EXTRACTS FROM THE POST-WWI 25-YEAR PERIOD OF THE GERMANS OF BUDAPEST

Abstract

As a result of the Hungarian Kingdom’s growing national pride, Budapest – the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and one of the most dynamically developing European settlements at the turn of the 20th century – underwent a spectacular transformation. A historical distinctness of Hungarian urban development was the strong presence of ethnic Germans in Budapest, for Hungarians managed to become the majority population only in 1880. Despite the fall in their population, the German language and culture remained robust in the capital until the end of WWI, which ushered in the post-Treaty of Trianon era and fundamentally changed the course of development as a result. The study analyzes the statistical data of the ethnic decline of the Germans in Budapest, places in context the pursuits of the German national movement centered in Budapest, takes note of the main tendencies of the transformation of the German-language press and also looks at the issues (both general and Budapest specific) associated with the ethnic Germans’ cultural situation and educational institutions. Finally the study highlights specific German aspects and features of several well-known locales and buildings in Budapest.