The Chain Bridge is an architectural masterpiece considered a symbol of the city. This building is impressive not only for its architecture, but also for its history, as it united two cities separated from each other by a river - Buda and Pest
The bridge was built on the initiative of Count Széchenyi, it is also called the Széchenyi Bridge in honor of the famous Hungarian. British architect William Clark, who built a number of bridges across the Thames, was invited to design it. The opening of the bridge took place in 1849; its length was 375 meters and width - 16 meters. At that time it was one of the largest in Europe, and still remains one of the most beautiful bridges in the world 
The chain bridge went down in history as the first permanent bridge across the Danube River, connecting two cities. It was this unification that gave impetus to the development of Budapest, turning a provincial city into a real developed metropolis. The bridge itself is the most popular attraction in Budapest. 
There were also sad pages in the history of the bridge - during the Second World War, the Germans destroyed the bridge during their retreat. It was reopened after a large-scale restoration and expansion in 1949 
The bridge is considered not only a symbol of Budapest, but also a symbol of Hungarian independence, since it was on it that mass demonstrations took place in 1989, ending with the fall of communism. The chain bridge for Budapest and its sign for the city can be compared to
The Chain Bridge in Budapest is one of the oldest bridges spanning the Danube River. The idea of creating a stone bridge over the Danube came from Count Széchenyi, whom the Hungarians called the greatest Hungarian (he was the inspiration for many significant changes in Hungary in the 19th century). For this reason, the official name of the Chain Bridge is Széchenyi Lancsid, shortened to "Lanchid" (similar to the greeting in Hungarian).
It was built between 1840 and 1849 as the first permanent bridge in Hungary. Despite the fact that it was designed by an Englishman and supervised by a Scotsman, the bridge, designed by an Englishman under the leadership of a Scotsman, is considered a Hungarian national symbol. Since 1987 it has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Story
When it was built in 1849, the Chain Bridge (Lanchid) was the first permanent structure of its kind between the then separate cities of Buda and Pest. Having a bridge between the two coastal cities made it easier to merge them into one city, Budapest. More precisely, not only Buda and Pesch were united in 1873, but also Old Buda to the north of Buda, the former Roman city of Aquincum (later Óbuda).
What happened before
Before the Chain Bridge was built, Buda and Pest were connected by a pontoon bridge. It was made of wood and had to be rebuilt from time to time. In 1767, according to historical data, the bridge was supported by 42 pontoon boats, and crossing the bridge was subject to a tax. Every year, when winter came and the river became covered with ice, the pontoon bridge had to be dismantled. By the 19th century, this solution to the crossing problem was no longer acceptable for developing cities.
Description
The length of the metal structure of the Chain Bridge in Budapest is about 380 meters, and its width is 14.5 meters.
This structure is a larger version of the Marlow Suspension Bridge (UK), which was also designed by William Tierney Clack, one of the earliest suspension bridge designers.
But how did it happen that one of Hungary's national symbols was designed by an Englishman? Hungarian engineers in the mid-19th century had no experience in building large bridges. Many of them were also skeptical that such a wide bridge could be built without it collapsing into the river. Floods on the Danube River were not uncommon, and conventional bridge structures - with many holes in them, as seen in antiquity and the Middle Ages - were indeed not strong enough to withstand the force of river floods. After all, memories of the Great Flood of 1838 in Buda and Pest were still fresh.
Hungarian Bridge Committee and Laws
Count Széchenyi initiated the creation of the Hungarian Bridge Committee in the 1830s, it was created in 1832 and consisted of a political, financial and technical department. Count István Széchenyi made several study trips to England and saw modern suspension bridges. Telford, one of the leading engineers of the mid-19th century in England, proposed the use of a suspension bridge to connect Buda and Pest with flood protection. This design would reduce the number of pillars in the river and make the bridge more resistant to ice formation on the supports, floods, etc.
