Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the significant changes that occurred in the waters of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, in the second half of the 19th century through the natural, medical and cultural practices that influenced the professionals and decision-makers of the time.

Paper long abstract:

In the second half of the 19th century, the environmental history of the capital of Hungary, Budapest, have seen significant events. The problems of the metropolitanisation were seen as being solved primarily by infrastructure development, influenced by the sanitary movement. As a result, the construction of water pipes and waterworks and a new sewerage network, and the regulation of the urban stretch of the Danube and its various streams on both banks were all part of the urban planning process which began in the 1860s and 1870s. In addition to numerous cartographic and engineering surveys, a 1,200-page summary work written by contemporary Hungarian experts was completed in 1879, which aimed to provide a natural, medical and cultural description of Budapest.

Today, with varying degrees of success, the revitalisation of some streams (e.g. Rákos Stream) is under way or being planned. The related surveys and ideas from the 1870s, which give a snapshot of the conditions before the large-scale reconstruction could provide a good basis for these re-enchantments. An understanding and assessment of their place in the social, cultural and ecosystem of the time can provide an important starting point for understanding their current role and for working out the scale of restoration required.

In my presentation, I would like to focus on the role and value of Budapest's waters in the lives/perceptions of the contemporary professionals (engineers, doctors, scientists) and decision-makers of the city who prepared and implemented the major infrastructural changes of the second half of the 19th century.