Secrets of Budapest: The Castle Garden Bazaar
Change language:
The Várkert Bazár, the building in the Castle Garden gives home to exhibitions, literature and dancing programmes, and other cultural and musical events. It also functions as a preferred venue for gatherings. Probably most of the people do not know that, at the same time, in the 20th century it was a cultural dash of colour in the city. If the walls could speak… Well, they cannot, so funzine.hu tells the secret story of this building in Budapest.
The construction works started in the 1870s according to the neo-Renaissance plans by Miklós Ybl. It was first used by merchants, then the Historical Portrait Hall’s exhibition was placed in the emptied halls. Later, a female painting school and sculpture workshop operated here, between the First and Second World War, it was used mainly for representational purposes. The Fiume hostel also operated here, which included a literary saloon, too, with Zsigmond Móricz famous author as one of its members. It was seriously damaged during the Second World War and was not renovated for a long time. It was renewed finally in 1961, the heyday of the Várkert Bazár started.
In the summer of 1961, based on the idea of the Hungarian Communist Youth League, they started creating a youth centre here, called Ifipark.
The main purpose was, of course, to keep an eye on the young in their free time and to keep the entertainment between strict frames.
The outdoor club was opened on the 20th of August, and the entrance cost 5 HUF.
There were strict rules concerning age, behaviour, dancing, and a dress code. Still, the park attracted many young people, who were ‘starving’ for some good time and a dance. In the fifties, house parties were popular, in the sixties started the trend of throwing parties in students’ hostels.
In 1962 between the 1st of May and the 20th of September almost 70 thousand people entered the club, although this time they played more old-fashioned music. They were open 7 days a week and on Sunday morning there were programmes for children.
