods served in several Michelin-starred restaurants, like Onyx, Costes, Borkonyha or Tanti. In fiction The 1906 novel The Paul Street Boys, the 1937 novel Journey by Moonlight, the 1957 book The Bridge at Andau, the 1975 novel Fateless, the 1977 novel The End of a Family Story, the 1986 book Between the Woods and the Water, the 1992 novel Under the Frog, the 1987 novel The Door, the 2002 novel Prague, the 2003 book Budapeste, the 2004 novel Ballad of the Whisky Robber, the 2005 novels Parallel Stories and The Historian, the 2012 novel Budapest Noir are set, amongst others, partly or entirely in Budapest. Some of the better known feature films set in Budapest are Kontroll, The District!, Gloomy Sunday, Sunshine, An American Rhapsody, As You Desire Me, The Good Fairy, Hanna's War, The Journey, Ladies in Love, Music Box, The Shop Around the Corner, Zoo in Budapest, Underworld, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Spy. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) is a Wes Anderson film. It was filmed in Germany, and set in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, which is in the alpine mountains of Hungary. Sports See also: Category:Sport in Budapest and Football in Hungary Puskás Aréna National Stadium and László Papp Arena Hungarian Grand Prix on the Hungaroring Budapest hosted many global sporting events in the past, among others the 1994 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships, 2000 World Fencing Championships, 2001 World Allround Speed Skating Championships, Bandy World Championship 2004, 2008 World Interuniversity Games, 2008 World Modern Pentathlon Championships, 2010 ITU World Championship Series, 2011 IIHF World Championship, 2012 European Speed Skating Championships, 2013 World Fencing Championships, 2013 World Wrestling Championships, 2014 World Masters Athletics Championships, 2017 World Aquatics Championships, and 2017 World Judo Championships, only in the last two-decade. Besides these, Budapest was the home of many European-level tournaments, like 2006 European Aquatics Championships, 2010 European Aquatics Championships, 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship, 2013 European Judo Championships, 2013 European Karate Championships and will be the host of 2023 World Championships in Athletics and 4 matches in the UEFA Euro 2020, which was held in the 67,215-seat new multi-purpose Puskás Ferenc Stadium, to mention a few. In 2015, the Assembly of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and the Assembly of Budapest decided to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Budapest has lost several bids to host the games, in 1916, 1920, 1936, 1944, and 1960 to Berlin, Antwerp, London, and Rome, respectively.[228][229] The Hungarian Parliament also voted to support the bid on 28 January 2016, later Budapest City Council approved list of venues and Budapest became an official candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. However, they have recently withdrawn and only Paris and Los Angeles remain as candidates for the 2024 Olympics. Numerous Olympic, World, and European Championship winners and medalists reside in the city, which follows from Hungary's 8th place among all the nations of the world in the All-time Olympic Games medal table. The Danube Arena The National Athletics Centre Hungarians have always been avid sports people: during the history of the Summer Olympic Games, Hungarians have brought home 476 medals, of which 167 are gold. The top events in which Hungarians have excelled are fencing, swimming, water polo, canoeing, wrestling and track & field sports. Beside classic sports, recreational modern sports such as bowling, pool billiard, darts, go-carting, wakeboarding and squash are very popular in Budapest, and extreme sports are also gaining ground. Furthermore, the Budapest Marathon and Budapest Half Marathon also attract many people every year. The city's largest football stadium is named after Ferenc Puskás, recognised as the top scorer of the 20th century and for whom FIFA's Puskás Award (Ballon d'Or) was named.[230] One of Budapest's most popular sport is football and it has many Hungarian League football club, including in the top level Nemzeti Bajnokság I league, like Ferencvárosi TC (32 Hungarian League titles), MTK Budapest FC (23 titles), Újpest FC (20 titles), Budapest Honvéd FC (14 titles), Vasas SC (6 titles), Csepel SC (4 titles), Budapesti TC (2 titles). The Hungarian Grand Prix in Formula One has been held at the Hungaroring just outside the city, a circuit which has FIA Grade 1 license.[231] Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. At the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, it was confirmed that Hungary will continue to host a Formula 1 race until 2021.[232] The track was completely resurfaced for the first time in early 2016, and it was announced the Grand Prix's deal was extended for a further five years, until 2026.[233] Budapest is home to two four-star UEFA stadiums: Puskás Aréna, Groupama Aréna, and two three-star UEFA stadiums: Hidegkuti Nándor Stadion and Bozsik Aréna.[citation needed] Education See also: Education in Hungary Main Building of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the oldest institute of technology in the world, founded in 1782 Budapest Business School rectorate in downtown Belváros-Lipótváros, the first public business school in the world, founded in 1857 Eötvös Loránd University is one of the largest and most prestigious institutions. Facade of the main building at the Ludovika - National University of Public Service Main Building of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, founded in 1875 Budapest is home to over 35 higher education institutions, many of which are universities. Under the Bologna Process, many offered qualifications are recognised in countries across Europe. Medicine, dentistry, pharmaceuticals, veterinary programs, and engineering are among the most popular fields for foreigners to undertake in Budapest. Most universities in Budapest offer courses in English, as well as in other languages like German, French, and Dutch, aimed specifically at foreigners. Many students from other European countries spend one or two semesters in Budapest through the Erasmus Programme.