In 1836, the Hungarian parliament passed a new law for the construction of a permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest (Law XXVI). Count Széchenyi appealed to many Hungarian nobles and citizens of Buda and Pest to support the construction of the bridge to the best of their knowledge, experience or financial resources. In 1837, he asked Georg Sina to take care of the financial aspects of the construction of the new bridge. He agreed.
Banking houses finance construction
Baron Georg Sina, also known as Georgios Sinas or Georg Simon von Sina, a Viennese nobleman, a true merchant and banker, provided most of the money needed to build the bridge. He was the founder of the incorporated company Chain Bridge (Lanchid Inc), or Chain Bridge, and successfully organized financing for the construction of the bridge, which involved the Viennese Salomon Rothschield and the Wodianer Bank House in Pest. He himself provided most of the money. The Sina family coat of arms is located at the foot of the bridge. Needless to say, the baron was interested in becoming the owner of land and making other financial investments in the Széchenyi Bridge area of Budapest.
Design safety
In Hungary, several designs for a new bridge over the Danube were created, but the Committee was unable to decide which one should be final. Eventually, Baron Sina invited two English bridge engineers to Pest to study local conditions and make design proposals.
How difficult it was to create a reliable bridge can be seen not only by the large amount of organizational work, but also by the costs. The construction of the Lancid Bridge ultimately cost 13 times the cost of building the National Museum during the same period.
The winning design for the Chain Bridge in Budapest was finally accepted by the Lancida Committee in 1838, and the contract for its construction was signed in 1840 by Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, and Baron Sina, head of Chain Bridge Inc. The agreement specified that crossing the bridge would be taxed to finance construction and maintenance costs.
Start of construction
Construction work began in 1840 under the direction of Scottish engineer Adam Clarke (hence the name of the area between the Tunnel and the Chain Bridge). However, it took almost 10 years to build the first permanent bridge in Budapest: the opening ceremony of the new structure in Budapest took place on November 20, 1849.
Construction was not without accidents. In July 1848, Count Szechenyi himself, along with other bridge workers, was washed into the Danube River when one of the 794-ton chains fell onto a work bench, breaking the wooden structure and knocking down nearby workers. One worker died, the rest were washed into the river. Clarke was used to such accidents in England (especially with the introduction of chains). However, Count Széchenyi, who saw the symbolic prosperity and destiny of the Hungarian nation in this bridge, took it as a bad omen.
1849: blown up before opening
In 1848 and 1849, much of the country was gripped by the biggest revolt against the Habsburg Empire: Hungary wanted to secede from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Therefore, revolution and battles prevented the completion of the bridge. Many local residents demonstrated to force the English workers to return home and do the work themselves. A typical defensive gesture without much regard for skill or experience. Fortunately, Count Széchenyi was able to calm the demonstrators.
In April, General Gentzi was preparing to confront Hungarian troops and feared that the Chain Bridge in Budapest would be blown up. The general had gunpowder placed on the bridge, and a shot towards Pest from Buda Castle hit the new bridge. But Gentzi took responsibility for partially undermining the bridge.
One fine May morning, when Buda Castle was already lost in battle, the Austrian Colonel Edelstadt was walking across the bridge, smoking his favorite cigar, but dropped it right into a box of gunpowder. The colonel himself, of course, died. But most of the bridge remained intact; only a small piece, 24 meters long, was damaged.
Hungarian General Gergely ordered the reconstruction of the Chain Bridge. Adam Clarke resumed work at the end of May 1849, and he began work by banning traffic on the bridge (by then many local residents had become accustomed to crossing it).
When the Hungarian revolution failed, Clark was later ordered by a Hungarian general (summer 1849) to blow up Budapest's first permanent bridge. However, the engineer managed to convince the general that the structure could be rendered unusable for several days without destroying it. He put a bridge on the ships and moved them 2 miles.
