Budapest in the ’60s – or nowadays? – PHOTO GALLERY

1962: People queuing for some flowers, while a man is having coffee in the back. The photo was taken in the city centre and despite the poster of May 1, the scene could have easily been captured these days as well / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

Budapest.24.hu shares a significant collection of Fortepan’s near 2000 photos illustrating what life was like in the 1960s. The photos shown in the gallery may easily suggest the idea that they were actually taken these days, though, all of them include some hint on the earlier times.

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All photos shared in the gallery are courtesy of Fortepan.

: 1958: Crossing the Danube between the Petőfi square and the Döbrentei square via a small motor boats was especially significant (as the advertisement shows). You may wonder why it was so important, well, the reason was that the Germans blew up the Elizabeth bridge and it took 6 more years to finish reconstructions / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1959: The University of Technology and Economics was already constructed, but the metro was not yet ready. Some changes included the removal of the red star from the top of the building and the creation of a grassy area at the statue’s place (on the right side) / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1959: The Dagály swimming complex back then / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1960: The corner of Klauzál square and Rákóczi street. Now, you would not be able to walk into that ‘Lottó’ shop nor could you find out the winning numbers of the week’s lotto from the numbers on the frontage/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1960: Even though Mentha cigarettes are not being sold now, the ‘Mosoly Albuma Gyermekfényképész’ – see at the downstairs windows – is still displayed on the building / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1961: The meeting point of Árpád road and István road. The building still exists and goes by the name of ‘Újpesti Áruház’ / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1961: Frankel Leó road 12, Gül Baba street on the left side and the Wagner mansion on top of the picture. Interestingly, by the spring (of our time) both elements will be renewed / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1962: People queuing for some flowers, while a man is having coffee in the back. The photo was taken in the city centre and despite the poster of May 1, the scene could have easily been captured these days as well / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1962: Back in the days when there was no underpass at the Ferencziek tere… Moreover, its name was changed to Károlyi street, but then it got renamed as Ferencziek tere again in 1991. Also, the Jégbüfé is now located on the other side of the road and there are no trams crossing the Elizabeth bridge (because of metro line M2) / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1964: The Váci road, looking quite different as the road today. Anyway, the tram is coming from the Kádár street and on the right side there is the ‘Westend-ház’ whose place is taken by the bus station / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1964: The Déli station, seeming pretty small compared to its size nowadays and only a few platforms of the 12 were built / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1965: The easily recognizable Váci streets (though with different shops) from the perspective of the Régi posta street, facing the Március 15 square. Also, when the photo was taken a so-called celebratory book week was held / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1966: The Vörösmarty square opposite to the József nádor square. A parking lot was in the middle of the square at the time… now grass covers it / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1966: View from behind the Pesti Vigadó on Vörösmarty square. Today at this very spot a glass building can be found / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

: 1968: The northern part of the Margaret bridge on the Buda side. Back then, tram 17 had its final stop at this place and even the route of 66 included this stop / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU_BFL_XV_19_c_11

Source: budapest.24.hu, fortepan.hu

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2 Comments

Anonymous says:

18/02/2017 at 11:16

I came to Budapest for the first time in 1966. I met with a beautiful young girl, Kemeny Tunde. I stayed at her parent’s house and we were planing to marry and stay together for ever. But the kormany in those days were not cooperative and they even blocked the correspondence between Tunde and me. In 1966 Budapest was a beautiful city and when I came back in 1977 the beauty was still there. I married another girl from Budapest and since 1977 I come to Budapest every year and sometimes I have seen the cleaning of many buildings and the city became more and more beautiful. In short: I was in love with Hungary, Budapest and the magyar people! I wish that in Holland we had the same prime minister as your Orban Viktor!
I wish you all the best and please keep me informed about new pictures!
Sander from Holland
Sander Driessen says:

18/02/2017 at 11:17

I forgot to mention the details below in my precious mail!