[234] Universities in Budapest Name Established City Type Students Academic staff Budapest Business School 1857 Budapest Public Business school 16,905 987 Szent István University 1787 Budapest Public Classic university 12,583 1,313 Budapest University of Technology and Economics 1782 Budapest Public Institute of technology 21,171 961 Corvinus University 1920 Budapest Public Business school 14,522 867 Eötvös Loránd University 1635 Budapest Public Classic university 26,006 1,800 Hungarian University of Fine Arts 1871 Budapest Public Art school 652 232 Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music 1875 Budapest Public Music school 831 168 Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design 1870 Budapest Public Art school 894 122 National University of Public Service 1808 Budapest Public Classic university 10,800 465 Óbuda University 1879 Budapest Public Institute of technology 12,888 421 Semmelweis University 1769 Budapest Public Medical school 10,880 1,230 University of Physical Education [eo; hu] 1925 Budapest Public Classic university 2,500 220 Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest 1865 Budapest Public Art school 455 111 Andrássy University Budapest 2002 Budapest Private Classic university 210 51 Aquincum Institute of Technology 2011 Budapest Private Institute of technology 50 41 Budapest Metropolitan University 2001 Budapest Private Classic university 8,000 350 Budapest University of Jewish Studies 1877 Budapest Private Theological university 200 60 Central European University 1991 Budapest Private Classic university 1,380 399 International Business School 1991 Budapest Private Business school 800 155 Károli Gáspár University of Reformed Church 1855 Budapest Private Classic university 4,301 342 Pázmány Péter Catholic University 1635 Budapest Private Classic university 9,469 736 Evangelical-Lutheran Theological University [eo; fr; hu; sh] 1557 Budapest Private Theological university 220 36 Notable people Main article: List of people from Budapest International relations Budapest has quite a few sister cities and many partner cities around the world.[235] Like Budapest, many of them are the most influential and largest cities of their country and region, most of them are the primate city and political, economical, cultural capital of their country. The Mayor of Budapest says the aim of improving sister city relationships is to allow and encourage a mutual exchange of information and experiences, as well as co-operation, in the areas of city management, education, culture, tourism, media and communication, trade and business development.[236][clarification needed] Historic sister cities New York (United States) 1992[237][238][239] Fort Worth (United States) 1990[240] Shanghai (China) 2013[241] Beijing (China) 2005[242] Tehran (Iran) 2015[243] Berlin (Germany) 1992[244][245] Frankfurt am Main (Germany) 1990[246] Vienna (Austria) 1990[247] Lisbon (Portugal) 1992[248][249] Tel Aviv (Israel) 1989[250] Zagreb (Croatia) 1994[251] Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 1995[252] Florence (Italy) 2008[253] Partnerships around the world Prague (Czech Republic) 2010[254] Rotterdam (Netherlands) 1991[255] Warsaw (Poland) 2005[256] Kraków (Poland) 2005[257] Bangkok (Thailand) 2007[258] Osaka (Japan) 1998 Jakarta (Indonesia) 2009[259] Daejeon (South Korea) 1994[260] Naples (Italy) 1993[261] Istanbul (Turkey) 1985[262] İzmir (Turkey) 1985 Gaziantep (Turkey) 2010 Ankara (Turkey) 2015[263] Sofia (Bulgaria) 2009 Vilnius (Lithuania) 2000[264] Košice (Slovakia) 1997[265] Lviv (Ukraine) 1993[266] Some of the city's districts are also twinned to small cities or districts of other big cities; for details see the article List of districts and towns in Budapest. See also icon Geography portal map Europe portal flag European Union portal flag Hungary portal Bridges of Budapest Budapest metropolitan area Fort Budapest List of cemeteries in Budapest List of films shot in Budapest List of cities and towns on Danube river List of historical capitals of Hungary Music of Budapest Outline of Hungary Spas in Budapest Béla Imrédy (born Dec. 29, 1891, Budapest, Hung.—died Feb. 28, 1946, Budapest) was a right-wing politician and premier of Hungary (1938–39), whose close collaboration with the Nazis during World War II led to his execution as a war criminal. After being trained in law, Imrédy began working for the Ministry of Finances. In 1928 he became director of the National Bank of Hungary and participated in several international monetary conferences. He then served as finance minister (1932–35) under the extreme rightist Gyula Gömbös. After Gömbös died (Oct. 6, 1936) Imrédy resigned and became president of the National Bank. Germany invades Poland, September 1, 1939, using 45 German divisions and aerial attack. By September 20, only Warsaw held out, but final surrender came on September 29. Britannica Quiz Pop Quiz: 17 Things to Know About World War II Nazi Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, and Imrédy was made premier of Hungary on May 14, 1938. Although he took measures against the extreme right and made several unsuccessful attempts to win support from the Western powers, Imrédy oversaw the passage of many laws supported by