Opening
Ironically, the Chain Bridge in Budapest, the largest national project of the reformers of the 1830s and 1840s in Hungary, was opened by Austria's most despised and hated general, Haynau, in November 1849. Julius Jakob von Haynau, called the "Hyena of Brescia" and the "Gallows of Arad" for his cruelty, was the man who executed the leaders of the Hungarian Revolution.
In addition, Count Széchenyi, the man largely responsible for the creation of this bridge, the soul of the nation, was never able to set foot on the completed Chain Bridge. He suffered a nervous breakdown and fell into severe depression. In 1860 he committed suicide.
Even though the bridge was already open, it was missing something: guards. Nobody cared about the bridge, so in 1852 lions appeared there. This was also the work of the British. The stone lion statues look like smaller versions of the famous lions of Trafalgar Square. But in fact, the lions of the Chain Bridge, made by sculptor Janos Marszalko, were created several years earlier.
World War II and post-war times
During the siege of Budapest, the bridge was blown up by the Nazis. Not only the Chain Bridge was destroyed, but also Buda Castle. After several years of shock and poverty caused by the World War, the historic Lanchid was finally restored in 1949 and reopened on its 100th anniversary.
During the communist era, the original coats of arms of Kossuth were replaced by communist coats of arms, but in 1996 the historical versions of Kossuth were restored again.
In recent years, Lanchid has become the site of a summer festival (Summer on the Chain Bridge / Nyar a Lanchidon Festival).
Bridges over the Danube in Budapest
Of course, Lancid is not the only such structure in the capital of Hungary.
The Freedom Bridge in Budapest was the third permanent bridge built over the Danube River. The green-painted iron bridge is one of the most beautiful in the city. It was opened in 1896 by Emperor Franz Joseph, after whom the bridge was originally named. It was designed in 1894 by architect Virgil Nagy and engineer Janos Feketehazi. This is one of the most beautiful bridges in Budapest. Its length is just over 333 meters. This is the shortest bridge over the Danube in Budapest. It rests only on two large pillars, which was considered a technical miracle at the time.
The Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest is named after the queen, very beloved by the Hungarians. It was the fourth one built after Lanchida, Margaret Bridge and Franz Josef Bridge. It is also called the Erzsebet Bridge in Budapest.
It was originally a chain link structure built in an eclectic style. Like all the other bridges, it was blown up by retreating German troops in 1945. In 1964, a modern, elegant white six-lane suspension bridge was built.
A total of eight Danube bridges in Budapest link Buda and Pest, each with a fascinating history. Each of them has its own character and style. These bridges are an important part of Budapest's transport infrastructure and popular tourist attractions.
The Chain Bridge is one of the decorations of Budapest. The amazing history of construction and reconstruction, the sights of the main bridge of Budapest.
A decoration of the Hungarian capital since the mid-19th century. is a river bridge connecting two opposite banks of the city. The idea of building a bridge arose from the politician and Count I. Széchenyi in the early 1820s, when he was trying to cross the stormy winter Danube. But the construction of the future “Chain” bridge began only twenty years later, in 1842. Then the need arose to reduce the number of human casualties during river crossings.
In addition, the administration of the Hungarian capital sought to connect Buda and Pest, two separate cities on the left and right banks of the Danube.
Architect's choice
A tour of the bridges of Budapest must include the Széchenyi Bridge
All work was paid for by Count I. Széchenyi, after whom the bridge is named. Although the residents of Budapest prefer to call the structure the Old Lady, thus paying tribute to the age and history of the bridge.
For the role of chief architect, Szechenyi chose the Englishman W. Clarke, who built bridges in Britain. This was the reason for his absence from laying the first stone, so all construction management was transferred to the Scotsman A. Clark. He was personally selected from many applicants by W. Clark and entrusted to him with the promise given to the Hungarian count. Adam Clark was not only constantly present at the construction, but also moved to permanent residence in Budapest.
