The Hungarian Parliament Building ( , ), also known as the Parliament of Budapest after its location, is the seat of the

National Assembly of Hungary The National Assembly ( ) is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 199 (386 between 1990 and 2014) members elected to four-year terms. Election of members is done using a semi-proportional representation: a mixed-member m ...

, a notable landmark of

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, and a popular tourist destination in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. It is situated on

Kossuth Square Kossuth Lajos Square (, ), also known as Kossuth Square ( ), is a Town square, city square situated in the Lipótváros neighbourhood of Budapest, Hungary, on the bank of the Danube. Its most notable landmark is the Hungarian Parliament Build ...

in the Pest side of the city, on the eastern bank of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

. It was designed by Hungarian architect

Imre Steindl Imre Ferenc Károly Steindl (29 October 1839 – 31 August 1902) was a Hungarian architect. Steindl (sometimes called in German ''Emerich Steindl'' or ''Emmerich Steindl'') was the designer of the Hungarian Parliament Building, an associate pr ...

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style and opened in 1902. It has been the largest building in Hungary since its completion. The architectural style of the Hungarian parliament building was influenced by the gothic

Vienna City Hall The Vienna City Hall (; Help:IPA/Standard German, �aːtˌhaʊs is the town hall of Vienna, Austria, located in the Innere Stadt on the Rathausplatz, Vienna, Rathausplatz, off the Ringstrasse. The Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival bu ...

, and the renaissance elements like the cupola was influenced by the in Vienna.

History

Budapest was united from three cities in 1873, namely

Buda Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...

Óbuda Óbuda (, ) is, together with Buda and Pest, one of the three cities that were unified to form the Hungarian capital city of Budapest in 1873. Today, together with Békásmegyer, Óbuda forms a part of the city's third district, although the to ...

, and Pest. Seven years later, the

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

resolved to establish a new, representative parliament building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. The building was planned to face the Danube River. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl emerged as the victor; the plans of two other competitors were later also realized in the form of the

Ethnographic Museum Ethnographic museums, also known as ethnological museums, conserve, display and contextualize items relevant to the field of ethnography, the systematic study of people and cultures. Such museums include: List by country or region Albania * Ethnog ...

and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, both facing the Parliament Building. One reason that Steindl's proposal was chosen is that his neo-Gothic plans bore a strong resemblance with the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

in London. Leading Hungarian politicians of the 19th century found it extremely important that the country's new parliament building should symbolise their commitment to Western Europe, especially Britain, the country Hungarian reformers considered a political role model. Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885, and the building was inaugurated on the presumed 1,000th anniversary of the country in 1896. With the keys to the building being handed over in 1902, it was however not fully completed until 1904, after which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and of

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

were used. The architect of the building first went blind and later died before the building's completion. Since

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the legislature has been

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

, and today the government uses only a small portion of the building, with the other wing occasionally serving to house events. During the

People's Republic of Hungary The Hungarian People's Republic (HPR) was a landlocked country in Central Europe from its formation on 20 August 1949 until the establishment of the current Republic of Hungary on 23 October 1989. It was a professed communist state, govern ...

, a

red star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. ...

perched on the top of the dome, but it was removed in 1990 after the

fall of communism The revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, were a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Th ...

Mátyás Szűrös Mátyás Szűrös (; born 11 September 1933) is a Hungarian politician. He served as provisional president of the Republic from 23 October 1989 to 2 May 1990. His presidency occurred during Hungary's transition from Communism to democratic gov ...

declared the Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Kossuth Lajos Square on 23 October 1989.

Features

The Parliament Building is built in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style; it has a symmetrical façade and a central dome. The dome is

Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

. The parliament is also largely symmetrical from the inside, with two identical parliament halls on the opposing sides of the building. One of the two halls is still in use today for sessions of the Hungarian National Assembly, the other for ceremonies, conferences, and guided tours. It is long and wide, making it the largest building in the country since its construction. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms (which includes more than 200 offices). Its height of is an allusion to the purported nation's millennium in 1896, with the establishment of the

Principality of Hungary The Grand Principality of Hungary or Duchy of Hungary (: "Hungarian Grand Principality", ) was the earliest documented Hungarian state in the Carpathian Basin, established in 895 or 896, following the 9th century Magyar invasion of the Carpath ...

in 896 following the

Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin The Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, also known as the Hungarian conquest or the Hungarian land-taking (), was a series of historical events ending with the settlement of the Hungarians in Central Europe in the late 9th and early 10t ...

. It was one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica, until the MOL Campus topped out in 2021. The main façade overlooks the Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square on the east side of the building. Inside and outside, there are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls. The façade displays statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders, and famous military figures. The

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

of kings and dukes are depicted over the windows. The eastern staircase is flanked by two lions. When entering the Parliament Building, visitors can walk up great ornamental stairs, see

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es on the ceiling, and pass by the bust of the architect Imre Steindl in a wall niche. Other statues include those of

Árpád Árpád (; 845 – 907) was the head of the confederation of the Magyar tribes at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. He might have been either the sacred ruler or '' kende'' of the Hungarians, or their military leader or '' g ...