the right wing, including two measures limiting the activity of Jews in business and the professions as well as laws restricting the right of assembly and freedom of the press. He also ultimately adopted a more definite pro-Axis foreign policy for Hungary. On Feb. 16, 1939, he resigned after the opposition had documented his Jewish ancestry; he retained leadership, however, in numerous rightist organizations and as minister of the economy in 1944 was instrumental in subordinating Hungarian economy to the German war effort. After the war Imrédy was sentenced for war crimes by the People’s Tribunal and executed. This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nazi Party Table of Contents Introduction Founding of the Nazi Party and the Beer Hall Putsch The Nazi Party and Hitler’s rise to power The Nazi Party in the Third Reich The Nazi Party in World War II Postwar neo-Nazi parties References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images & Videos Adolf HitlerBeer Hall Putsch Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the anti-Semitism they fomented in pre-WWII Germany The role of propaganda in Hitler's rise to power What led to the fall of Germany's Weimar Republic? German troopsReichstag fireErnst Röhmnewspaper coverage of the Night of the Long KnivesHeinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler For Students Germany invades Poland, September 1, 1939, using 45 German divisions and aerial attack. By September 20, only Warsaw held out, but final surrender came on September 29. Pop Quiz: 17 Things to Know About World War II Nazi Party summary Quizzes Adolf Hitler participating in a Nazi parade in Munich, Germany, circa 1930s. Nazi Germany Quiz Related Questions What was the cause of World War II? What were the turning points of World War II? How did World War II end? How many people died during World War II? How did Heinrich Himmler die? Read Next Silhouette of hand holding sport torch behind the rings of an Olympic flag, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; February 3, 2015. 7 Significant Political Events at the Olympic Games Nazi Germany, Nazi SS troops marching with victory standards at the Party Day rally in Nuremberg, Germany, 1933. (Schutzstaffel, Nazi Party, Nurnberg) Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich? pg 229Nazi parade features a banner proclaiming, "Death to Marxism."The possibility of a peaceful Germany after World War I was precluded entirely by the terms of the Versailles Treaty and theintransigent hostility of France and England. Stripped of indu Were the Nazis Socialists? Operation Barbarossa, German troops in Russia, 1941. Nazi German soldiers in action against the Red Army (Soviet Union) at an along the frontlines in the early days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941. World War II, WWII 75th Anniversary of Operation Barbarossa People celebrate in Times Square in New York City, New York on V-E Day (Victory in Europe), May 8, 1945. 70th Anniversary of V-E Day Discover Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution Obscure Freaky Smiling Psycho Man, phsychopath, sociopath, evil, mean What’s the Difference Between a Psychopath and a Sociopath? And How Do Both Differ from Narcissists? Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile) 9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland. Why Is Ireland Two Countries? Easter Procession of Maria Santisima del Sacromonte in Granada, Spain. This statue is known as Virgen de los Gitanos or The Virgin of the Gypsies. What is Holy Week? Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved) Home Politics, Law & Government Politics & Political Systems History & Society Nazi Party political party, Germany      Also known as: NSDAP, National Socialist German Workers’ Party, National-Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei Written and fact-checked by  Last Updated: Feb 12, 2024 • Article History Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler See all media Category: History & Society Byname of: National Socialist German Workers’ Party German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) Date: 1919 - 1945 Areas Of Involvement: anti-Semitism nationalism Related People: Adolf Hitler Hermann Göring Adolf Eichmann Heinrich Himmler Josef Dietrich Recent News Mar. 16, 2024, 5:56 AM ET (Deutsche Welle) Germany's Bundesbank confronts dark Nazi origins Nazi Party, political party of the mass movement known as National Socialism. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the party came to power in Germany in 1933 and governed by totalitarian methods until 1945. Anti-Semitism was fundamental to the party’s ideology and led to the Holocaust, the systematic, state-sponsored killing of six million Jews and millions of others. Founding of the Nazi Party and the Beer Hall Putsch The Nazi Party was founded as the German Workers’ Party by Anton Drexler, a Munich locksmith, in 1919. Hitler attended one of its meetings that year, and before long his energy and oratorical skills would enable him to take over the party, which was renamed National Socialist German Workers’ Party in 1920. That year Hitler also formulated a 25-point program that became the permanent basis for the party. The program called for German abandonment of the Treaty of Versailles and for the expansion of German territory. These appeals for national aggrandizement were accompanied by a strident anti-Semitic rhetoric. The party’s socialist orientation was basically a demagogic gambit designed to attract support from the working class. By 1921 Hitler had ousted the party’s other leaders and taken over. Beer Hall Putsch Beer Hall Putsch Nazi paramilitary troops participating in the Beer Hall Putsch, November 9, 1923. Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the anti-Semitism they fomented in pre-WWII Germany Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the anti-Semitism they fomented in pre-WWII Germany In 1933 Adolf Hitler's National Socialists were voted into power, and the campaign of terror began. From The Second World War: Prelude to Conflict (1963). See all videos for this article Under Hitler the Nazi Party grew steadily in its home base of Bavaria. It organized strong-arm groups to protect its rallies and meetings. These groups drew their members from war veterans groups and paramilitary organizations and were organized under the name Sturmabteilung (SA). In 1923 Hitler and his followers felt strong enough to stage the Beer Hall Putsch, an unsuccessful attempt to take control of the Bavarian state government in the hope that it would trigger a nationwide insurrection against the Weimar Republic. The coup failed, the Nazi Party was temporarily banned, and Hitler was sent to prison for most of 1924. The Nazi Party and Hitler’s rise to power Upon his release Hitler quickly set about rebuilding his moribund party, vowing to achieve power only through legal political means thereafter. The Nazi Party’s membership grew from 25,000 in 1925 to about 180,000 in 1929. Its organizational system of gauleiters (“district leaders”) spread through Germany at this time, and the party began contesting municipal, state, and federal elections with increasing frequency. The role of propaganda in Hitler's rise to power The role of propaganda in Hitler's rise to power Learn how the Nazi Party used a canny mix of propaganda and terror to ascend to power in Germany. See all videos for this article What led to the fall of Germany's Weimar Republic? What led to the fall of Germany's Weimar Republic? Overview of the Weimar Republic's demise.See all videos for this article However, it was the effects of the Great Depression in Germany that brought the Nazi Party to its first real nationwide importance. The rapid rise in unemployment in 1929–30 provided millions of jobless and dissatisfied voters whom the Nazi Party exploited to its advantage. From 1929 to 1932 the party vastly increased its membership and voting strength; its vote in elections to the Reichstag (the German Parliament) increased from 800,000 votes in 1928 to about 14,000,000 votes in July 1932, and it thus emerged as the largest voting bloc in the Reichstag, with 230 members (38 percent of the total vote). By then big-business circles had begun to finance the Nazi electoral campaigns, and swelling bands of SA toughs increasingly dominated the street fighting with the communists that accompanied such campaigns. German troops German troops German troops marching at a Nazi Party rally at Nürnberg, Germany, in 1933. Reichstag fire Reichstag fire The Reichstag burning in Berlin on February 27, 1933. When unemployment began to drop in Germany in late 1932, the Nazi Party’s vote also dropped, to about 12,000,000 (33 percent of the vote) in the November 1932 elections. Nevertheless, Hitler’s shrewd maneuvering behind the scenes prompted the president of the German republic, Paul von Hindenburg, to name him chancellor on January 30, 1933. Hitler used the powers of his office to solidify the Nazis’ position in the government during the following months. The elections of March 5, 1933—precipitated by the burning of the Reichstag building only days earlier—gave the Nazi Party 44 percent of the votes, and further unscrupulous tactics on Hitler’s part turned the voting balance in the Reichstag in the Nazis’ favour. On March 23, 1933, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, which “enabled” Hitler’s government to issue decrees independently of the Reichstag and the presidency; Hitler in effect assumed dictatorial powers. The Nazi Party in the Third Reich Ernst Röhm Ernst Röhm Ernst Röhm, 1933. newspaper coverage of the Night of the Long Knives newspaper coverage of the Night of the Long Knives Article about the Night of the Long Knives on the front page of the Pennsylvanian newspaper The Bethlehem Globe-Times, July 2, 1934. On July 14, 1933, Hitler’s government declared the Nazi Party to be the only political party in Germany. On the death of Hindenburg in 1934 Hitler took the titles of Führer (“Leader”), chancellor, and commander in chief of the army, and he remained leader of the Nazi Party as well. Nazi Party membership became mandatory for all higher civil servants and bureaucrats, and the gauleiters became powerful figures in the state governments. Hitler crushed the Nazi Party’s left, or socialist-oriented, wing in 1934, executing Ernst Röhm and other rebellious SA leaders on what would become known as the “Night of the Long Knives.” Thereafter, Hitler’s word was the supreme and undisputed command in the party. Its vast and complex hierarchy was structured like a pyramid, with party-controlled mass organizations for youth, women, workers, and other groups at the bottom, party members and officials in the middle, and Hitler and his closest associates at the top wielding undisputed authority. Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler Heinrich Himmler (left) and Adolf Hitler reviewing an assembly of Hitler's personal guard. Nazism Nazism View of the opening ceremonies at the Deutsche Kampfspiele (“German Combat Games”) in Nürnberg, Germany, June 1934. The history of the Nazi Party after 1934 can be divided into two main phases. The years between 1934 and 1938 were used by the party to establish virtual total control of all political, social, and cultural activities in Germany. This phase began in earnest with the death of Hindenburg on August 2, 1934. The functions of the military and government were subsumed into the party, and all troops and officials were forced to take the oath of fidelity to Hitler personally. Subordination of the broader German populace was achieved primarily through the unification of all the police, security, and Schutzstaffel (SS) organizations under the direction of Heinrich Himmler and his chief lieutenant, Reinhard Heydrich. Kristallnacht Kristallnacht Pedestrians viewing a Jewish-owned store in Berlin damaged during Kristallnacht, November 10, 1938. Buchenwald concentration camp roll call Buchenwald concentration camp roll call Prisoners arrested during Kristallnacht assembled for a roll call at Buchenwald concentration camp, near Weimar, Germany, November 1938. A core element of the Nazi Party ideology was anti-Semitism, and Hitler used this period of consolidation to mobilize the power of the Nazi police state against Germany’s Jewish citizens. Jews were deprived of virtually all legal rights under the Nürnberg Laws of September 15, 1935, and prewar state-sponsored persecution of Jews reached its climax on Kristallnacht (November 9–10, 1938). Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels ordered these pogroms, in which SS-directed rioters damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 synagogues and ransacked some 7,500 Jewish-owned homes and businesses. Scores of Jews were killed in the violence, and tens of thousands of Jewish men and boys were arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps. After Kristallnacht, the bulk of all Jewish property was confiscated, and Germany’s Jews were effectively erased from public life. Joseph Goebbels addressing a Nazi rally Joseph Goebbels addressing a Nazi rally Joseph Goebbels addressing a Nazi rally in Reichenberg, Sudetenland (now Liberec, Czech Republic), November 19, 1938. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler reviewing German troops in Warsaw, 1939. The years between 1938 and 1945 witnessed the effort to impose Nazism on territories outside the Third Reich. This phase was initiated in 1938 with the suppression of the last conservative influences in the two remaining bulwarks of an older, authoritarian but civilized Germany—the army and the foreign office. In that year Hitler began German territorial expansion, carried out through threats and diplomatic pressure, by “peaceful” means. In such a way he incorporated into the Third Reich first the republic of Austria and then the Sudetenland (the German-speaking parts of the republic of Czechoslovakia). German invasion of Poland in World War II German invasion of Poland in World War II German soldiers breaking down a barricade at the Polish border at the outbreak of World War II, 1939. By 1939 the military preparations, including the militarization of German life and education and the establishment of a war economy, had made such progress in Hitler’s opinion that he could challenge the European order even at the risk of a second great war. On August 23, 1939, Hitler, without consulting his Italian and Japanese allies, concluded a pact of friendship and nonaggression with the Soviet Union. The agreement contained a secret treaty between Germany and Russia partitioning Poland and dividing the whole of eastern Europe into spheres of influence. It opened the road into the heart of central Europe to Joseph Stalin and was the immediate prelude to World War II, which began in Poland on September l. The Nazi Party in World War II When Germany started World War II, it came as the logical outcome of Hitler’s plans—known to Germans since the publication of Mein Kampf (1926)—and of his systematic preparations since 1933. From the beginning, the Nazis did not intend to establish a new order of authoritarianism and inequality for Germany alone. Therein Nazism imitated communism. Its dynamism was bound to expand and to spread. By its own nature it could not recognize any limits to its own volition, only limits set by opposed superior forces. To a certain extent World War II repeated the pattern of World War I: great initial German military successes, the forging of a large-scale coalition against Germany, the loss of the war because of German overreaching and conduct. German-American Bund; Nazi Party German-American Bund; Nazi Party A rally by the German-American Bund held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1937. German-American Bund; Nazi Party German-American Bund; Nazi Party Members of the German-American Bund and Italian American fascists giving the Nazi salute at Camp Siegfried, a Bund-operated children's summer camp in Long Island, New York, 1937. German-American Bund German-American Bund German-American Bund parade in New York City, October 30, 1939. Nazi Party Nazi Party Danish “Free Corps” volunteers arriving in Germany before their departure for the Eastern Front, c. 1941. The “Frikorps Danmark” was created by the Danish Nazi Party, and its soldiers fought with the German army as members of the Waffen-SS. Prior to Germany’s invasion of Poland, local Nazi affiliates had been present in areas outside the Reich, typically where there existed a sizable population of German descent. One notable group was the German-American Bund, a pro-Nazi paramilitary organization in the United States that was secretly funded and organized by the German government. These Nazi client organizations typically existed on the fringes of political life, but Germany’s early military successes brought them to the fore, especially in occupied territories. On April 9, 1940, German troops invaded Norway, and Vidkun Quisling, the leader of the small Norwegian National Socialist (Nasjonal Samling, or National Union) party immediately proclaimed a “national government.” Quisling’s party had virtually no domestic support, and his government collapsed within