Construction of the Chain Bridge
When in Budapest, find out where the Chain Bridge is. Walking through it is a pleasure!
At the end of the summer of 1842, the laying of the first stone was attended by representatives of the imperial family, Count Szechenyi himself and the chief architect A. Clark. It took seven long years to build the first permanent crossing across the stormy Danube. The decoration of the Section Bridge in Budapest were chain spans that connected different parts of the structure and were secured in special anchor chambers. The opening took place in November 1849, although this event was constantly hampered by the Austro-Hungarian War.
Residents of Budapest prefer to call the structure the Old Lady, thus paying tribute to age and history.
Just a few months before the official opening, imperial troops attempted to blow up the Chain Bridge. Rescue came unexpectedly - A. Clark ordered the anchor chambers to be flooded, which prevented an explosion.
The total length of the bridge was three hundred and eighty meters. The entrance to the Chain Crossing is located in Pest, on Roosevelt Square. And the departure is in Buda, on the square named after the chief architect. Both places are significant for their buildings. On the Pest side, the Szechenyi Bridge is guarded by lions, and on the Buda side there is a funicular railway. Kilometer zero is also marked here.
It is interesting that the count and the chief architect were not present at the opening, and never even walked through their own creation of engineering.
A. Clarke, under the Buda Mountain, just opposite the bridge, decided to build a tunnel, the length of which is slightly less than the length of the “Old Lady”.
The tunnel opposite the Chain Bridge has a special feature - it makes wishes come true! Believe it or not, while driving along it, hold your breath and wish for your innermost thoughts. You need to endure from the beginning to the end of the tunnel. What’s the catch, you ask, since its length is short? Budapest, like any capital, suffers from traffic jams. Therefore, when leaving the Széchenyi Bridge, prepare for a traffic jam. And yet, hold your breath - because this is the only way your wish will come true!
Szechenyi Bridge: rebirth
In World War II, the chain crossing became the target of constant bombing by the Nazis. They blew it up while retreating from Budapest.
The initiators of the restoration were the residents of the city, who on New Year's Eve 1948 organized an all-Hungarian fundraiser for restoration work. When paying for orders, visitors to many establishments in the country paid a little more than what was written on their receipts. Thus, the necessary amount was collected and the bridge was restored. The appearance of the “Old Lady” was slightly changed: the entrance to the Chain Bridge was expanded, which made it possible to increase the roadway. By November 20 (the crossing's birthday), 1949, the building was re-opened.
In summer, traffic on the bridge stops completely. Constant festivals and concerts are held here, attracting residents of neighboring cities and countries. The beautiful Széchenyi Bridge is decorated with memorable photographs of numerous guests of Budapest.
#gorgeous view of the Parliament building from the Chain Bridge in Budapest
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is one of the three most recognizable and popular attractions in Budapest. Along with St. Stephen's Basilica and the Royal Palace, it is replete with all souvenir postcards and, perhaps, not a single tourist leaves the capital of Hungary without a photograph in its background. The bridge connects two historical parts of the city - Buda and Pest. In Buda, its extreme point is Adam Clark Square, and in Pest - Roosevelt Square. The Széchenyi Bridge is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe and the hallmark of Budapest.
Story
The bridge was built in 1849 and became the first and only permanent bridge across the Danube River in the entire territory of Hungary. It was called chain because of the massive metal chains that support the road surface. The Szechenyi Bridge received its second name in honor of the politician and philanthropist Count Istvan Szechenyi, who allocated a lot of funds and invested a lot of effort in its construction.
When the idea of building a bridge arose, city residents were divided into opponents and supporters of this plan. The main argument against it was the lack of experience among Hungarian engineers in the construction and design of bridges across wide and deep rivers. People were rightly afraid that the new bridge simply could not cope with the violent temper of the Danube and would certainly collapse. They were also afraid that during the period of ice melting, ice blocks would begin to accumulate under the bridge, and this would cause a flood. There was another argument against it: city residents understood that the construction of the bridge required colossal financial investments and assumed that subsequently, in order to move across it, it would be necessary to pay a toll to the city treasury.
