The fourth volume in the book series introducing the Buda Castle Palace District unveils the fascinating and eventful history of the breathtakingly beautiful neo-Renaissance architectural complex. Readers are taken on a real journey through time, exploring the construction led by Miklós Ybl, the destruction during World War II, the era of the Buda Youth Park, and the neglect of the complex. Finally, the book presents the renewal of the Castle Garden Bazaar 10 years ago, which has since become one of the capital’s key cultural institutions.
At the book launch, Gergely Fodor, Governor of the Castle District, highlighted that over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to the Castle Garden Bazaar. Visitors are welcomed with a vibrant range of cultural programs, including special exhibitions, literary evenings, concerts for all ages, and family-themed events.
Fodor also mentioned that during the communist era, the Buda Castle was torn from the fabric of the capital. The 2014 reconstruction of the Castle Garden Bazaar marked a significant step in the rebirth of the Buda Castle Palace District. Under the National Hauszmann Program, efforts were made to preserve and create value: the St. Stephen Hall in the Southern Connecting Wing of the Buda Castle Palace, the Stöckl Staircase, the Guardhouse building, the Riding Hall, the Hauszmann Ramp, the Csikós Courtyard, and the Karakas Pasha Tower were all rebuilt. The reconstruction of the former headquarters of the Red Cross Society will be completed this year, while the restoration of the Archduke Joseph Palace, the Honvéd General Headquarters, and the northern wing of the Buda Castle Palace is ongoing.
László L. Simon, writer and member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (MMA), remarked that a disastrous political decision in the 1950s practically leveled the Buda Castle to the ground. A state was created that had never existed before, with fabricated wall remnants and a structure more suited to socialist realism, far removed from Hauszmann’s vision. László L. Simon emphasized that the Buda Castle will regain its former glory that once made it world-famous.
The book Ybl’s Dream Come True – The Story of the Castle Garden Bazaar is authored by Miklós Szentpály-Juhász. This richly illustrated publication explores the history of the complex built between 1875 and 1883. Among other insights, readers will learn about Miklós Ybl’s most outstanding colleagues during the construction, how the 1876 Danube flood delayed the work, and the damages sustained by the Castle Garden Bazaar during World War II.
The book is now available for purchase in the gift shops of the Buda Castle Palace District.