3 April 2014
Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen! Greetings to Speaker of the House László Kövér, former Prime Minister Péter Boross, Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences József Pálinkás, President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts György Fekete and to the Governor of the National Bank of Hungary György Matolcsy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is both a joy and an honour to be able to stand here before this group of buildings of unparalleled beauty, which has once again finally become worthy of its former reputation and glory. With the renovation of the Castle Bazaar we have found the solution to an almost one-hundred year old puzzle, and have succeeded in removing from the history of Hungarian heritage protection a stain that has been in shameful display for almost thirty years.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First and foremost, I would like you to remember with gratitude Government Commissioner Ferenc Zumbok, who passed away last year, and whose role in the realisation of this project will never be forgotten. We owe him a posthumous debt of gratitude for his conscientious efforts, as we also owe to his successor, Government Commissioner László S. Simon. And I would take this opportunity to encourage him not to relent! This is just the first phase of construction. The second phase must be completed by 28 August, and then forward, on to the full renovation of the whole Palace!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The history of the Castle Bazaar is also evidence of the fact that if there is a steady goal and a unified will then the Hungarians are capable of awe-inspiring creations. When the Castle Bazaar was built at the end of the 19th century, the greatest architects of their time were involved in its construction. The Bazaar soon became both home and studio to many famous artists, later operating as an art school, before being transformed into a place of musical entertainment for young people during the jolly years of goulash communism. This state of affairs continued all the way until 1984, providing a kind of musical accompaniment to the funeral of Ybl's [Hungaran architect Miklós Ybl, who also designed Budapest's world famous Opera House] beautiful architectural work, because from that time to all intents and purposes nothing happened with the Castle Bazaar for thirty years. Only deterioration and decay. And in fact, the dark cloud of privatisation also loomed over the Bazaar following the regime change in 1990. The fact that the squandering of this unparalleled architectural treasure was prevented was in no small part the work of the Castle District's Fidesz Mayor, my fellow Member of Parliament Gábor Tamás Nagy. It was he who always firmly stood his ground with regard to the fact and any renovation of the Bazaar should be to protect its status as part of the nation's heritage, and not a business venture. We owe everyone a debt of gratitude, including the public figures involved, who felt it was their personal mission to protect the Castle Bazaar. It is also thanks to them that foreign investors were eventually prevented from acquiring Miklós Ybl's unique creation at no charge for a period of 90 years to build a shopping centre in place of this beautiful, neo-renaissance group of buildings.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It was just three years ago that we decided on, and felt we had enough strength to realise, the commencement of this huge project, and a thousand days have proven to be enough to achieve what had seemed futile and impossible for decades. What had fallen into decay and been left to ruin for thirty years has now been reconstructed over the course of just three years and again shines brightly in its former glory. The several hundred professionals and labourers, designers and restorers who took part in the renovation work clearly viewed the saving of the Castle Bazaar as their personal mission. Thank you!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We no longer have cause to bow our heads in shame either before ourselves or the foreign tourists who visit the city. The Castle Bazaar will once again be one of the jewels of our nation's capital, and is not simply a renovated, beautiful, but inanimate row of buildings, but we hope will also be a modern community space with its art galleries, exhibition halls, confectionary and restaurant.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In our view, there can be no strong Hungary without a strong Budapest, and if the country is allowed to decline and wither, Budapest too can only wither. Today, one can hardly find a place in the capital where something hasn't been renovated. The Liszt Academy of Music, the Erkel Theatre and the Vigadó have all been renovated recently, Budapest's new music centre is already operational, and unbelievable though it may be, line 4 of the Metro is also finally complete. On Monday, we inaugurated the renovated Ludovika university campus, and last week we opened both the renovated Design Terminal and Erzsébet Square, which is popular among the city's youth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The projects I have listed include both old traditions and new ideas. One thing is certain: today, we now have the strength to realise great objectives that had seemed impossible for decades. It is clear that we now have the strength to stand up for our national interests and to regain what is ours. Remember, the Castle Bazaar is part of the World Heritage, and yet according to the report published by the Global Heritage Fund it has since 1996 been classified as one of the world's one-hundred most endangered world heritage sites. What a disgrace! We thank the good Lord for having given us the strength to put an end to this state of affairs. I hope that once the renovation work is fully completed the Castle Bazaar will become a bustling place of culture and a new tourist destination that is full of life. We will thus be able to pay our respects in a worthy manner to the memory of the Bazaar's creator, Miklós Ybl, on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Following the live music that accompanied the funeral of the Castle Bazaar thirty years ago, we can today again celebrate the resurrection of this magnificent group of buildings with some live music. I hereby declare the renovated Castle Bazaar open to the Budapest public. May you find pleasure in it!
Soli Deo gloria!
(Prime Minister’s Office)