a week. Nevertheless, Quisling continued to serve the Nazi occupation forces, and he was named “minister president” in February 1942. German troops also occupied Denmark; although the Danish Nazi Party never managed to achieve a position of political prominence, it was able to orchestrate the creation of a Danish “Free Corps” of volunteers who fought on the Eastern Front as members of the Waffen-SS. Einsatzgruppen Einsatzgruppen A member of the Einsatzgruppen, the Nazis' special mobile killing units, preparing to shoot a Ukrainian Jew kneeling on the edge of a mass grave. Belzec death camp execution victim Belzec death camp execution victim A woman about to be executed at the Belzec death camp in German-occupied Poland. The outbreak of war also saw the full implementation of the Nazi Party’s “final solution to the Jewish question” in all areas controlled by the Third Reich. The ultimate goal of the Nazis’ anti-Semitic ideology was nothing less than Vernichtung (“annihilation”) of Europe’s Jewish population. Jews in occupied territories were forced into ghettoes or systematically killed. Mass shootings by Einsatzgruppen units gave way to the industrialized murder of millions in concentration and extermination camps. The Nazis killed victims from other groups—homosexuals, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Poles, and political opponents were chief among them—but the destruction of European Jewry remained paramount in the eyes of the Third Reich. In German-occupied Europe, out of a prewar population of about 8.3 million Jews, some 6 million were killed or died in extermination camps of starvation or disease. Postwar neo-Nazi parties Artur Axmann; Nazi Party Artur Axmann; Nazi Party Artur Axmann. Hitler’s dream of a “Thousand-Year Reich” came to an end with Germany’s defeat in 1945, after almost six years of war. Out of the ruins there arose a divided and occupied Germany. The Nazi Party was banned, and its top leaders were convicted of crimes against peace and against humanity. Remnants of Nazi ideology remained in Germany, however, and former Hitler Youth leader Artur Axmann was arrested by Allied forces in December 1945 while attempting to reorganize the Nazi Party. A small number of Nazi-oriented political parties and other groups were formed in West Germany from the late 1940s, though some were later banned. Nazi Party; neofascism Nazi Party; neofascism Members of the American Nazi Party marching outside Greater Mount Hope Baptist Church in Chicago, August 19, 1966. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Chicago Freedom Movement were meeting inside the church to discuss expanding housing access for the local Black community. Golden Dawn; neofascism Golden Dawn; neofascism Man giving a Nazi salute at a rally for the neofascist Golden Dawn party in Athens, February 1, 2014. The American Nazi Party was active in protests against the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and in 1978 the National Socialist Party of America won court approval to hold a demonstration in Skokie, Illinois, a city that was home to a large Jewish population, including individuals who had survived the Holocaust. In the 1990s gangs of neo-Nazi youths in eastern Germany staged attacks against immigrants, desecrated Jewish cemeteries, and engaged in violent confrontations with leftists and police. In the 21st century, small neo-Nazi parties were to be found in many European countries as well as in the United States, Canada, and several Central and South American countries. They were rare, but not unheard of, in the rest of the world. After 1945, however, Nazism as a mass movement was virtually nonexistent. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Tracy Grant. casualties of World War II Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Images Normandy Invasioncasualties of World War II Related Questions How did Josip Broz Tito come to power? Why was Josip Broz Tito significant? Where was George Patton educated? What was George Patton most famous for? How did George Patton die? Read Next Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term? United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama 10 Democrats Who Made History Berlin, 1936 - Jesse Owens of the USA in action in the mens 200m at the Summer Olympic Games. Owens won a total of four gold medals. Was Jesse Owens Snubbed by Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympics? Explosion of the USS Shaw's forward magazine during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. The Shaw was repaired and served in the Pacific through World War 2. The Attack on Pearl Harbor Normandy Invasion: Overview infographic. D-Day. World War II. How the Normandy Invasion Happened: Infographic Overview Discover Hindu Holi Festival celebrations with colored water, powder and colorful flower petals thrown over celebrants at a Hindu temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India on March 24, 2021. Holi: Festival of Colors Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved) Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland. Why Is Ireland Two Countries? Black widow spider 9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders Easter Procession of Maria Santisima del Sacromonte in Granada, Spain. This statue is known as Virgen de los Gitanos or The Virgin of the Gypsies. What is Holy Week? Battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, lithograph by Kurz and Allison, circa 1888. 