Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary, as well as its economic, political, industrial and cultural center.
The origin of the city
Officially, the Hungarian city of Budapest as a single administrative unit was formed only in 1873 after the merger of three cities - Buda, Obuda and Pest. The history of the city begins in the 1st century BC. from the Celtic settlement of Ak-Ink on the right bank of the Danube. After the occupation of the Danube lands by the Romans, the city became part of the province of Pannonia and was eventually renamed Aquincum. Initially a military garrison, the city grew and developed rapidly and very quickly became a major commercial center. The ruins of ancient Aquinca have survived to this day and today are one of the largest archaeological sites of the Roman era in Hungary.
In the middle of the 5th century, Aquincus was conquered by the Huns and renamed. According to one of the local legends, the city received the name "Buda" in honor of the Hunnic leader Bleda (Hungarian Buda). Subsequently, the city was alternately under the control of German tribes, Lombards, Avars, Slavs and Bulgarians. Hungarians settled on these lands only towards the end of the 9th century. The settlement of Pest on the opposite bank of the Danube already existed by this time.
Middle Ages
In 1241-1242. as a result of the Mongol invasion, Buda and Pest were thoroughly destroyed and plundered. The pest was soon restored, but Buda, which was assigned the role of a royal residence, was decided to be built on the nearby hills and thoroughly fortified. However, the old Buda was also restored over time and the name "Obuda" was stuck behind it. In 1361 Buda became the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, while Pest became a prosperous financial center.
By the middle of the 16th century, the lands of Buda and Pest were captured by the Ottoman Empire. The occupation lasted 145 years and only in 1686 Buda, Obuda and Pest were liberated by Austrian troops, and as a result, they ended up under the control of the Habsburg Empire.
New time
The 19th century became an important page in the history of the Hungarian kingdom's struggle for independence. During the democratic revolution of 1848-49. the first attempt was made to unite Buda, Obuda and Pest (in the same period, the first bridge over the Danube was built, finally connecting Buda and Pest). The revolution was eventually suppressed, but its consequence was the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867. Soon the question of the unification of the three cities was raised again, which took place in 1873. Budapest quickly became a major political, economic and cultural center. The city did not escape the industrial boom that swept virtually all of Europe. In 1896, it was in Budapest that the first metro on the European continent was opened.
In 1918, after the defeat in the First World War and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hungary proclaimed itself a republic, the capital of which became Budapest, retaining this status after the restoration of the constitutional monarchy in Hungary in 1920.
During the Second World War, Budapest was thoroughly destroyed. The city was seriously damaged in 1956, becoming the epicenter of the anti-communist uprising. It took decades to rebuild Budapest. During this period, the city significantly expanded its borders, turning into a huge metropolis.
The fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 largely determined the future fate of Budapest and became a kind of starting point on the path of the city becoming a major cultural and economic center of Europe.
