Startling: Wealthiest Hungarian demolishes northern wing of Buda Royal Palace

The National Hauszmann Programme, a government-funded scheme, aims to rebuild and renovate the buildings in the Buda Castle District destroyed in the WWII siege or deteriorated between 1945 and 2010. Ákos Hadházy, a non-aligned lawmaker of the Hungarian Parliament, drew public attention to the fact that Lőrinc Mészáros’s Fejér BÁL Ltd. demolished almost the entire northern wing of the Buda Royal Palace to rebuild it with modern technologies.

Buda Royal Palace is being rebuilt, renewed

Few people know, but the Soviet siege of Budapest was one of the biggest battles in WWII, ruining almost the entire city, including the Royal Palace, where Governor Horthy and his family lived in those days. Since the Communist regime coming into power after the 1944-1948 transition period lacked sufficient funds to rebuild the destroyed or deteriorated buildings of the Buda Castle District, the reconstruction of e.g. the Royal Palace followed a minimalist design.

The Hungarian government decided to reestablish the original glory and beauty of the Buda Castle District. Consequently, they launched the National Hauszmann Programme, aiming to restore the Buda Castle District to its late 19th century-early 20th-century layout. For example, they rebuilt several sections of the Royal Palace, and, among others, they are rebuilding Archduke Joseph’s Palace or the Defence Headquarters.

The wealthiest Hungarian demolished an entire Royal Palace building

However, Ákos Hadházy drew public attention to a strange “modification” affecting the northern wing of the Buda Royal Castle. The wealthiest Hungarian, Lőrinc Mészáros’s Fejér BÁL Ltd. demolished almost the entire wing, leaving only one wall standing. They will rebuild the section with reinforced concrete. Hadházy said the reason behind the knockdown was that all other walls and parts of the building were rebuilt in the Socialist era, the only original part designed by Alajos Hauszmann (1847-1926), the building’s designer, was the wall the company left standing.