The old Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest: one of the world’s most beautiful and longest chain bridges was demolished 80 years ago

By Jácint Mayer, HellóMagyar.

A dignified symbol of modern Hungary, the Elisabeth Bridge stood as a testament to the nation’s ingenuity and spirit, capturing global attention for its size and aesthetic appeal. Together with the other iconic Danube crossings, the Hungarian Parliament, and Buda Castle, the Elisabeth Bridge cemented Budapest’s reputation as one of Europe’s most picturesque capitals. Yet, unlike its counterparts, it could not withstand the upheavals of history.

An international competition to design the bridge was won by German engineer Julius Kübler, in collaboration with architects Eisenlohr and Weigle, with a cable-stayed design. However, the bridge was ultimately built using Hungarian materials—foregoing the original design—due to the unavailability of suitable cables in Hungary at the time.

Budapest’s Elisabeth Bridge, the most beautiful chain bridge

The ochre-hued crossing, initially known as the Eskü Square Bridge, opened to traffic on 10 October 1903 and was named after Queen Elisabeth, the beloved consort of Emperor Franz Joseph, who was assassinated in Geneva in 1898. At 378.6 metres in length, it was the longest chain bridge in the world at the time, with an unprecedented 290-metre span, a record it held until 1926. Its elegant structure and pioneering engineering earned it a place among the most beautiful bridges in Europe.

The bridge’s construction necessitated significant alterations to the city’s layout. Kossuth Lajos Street, a major thoroughfare today, did not yet lead to the Danube, requiring extensive urban redesign. The initial plan would have placed the bridge to the north, endangering the historic Downtown Parish Church. While the church was ultimately spared, the new bridge’s approach passed perilously close, and the Italian Renaissance-style Town Hall was lost to progress.

It may come as a surprise, but the large piers of the Elisabeth Bridge were not fixed; rather, they were supported by the chains themselves, resting on hinges that moved at their base, meaning they were not necessarily vertical. Their dimensions were significantly larger than those of the neighbouring Ferenc József Bridge, which bore a superficial resemblance to the Elizabeth Bridge.

Budapest’s Soviet siege destroyed almost everything

The Soviet siege of Budapest in 1944–45 is remembered as one of the longest and most destructive urban battles of the Second World War. The Red Army’s offensive against Pest achieved its objective in mid-January 1945, as the eastern part of the Hungarian capital was wrested from the control of German-Hungarian forces. Following the military evacuation of Pest, the last two remaining crossings, the Chain Bridge and the Elisabeth Bridge, were destroyed on 18 January 1945. While the precise moment of the Chain Bridge’s collapse into the Danube is documented in several memoirs, the destruction of the Elisabeth Bridge is estimated to have occurred at approximately 7 a.m. This marked the cessation of fighting on the Pest side and the subsequent transfer of hostilities to Buda.

The ordeal of the Danube bridges had commenced earlier with American air force attacks in 1944, necessitating the establishment of specialised air defences to protect these critical structures. During the subsequent siege of the capital, relentless Soviet air and artillery assaults aimed to sever the connection between Pest’s defences and Buda. The bridges suffered extensive damage and required constant repairs by road crews, who were also ultimately tasked with their destruction.

It is a little-known fact that the bridges’ destruction was carried out in what could be considered the most “humane” manner possible by the Germans. By this, it is meant that efforts were made to ensure that the bridges could be rebuilt swiftly. The aim was to damage the structural integrity of the roadways sufficiently, without obliterating the supporting pillars entirely. In the case of the Elisabeth Bridge, only one of its four chain girders was detonated. However, this partial explosion caused the structure to twist violently, dragging the Buda Gate along with it.

Out of service for decades

While other bridges, including the Árpád and temporary Kossuth bridges, were reopened by the early 1950s, the Elisabeth Bridge remained out of service for two decades. Engineers faced a significant dilemma regarding how to reconstruct this once world-famous crossing. Until 1958, the official intention was to restore the bridge in its original chain structure, which is why the remaining pillar of the old bridge on the Pest side was left standing.

Earlier, during the reconstruction of the Chain Bridge and the Liberty Bridge, designers had prioritised preserving the monumental character of these structures. However, this approach meant that the bridges struggled to accommodate the increasing volume of traffic in Budapest. Consequently, the new Elisabeth Bridge needed to bear the brunt of this demand, making its widening essential.

Given that the original Elisabeth Bridge’s pillars could not support the weight of a motorway-scale structure, the decision was made to adopt a cable-stayed design. Returning to the plans of the engineer János Kübler, a new bridge was conceived. Between 1959 and 1960, the remaining pylon of the old bridge was dismantled, bringing the story of the original Elisabeth Bridge to a close.

A new bridge opened in 1964

The pendulum design of the gates and their height remained consistent in the new structure. The new pylon was erected on the same foundation as its predecessor and retained the inscription “Díósgyőr 1898.” The cables were installed along the same lines as the original chains, maintaining the same spacing. The increased width of the new bridge stemmed from a design change: in the old structure, the walkways were positioned within the chains, whereas in the new bridge, they were relocated outside the cables.

The Elisabeth Bridge, the last Danube crossing destroyed during the Second World War, was finally reopened to traffic on 21 November 1964. It re-established a crucial link between the foot of Gellért Hill and the city centre, accommodating Budapest’s growing transport needs. While the new structure embodied a minimalist aesthetic, the grandeur and dignity of its predecessor had given way to the pragmatic demands of a rapidly modernising capital.

Read also:

• PHOTO GALLERY with 8 interesting facts about Budapest’s magnificent Elizabeth Bridge – check out our article HERE
• New wooden Danube swimming pools may come: work starts in 2025 – details in THIS article

Sources:

• Domonkos Csaba: Az új Erzsébet hidat 55 évvel ezelőtt adták át, in: PestBuda

• Tarján M. Tamás: Az új Erzsébet híd megnyitása Budapesten, in: Rubicon online

• mult-kor: 100 éves az Erzsébet híd