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Danube Palace
Duna Palota
Cím	Budapest, Magyarország, Zrínyi street 5.
Építési adatok
Építés éve	1894 - 1897
Építési stílus	Neobaroque
Tervező	Vilmos Freund
Hasznosítása
Felhasználási terület	events, cultural programs
Tulajdonos	Magyar Állam
Sablon • Wikidata • Segítség

Danube Palace

This Neo-Baroque building was built between 1894 and 1897, on the corner of Zrínyi and Nádor Street, according to the plans of Vilmos Freund co-operation with Márkus Géza builder.

„This is the Hungarian Versailles!” Declared the Sunday Newspaper in 1897 when the Lipótváros Casino opened, writing about the casino's luxurious interior, furniture and lighting. The term “casino” wasn't used as the way it is now, it wasn't a place for gambling, but rather a place for recreation and entertainment. It was a place where men could come to play cards, engage in conversation and also have dinner. The Danube Palace was the home of many theatrical performances, the same way as now.

The beautiful halls and rooms of the building provided an excellent opportunity for several hundreds of guest, - all of them were men- to spend a relaxing evening away from their wives and families. Once a year they were permitted to bring a guest, of course no one asked them if the lady on their arm was their wife. The building took its current shape in 1941. Between 1895 and WWII the Danube Palace was open to the public with various events. During WWII it was almost completely empty, because the Danube was front line between the occupying soviets on the Pest side and the Germans on the Buda side. After the end of the war in 1945 the German military blew up all the bridges connecting the two sides of the Hungarian capital. The building near the embankment where damaged as well, this is why we can see quite a few modern buildings on the Danube Corso, for example the Sofitel and the Intercontinental. The Danube Palace suffered several blows, for this reason part of the building is obviously renovated.

Above the restaurant

The Danube Palace belonged to the Ministry of Interior after the war. The officials working were responsible for law and order in the country. From 1945 until 1989 the police played an important role in everyday lives of citizens. The building was closed off to the public and only police officers and members of the Ministry could apply for membership. The new government sought innovation and new values and also used the Danube Palace as a cultural center for the powerful and influential men of the time.

Several changes were made in the interior. The balcony, ceiling and staircase were rebuilt out of oak. The glass slabs you see above the restaurant are entirely intact. They were created by Miksa Roth and are titled Kennyérünnep (Feast of the new bread), the day on which the founding of the state of Hungary is celebrated (August 20th). At the center we see a woman who is holding a fresh baked loaf of bread made from freshly reaped grains. This custom endures to this day in Hungary. In the upper left corner we see a Hungarian soldier holding the flag, next to him are two working women with a red flag reminiscent of the Soviet times. The Palace has several lovely and elegant salons, each perfect for filming, such is the brown Salon.

The Brown Room

The Brown Salon once served as a smoking room is now a conference room. The flower-ornamented brown ceilingwasan appropriate setting for filming a scene of the film Evita with Madonna in the lead role. In the film, this was her bedroom where she breaks up with her lover, Juan. Madonna wasn't the only famous person to grace the halls of the Danube Palace. The first president of the Casino of Lipótváros was Miksa Falk, grandfather of Peter Falk, better known as Columbo. At the time the Casino supported young artists, for example Béla Bartók applied for a grant with his opera Bluebeard's Castle. The production, however, was deemed unfit for the stage. Today it is the composer's most popular piece. Along with Bartók, artists such as Kodály and Dvořák performed in the theater hall.

The Theater Hall

The theater hall is very interesting for two reasons. At first, this is the only theater in Hungary with a cupola. The second is its cooling system that can only be found in the Parliament aside from the Danube Palace. It functions quite simply: air flowing into the building is sent down to the basement via pipes cooling the air. The long pipes cause a rise in airpressure forcing the cool air out into the theater. Of course there is a modern airconditioning system in the building, but unless the temperature rises to about 40 degrees, we use the old one.

The paintings are the work of Lajos Márk, the gold ornaments are reminiscent of baroque churches. There is a harp above the stage, before there was a Soviet coat of arms. All important and influential political figures of the age sat in the VIP boxes of the theater at one time or another.

After the fall of socialism the building remained in the hands of the Ministry of Interior, but was once again open to the public for receptions, exhibitions and weddings.