In 1832, the Bridge Construction Society was created, the main ideological inspirer of which was Count Széchenyi. According to legend, due to the lack of a reliable crossing over the Danube, he was late for his father’s funeral, after which he vowed to build a bridge. The Society included wealthy and influential persons of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and their main task was to solve economic and political problems arising during preparation for construction, as well as to promote all the benefits that the bridge would bring and the formation of positive public opinion in this regard.
In search of a technical solution, Count Szechenyi went to England. There he met engineer William Turney Clark, whom he invited to design the bridge. The construction itself was led by the young Scottish engineer Adam Clarke; it was in his honor that the square in Buda, onto which the western part of the Chain Bridge overlooks, would later be named. Despite the same surname, the engineers are not relatives, even distant ones.
The first piles were driven in 1840. To do this, 800 experienced workers were brought from England along with their families and they worked on the bridge piles for two whole years. Cast iron jewelry, metal chains and cables were cast in England. In total, the bridge was built over the course of 10 years, with construction suspended during the national liberation revolution. In total, an unimaginable amount was spent at that time - 4.4 million forints! The opening ceremony of the Chain Bridge took place on November 20, 1849. It is interesting that neither Count Szechenyi nor William Clark were present at the opening, and they never even walked through their unique engineering creation.
Time passed and the load on the bridge increased greatly, and it was closed for reconstruction in 1913-1915 to strengthen the road surface and strengthen the steel parts of the structure. Subsequently, during the retreat of the Nazis at the end of World War II, the bridge was blown up. Only two supporting pillars survived, so in 1947-1949 the Széchenyi Chain Bridge was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Movement from coast to coast along it was restored on November 20, exactly a century after its opening.
Today, both pedestrians and cars can cross the bridge from one bank of the Danube to the other, and, of course, they do not charge a fee for use as before the war. Residents of the city love the Széchenyi Bridge and celebrate its birthday every year on November 20th.
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Architecture
The bridge consists of six spans, 375 meters long and almost 15 meters wide, supported by two river piers of 48 meters each. It looks very impressive at night - powerful spotlights illuminate the bridge supports and upper parts, and bright lights light up along the edges of the sidewalks and along the chains, which very beautifully emphasize its expressive shape.
In 1852, the entrance to the bridge on both banks was decorated with lion sculptures made by Janos Marshalko. According to legend, if a married man who has never even thought about cheating on his wife crosses the bridge between the lions, the lions will roar. Another funny legend is associated with lion tongues, which the sculptor allegedly forgot to depict. They say that on the day of the grand opening of the sculptures on the bridge, a shoemaker's apprentice drew the crowd's attention to the absence of tongues in the lions' mouths and Janos, unable to bear the humiliation, rushed into the Danube. Of course, there is little truth in this legend. The sculptor calmly lived to old age, and when he listened to complaints, he replied that lions are not dogs and do not stick out their tongues in the heat, they are inside their mouths and are not visible from below, since lions are located on pedestals 3 meters high.
Attractions nearby
On the western bank of the Danube, immediately after the bridge, a tunnel begins through the Buda Mountain. Its length exactly coincides with the length of the bridge itself, so local residents like to joke that if something happens, the bridge can be hidden in a tunnel. Nearby on Adam Clark Square there is a monument in the form of a stone zero 3 meters high - zero kilometer. From this place distances are calculated throughout the entire territory of Hungary. There is also a funicular station to
“The Old Lady” is what Budapest people call the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.
The greatest contribution to the creation of the bridge was made by Count Istvan Szechenyi, a famous politician and philanthropist. The idea of building a permanent bridge came to him back in 1821, after a dangerous crossing of the Danube by boat during ice drift.
