Rákospalota
Encyclopedia
Rákospalota is a neighbourhood in Budapest
, Hungary
. With Pest-újhely
and Új-palota
it comprises District XV.
there were about six villages in the northern part of the Rákos plain. About 1200 a church was built on the little hill next to the Szilas brook - the ancestor of the present Catholic chapel. The first name of the village was Nyír (Birch) but later it became known as Palota (Palace) after the castle of the landowner. The little community had very hard times in the 16th-17th centuries when Buda
was under Turkish
occupation but it survived thanks to the residents' strong Calvinist religion
. After the liberation of Buda
in 1696 Rákospalota became one of the most prosperous villages in the region. Market gardening
and agriculture
flourished, and two baroque churches were built: one for the Calvinist community (it was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century) and a little Catholic chapel in 1735 on the foundation of the ancient village church.
In 1846 the first railway line of Hungary
(Pest-Vác) reached Rákospalota, and the Forest of Palota became a popular beauty spot with restaurants and places of entertainment. Next to the station a new suburb grew with nice villas for the rich citizens of Pest. In the second part of the 19th century Palota was already out of fashion and later the forest was cut down, but in this neighbourhood there are still some derelict, beautiful old homes.
From the 1890s the spread of Budapest
reached the village and the council sold out the ploughland for new suburbs. The residents of Újfalu (New Village), Benkő-telep, Kovácsi-telep and Kertváros (Garden Town) were lower middle class people and workers from Budapest. These new settlements have a regular grid layout and pleasant houses with gardens. The old peasant village became known as Öregfalu (Old Village). A sumptuous Gothic Revival cathedral, Lutheran Church, Moorish Synagoge, a new big Calvinist church and a Town Hall marked the wealth of the town but there were serious social tensions between the new and the old residents. The peasant farmers of Öregfalu kept their rich folk traditions, religion and sense of identity until the 1950s. Rákospalota became a town in 1923 and part of Great-Budapest in 1950.
was built by the Hungarian State Railways
(MÁV) in the early 1900s for railwaymen. The big art deco
blocks of flats were planned in uniform style. Two churches and a market hall served the spiritual and physical needs of the close, tight-knit community. Unfortunately the new M3 freeway cut into two pieces the "telep" (settlement) in the 1980s, but the leafy gardens, narrow streets and nice buildings breathe a special ambience.
The district is home to sports club Rákospalotai EAC
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. With Pest-újhely
Pestújhely
Pestújhely is one of the northern suburbs of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It belongs to District XV.- History :...
and Új-palota
Újpalota
Újpalota is the second largest microdistrict in Budapest, Hungary. It belongs to the District XV.In 1968 a new residential area was created on the northeastern border of Budapest, in a field, near the Szilas-patak that was named Újpalota . The new housing estate was built from 1968 to 1977...
it comprises District XV.
History
In the early Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
there were about six villages in the northern part of the Rákos plain. About 1200 a church was built on the little hill next to the Szilas brook - the ancestor of the present Catholic chapel. The first name of the village was Nyír (Birch) but later it became known as Palota (Palace) after the castle of the landowner. The little community had very hard times in the 16th-17th centuries when Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
was under Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
occupation but it survived thanks to the residents' strong Calvinist religion
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
. After the liberation of Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1696 Rákospalota became one of the most prosperous villages in the region. Market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
flourished, and two baroque churches were built: one for the Calvinist community (it was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century) and a little Catholic chapel in 1735 on the foundation of the ancient village church.
In 1846 the first railway line of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(Pest-Vác) reached Rákospalota, and the Forest of Palota became a popular beauty spot with restaurants and places of entertainment. Next to the station a new suburb grew with nice villas for the rich citizens of Pest. In the second part of the 19th century Palota was already out of fashion and later the forest was cut down, but in this neighbourhood there are still some derelict, beautiful old homes.
From the 1890s the spread of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
reached the village and the council sold out the ploughland for new suburbs. The residents of Újfalu (New Village), Benkő-telep, Kovácsi-telep and Kertváros (Garden Town) were lower middle class people and workers from Budapest. These new settlements have a regular grid layout and pleasant houses with gardens. The old peasant village became known as Öregfalu (Old Village). A sumptuous Gothic Revival cathedral, Lutheran Church, Moorish Synagoge, a new big Calvinist church and a Town Hall marked the wealth of the town but there were serious social tensions between the new and the old residents. The peasant farmers of Öregfalu kept their rich folk traditions, religion and sense of identity until the 1950s. Rákospalota became a town in 1923 and part of Great-Budapest in 1950.
Neighbourhoods
One of the most interesting and special parts of the district is MÁV-telep. The suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
was built by the Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" ....
(MÁV) in the early 1900s for railwaymen. The big art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
blocks of flats were planned in uniform style. Two churches and a market hall served the spiritual and physical needs of the close, tight-knit community. Unfortunately the new M3 freeway cut into two pieces the "telep" (settlement) in the 1980s, but the leafy gardens, narrow streets and nice buildings breathe a special ambience.
Landmarks
Most of the district around Rákospalota is pleasant, leafy suburb. The Fő utca (Main Street) with the tramway has a typical market-town appearance from the turn-of-the-century. In Juhos utca (Sheep Street) and Attila utca there are still some old peasant houses. The Register of National Monuments consists of four buildings from Rákospalota: Old Catholic Chapel (1735), Old Museum (Classic Revival, 19th century), Liva-malom (mill on the Szilas brook, 18th to 19th centuries) and Girl's College (early 20th century).The district is home to sports club Rákospalotai EAC
See also
- ÚjpalotaÚjpalotaÚjpalota is the second largest microdistrict in Budapest, Hungary. It belongs to the District XV.In 1968 a new residential area was created on the northeastern border of Budapest, in a field, near the Szilas-patak that was named Újpalota . The new housing estate was built from 1968 to 1977...
- PestújhelyPestújhelyPestújhely is one of the northern suburbs of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It belongs to District XV.- History :...
- BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...