, Stephen I and

John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (; ; ; ; ; – 11 August 1456) was a leading Kingdom of Hungary, Hungarian military and political figure during the 15th century, who served as Regent of Hungary, regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1301–1526), Kingdom of Hungary ...

. The building features stained glass and glass mosaics by

Miksa Róth Miksa Róth (26 December 1865 – 14 June 1944) was a Hungarian mosaicist and stained glass artist responsible for making mosaic and stained glass prominent art forms in Hungarian art. In part, Róth was inspired by the work of Pre-Raphaeli ...

. One of the most famous parts of the building is the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided) central hall, with huge chambers adjoining it: the Lower House and the Upper House. The modern National Assembly is

and meets in the Lower House, while the Upper House is used as a conference and meeting room. The

Holy Crown of Hungary The Holy Crown of Hungary ( , ), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the coronation crown used by the Kingdom of Hungary for most of its existence; kings were crowned with it since the tw ...

, which is also depicted in Hungary's coat of arms, has been displayed in the central hall since 2000. Due to its extensive surface and detailed handiwork, the building is almost always under renovation.

Accessibility and neighbourhood

The Parliament is accessible via Line 2 of the

Budapest Metro The Budapest Metro (, ) is the rapid transit system in the Hungary, Hungarian capital Budapest. Opened in 1896, it is the world's second oldest electrified underground railway after the City and South London Railway of 1890, now part of the Lon ...

and line 2 of the Budapest tram system, from the Kossuth Lajos Square station. At the east front of the building is a memorial to the

1956 Hungarian Revolution The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...

, as well as the imposing

Kossuth Memorial Kossuth Memorial refers to one of three public monuments dedicated to former Hungarian Regent-President Lajos Kossuth in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building on Lajos Kossuth Square in Budapest. The memorial is an important Magyars, Hungaria ...

and the equestrian statue of

Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...

. A seated statue of

Attila József Attila József (; 11 April 1905 – 3 December 1937) was one of the most famous Hungarian poets of the 20th century. Generally not recognized during his lifetime, József was hailed during the communist era of the 1950s as Hungary's great ...

as described in his poem ''By the Danube'' occupies a site on the south lawn. Martyrs' Square ''(Vértanúk tere)'' is immediately adjacent to Kossuth Square, with a statue of

Imre Nagy Imre Nagy ( ; ; 7 June 1896 – 16 June 1958) was a Hungarian communist politician who served as Council of Ministers of the Hungarian People's Republic, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (''de facto'' Prime Minister of Hungary, Prime Minis ...

Postage stamps

The building is featured on more than 50 postage stamps issued by Hungary during 1917–1921, including ones issued in 1917, 1919, 1920, and 1921.

Gallery

Interior

File:Budapest parlament interior 9.jpg, Interior of one of the rooms in the building File:Hungarian Parliament Building Upper House 2015.JPG, Assembly hall of the National Assembly of Hungary File:Parliament Building, Budapest, inside.jpg, The main staircase of the parliament building File:Hungarian Parliament Building 2015 13.JPG, Another view of the main staircase File:Crown, Sword and Globus Cruciger of Hungary2.jpg, The

can be found in the central hall Olvasoterem ogyk.jpg, Legislative library File:Парламент в разрезе.jpg, Model found inside the building

Exterior

File:Orszaghaz Budapest.jpg File:Hungarian Parliament Building by AKW.jpg, Exterior view of the Hungarian Parliament seen from Kossuth Square File:Hungarian Parliament Building (Night) by AKW.jpg, Exterior view of the Hungarian Parliament at night seen from the banks of the Danube river File:Exterior view - daytime.jpg, Exterior view in daytime, from a Danube River cruise File:2 Budapest Parliament Blue Hour 7R303385-2560.jpg, Exterior view in the blue hour File:Parliament Building, 2016 Budapest, Lipótváros, Hungary - panoramio.jpg, View of the building at night, from the Fisherman’s Bastion File:Hungarian Parlament.jpg, View of the rear façade File:East façade of the Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház) at night.jpg, East façade at night File:Zgrada mađarskog parlamenta.JPG, Rear entrance doors File:Az Országház Pest felől légi fotón.jpg, Aerial of the rear façade File:Az Országház a Duna felől, fentről fényképezve.jpg, Aerial of the main façade File:Hungary-02382 - Statue of Andrassy Gyla (31801365733).jpg, Statue of

Gyula Andrássy Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (, 8 March 1823 – 18 February 1890) was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary (1867–1871) and subsequently as List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungar ...

near the south side of the building File:Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér, Országház, Parlament, 13.jpg

Stamps

File:1918 Balaton Ederics 75filler.jpg, A 1918 stamp with the parliament building File:1918 Györ 2korona.jpg, A 1918 stamp with the parliament building

References

External links

Parliament site
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20140502190838/http://budapesttimes.hu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Parlament_New_Old.jpg Assembly hall for 199 and formerly 386 Members of Parliament {{Authority control

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

Government buildings completed in 1904 Seats of national legislatures Landmarks in Hungary Government buildings with domes 1904 establishments in Hungary