To implement his plans, Széchenyi invited the English engineer William Tirany Clarke, who had previously built a number of bridges in England, to Hungary.
On August 24, 1842, at the bottom of the Danube, in the working pit formed for the construction of the bridge, in the presence of Regent Joseph Habsburg and other members of the imperial family, the ceremonial laying of the first stone was carried out. But William Clark could not stay in Hungary permanently and sent his colleague, Scottish engineer Adam Clark, to supervise the construction of the bridge. Later, Adam Clark finally settled in Hungary.
Over the course of seven years, the builders had to overcome many difficulties and solve many technical problems. The final stage of construction occurred during the war of liberation against the Habsburgs, which also brought many misfortunes to the still unfinished bridge.
On March 28, 1848, links of chains that were supposed to hold the bridge spans began to be suspended from the built supports of the bridge. On July 18, the suspension of the last link began. On the floating scaffolding, among those gathered for this occasion, was Istvan Széchenyi, who constantly monitored the work. Suddenly, one of the block devices of the lifting mechanism burst, the chain link broke off and fell onto the scaffolding. Everyone who was there ended up in the Danube. Istvan Széchenyi himself also took an unplanned swim.
In the spring of 1849, the Austrians bombed the bridge with cannons. In May, they, under the leadership of Colonel Alnokh, tried to blow it up with 400 kilograms of gunpowder, but the bridge survived.
Another attempt to blow up the anchor chambers where the bridge chains were secured was prevented by Adam Clarke, who flooded them with water.
After all the misadventures, on November 20, 1849, the bridge was inaugurated. The first to drive along it was the Austrian general Hainau, the executioner, as the Hungarians called him. Neither Adam Clark nor István Széchenyi was present at the opening of the bridge. Széchenyi, who did the most to build the bridge, never walked across it.
On the 50th anniversary of the opening of the bridge, it was named after Széchenyi.
At the end of World War II, the SS did what the Austrian colonel had once failed to do: the bridge was blown up. After the war, funds were raised for its restoration. It was decided to restore the bridge for its 100th anniversary.
In December 1947, an action “to help the Chain Bridge” was announced. Its essence boiled down to the fact that in all entertainment establishments in the country, on New Year's Eve, 1 forint was added to each entrance ticket and restaurant bill in favor of the Chain Bridge. It is known, for example, that in Budapest 34 forints were transferred to the account of the Chain Bridge from the Black Ram restaurant, from the Four Grays - 52, from the Little Dirty - only 5, but from the Metropol - 700 forints.
During the restoration process, the bridge pier gates were widened to allow two buses to pass through at the same time. Thus, the carriageway of the bridge was increased by 1.05 m.
The Szechenyi Chain Bridge is a symbol, so in the evenings it is always festively lit. Several legends are associated with the chain bridge. So, according to one of them, before its opening in 1849, in winter, it was possible to cross from Buda to Pest and back only on ice. According to legend, in December 1820, hussar captain Istvan Széchenyi received news of his father's death. Driving the horses, he reached Pest, but was unable to cross in time to Buda, where his family lived. Ice drift began on the Danube due to a thaw. Late for his father's funeral, Count Széchenyi vowed to build a bridge. He invited from England the architect William Clark and his namesake engineer Adam Clark, who, with money raised by Széchenyi, built an elegant chain bridge that became one of the symbols of Budapest. Adam Clark remained to live and work in Hungary. Directly opposite the bridge under the fortress mountain, according to his design, a tunnel was built exactly the same length as the bridge. There is a joke in Budapest that Clark made the tunnel so that the bridge could hide in it when it rains.
The second legend is an excellent demonstration of Hungarian tourist humor: at the entrance to the central “chain” bridge of Budapest there are 2 stone lions. Legend says that if a husband, who has never even mentally cheated on his wife, drives / passes between them, then the lions should roar. It’s clear that lions don’t roar - they’re stone, after all.