9 Questions About the American Civil War Answered Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I. 7 Deadliest Weapons in History Home World History Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts History & Society casualties of World War II     Written by  Fact-checked by  Article History Normandy Invasion Normandy Invasion A German soldier lying dead outside a pillbox above Utah Beach, Les Dunes de Madeleine, France, June 6, 1944. Casualties of World War II, World War II, the deadliest and most destructive war in human history, claimed between 40 and 50 million lives, displaced tens of millions of people, and cost more than $1 trillion to prosecute. The financial cost to the United States alone was more than $341 billion (approximately $5.8 trillion in 2023 dollars when adjusted for inflation). Nearly one-third of all homes in Great Britain and Poland were damaged or destroyed, as were roughly one-fifth of those in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Yugoslavia. In Germany’s 49 largest cities, nearly 40 percent of homes were seriously damaged or destroyed. In the western Soviet Union, the destruction was even greater. The human cost of the war can hardly be calculated. Civilian population centres were intentionally targeted by both the Axis and the Allies. Planes of the U.S. Army Air Forces burned scores of Japanese cities to the ground with incendiary bombs before Hiroshima and Nagasaki were largely destroyed with atomic weapons. Japan’s troops in Asia enslaved some 200,000 women to act as sex workers (euphemistically called “comfort women”) and often acted with a general disregard for human life, especially toward prisoners. Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army carried out horrific medical experiments on thousands of prisoners of war and civilians; men and women were subjected to chemical and biological agents and vivisected to survey the results. The infographics below provide a proportional representation of the military casualties suffered by the various Allied and Axis powers. Mouse over the image to highlight casualty statistics for each country. Kenny Chmielewski Hungary Table of Contents Introduction & Quick Facts Land People Economy Government and society Cultural life History References & Edit History Facts & Stats Images, Videos & Interactives HungaryHungaryParliament Building, BudapestHungaryBudapest: Buda Castle A cultural guide to Budapest Physical features of HungaryGyőr, on the Rába RiverTihany Abbey on the shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary For Students Hungary summary Quizzes Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Countries & Their Features Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map. Geography Fun Facts 10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres You Name It! Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Countries of the World 7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz Related Questions What was Maria Theresa’s childhood like? Read Next The magnificent Dohany Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. 5 Notable Buildings in Hungary Discover Battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, lithograph by Kurz and Allison, circa 1888. 9 Questions About the American Civil War Answered Red eggs, which symbolize happiness and the renewal of life. Commonly consumed at Easter in the Orthodox Christian faith, symbolizing Christ's blood. What Do Eggs Have to Do with Easter? The Colosseum, Rome, Italy.  Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins) New Seven Wonders of the World African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights. Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile) 9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I. 7 Deadliest Weapons in History Home Geography & Travel Countries of the World Geography & Travel Hungary      Also known as: Magyar Köztársaság, Magyarország, Republic of Hungary Written by  ,  ,  See All Fact-checked by  Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 • Article History Hungary flag of Hungary Audio File: National anthem of Hungary See all media Category: Geography & Travel Hungarian: Magyarország Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Viktor Orbán Capital: Budapest Population: (2024 est.) 9,574,000 Head Of State: President: Katalin Novák Form Of Government: unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [199]) Recent News Mar. 22, 2024, 2:33 AM ET (Deutsche Welle) Ukraine updates: Russia captures eastern Ukrainian village – DW – 03/22/2024 Mar. 19, 2024, 6:28 AM ET (MSN) Poland and Hungary block EU statement on migration Hungary Hungary Parliament Building, Budapest Parliament Building, Budapest Hungary, landlocked country of central Europe. The capital is Budapest. At the end of World War I, defeated Hungary lost 71 percent of its territory as a result of the Treaty of Trianon (1920). Since then, grappling with the loss of more than two-thirds of their territory and people, Hungarians have looked to a past that was greater than the present as their collective psyche suffered from the so-called “Trianon Syndrome.” The syndrome was widespread prior to 1945; it was suppressed during Soviet domination (1945–90); and it reemerged during independence in 1990, when it took on a different form. The modern country appears to be split into two irreconcilable factions: those who are still concerned about Trianon and those who would like to forget it. This split is evident in most aspects of Hungarian political, social, and cultural life. Hungary Hungary Hungarians, who know their country as Magyarország, “Land of Magyars,” are unique among the nations of Europe in that they speak a language that is not related to any other major European language. Linguistically surrounded by alien nations, Hungarians felt isolated through much of their history. This may be the reason why after Christianization they became attached to Latin, which became the language of culture, scholarship, and state administration—and even the language of the Hungarian nobility until 1844. Budapest: Buda Castle Budapest: Buda Castle Buda Castle, Budapest. Cast adrift in a Slavic-Germanic sea, Hungarians are proud to have been the only people to establish a long-lasting state in the Carpathian Basin. Only after six centuries of independent statehood (896–1526) did Hungary become part of two other political entities: the Habsburg and Ottoman empires. But even then Hungarians retained much of their separate political identity and near-independence, which in 1867 made them a partner in Austria-Hungary (1867–1918). This was much more than the other nations of the Carpathian Basin were able to achieve before 1918. Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society Britannica Quiz Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz By accepting Catholicism in 1000 CE, the Hungarians joined the Christianized nations of the West, but they still remained on the borderlands of that civilization. This made them eager to prove themselves and also defensive about lagging behind Western developments elsewhere. Their geographical position often forced them to fight various Eastern invaders, and, as a result, they viewed themselves as defenders of Western Christianity. In that role, they felt that the West owed them something, and when, in times of crisis, special treatment was not forthcoming (e.g., Trianon in 1920), they judged the West as ungrateful. A cultural guide to Budapest A cultural guide to Budapest Learn about distinctive features of Budapest, from St. Stephen's Basilica, Andrássy Avenue, and the Great Market Hall to the Jewish Quarter and the Széchenyi Baths. See all videos for this article Today Hungary is wholly Budapest-centred. The capital dominates the country both by the size of its population—which dwarfs those of Hungary’s other cities—and by the concentration within its borders of most of the country’s scientific, scholarly, and artistic institutions. Budapest is situated on both banks of the Danube (Hungarian: Duna) River, a few miles downstream from the Danube Bend. It is a magnificent city, even compared with the great pantheon of European capitals, and it has been an anchor of Hungarian culture since its inception. Special offer for students! Check out our special academic rate and excel this spring semester! In spite of many national tragedies during the last four centuries, Hungarians remain confident and are proud of their achievements in the sciences, scholarship, and the arts. During the 20th century, many talented Hungarians emigrated, particularly to the United States. Among them were leading scientists who played a defining role in the emergence of American atomic discovery and the computer age. The abundance of these scientists, mathematicians, economists, anthropologists, musicians, and artists—among them a dozen Nobel laureates—prompted Laura Fermi, writer and wife of Italian American physicist Enrico Fermi, to speculate about “the mystery of the Hungary talent.” BUDAPEST, Hungary, Feb. 15.-- Bela Imredy, father of the anti-Jew ish bill intended to exclude Jews and those Christians with Jewish parentage from the Hungarian civil service and liberal professions while radically curtailing their position in trade and industry, resigned as Premier today on grounds replete with irony--he was compelled to admit the correctness of Nazi assertions that he was himself of Jewish descent.  Premier Bela Imredy resigned today for the announced reason that one of his maternal great grandparents was a Jew. The resignation, made known at a meeting of the Government party, came on the eve of scheduled discussion by the Hungarian Parliament of Imredy’s own severe anti-Jewish law. The Premier admitted in a public declaration what he had denied so emphatically in reply to direct questions from the opposition last month. At that time, he had protested that he came of pure Magyar and German stock and said he had documents available for inspection in his office which would prove it. He declared, however, that “everyone has the full right to be an anti-Semite even if he has 25 or 50 per cent Jewish blood.” As recently as Jan. 20, Dr. Imredy made a violent attack on the Jews who, he said, constituted a group “hostile to the true Hungarian spirit.” Calling for a fight against “the poisonous influence of the Jewish spirit” in morality, the Premier said: “With equal energy we must fight against the domination which the Jews have gained in our country’s economic life…..This fight, however, must be conducted by legal means, and not by violence. The Christian society is sufficiently strong to solve this problem and stands in no need of the cudgels of hobbledehoys.” Imredy’s admission of his origins “provoked stupor among the members of his party,” said the radical-liberal newspaper Esti-Kurier. “Public opinion considers that Imredy has rendered no service to the country. In view of the principles enunciated by the former Premier and the policy he pursued, this affair not only affects him but the entire country and creates a grotesque situation.”
  • Condition: Used
  • Type: Photograph
  • Subject: Men
  • Featured Person/Artist: Béla Imrédy Former Prime Minister of Hungary
  • Theme: Fashion, People
  • Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Hungary
  • Material: Paper

PicClick Insights - PREMIER Béla Imrédy VINTAGE ORIGINAL PHOTO Former Prime Minister of Hungary PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 0 watchers, 0.0 new watchers per day, 6 days for sale on eBay. 0 sold, 1 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 808+ items sold. 0% negative feedback. Great seller with very good positive feedback and over 50 ratings.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive