Hungarian Parliament Building

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Lore & Background

The constitution known as the February Patent, promulgated in 1861, created an Imperial Council as an Austrian legislature, and a new building had to be constructed to house this constitutional organ. The original plan was to construct two separate buildings, one for the House of Lords (Herrenhaus) and one for the House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus). However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise (Ausgleich) which effectively created the Dual Monarchy in 1867, the Kingdom of Hungary received its own separate legislative body, the re-established Diet, and the original plan for two buildings was dropped. The precursor to the present building was the temporary House of Representatives, located on Währinger Straße, off the newly laid-out Ringstraße boulevard. It was erected within six weeks in March and April 1861 according to plans designed by Ferdinand Fellner, a famous Austrian theatre architect. Completed on 25 April 1861 this temporary structure was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and soon afterwards mocked as Schmerlingtheater, after Minister Anton von Schmerling. It was used by the deputies of Cisleithania until the completion of the present-day parliament building in 1883, while the House of Lords met at the Estates House of Lower Austria, then the seat of the Lower Austrian Landtag.

Reader's Guide

The foundation stone was laid in 1874; the building was completed in 1883. The architect responsible for its Greek Revival style was Theophil Hansen. He designed the building holistically, aiming to have each element harmonize with all the others, and was also responsible for the interior decoration, such as statues, paintings, furniture, chandeliers, and numerous other elements. Hansen was honored by Emperor Franz Joseph with the title of Freiherr (Baron) after its completion. The parliament building covers over 13,500 square meters (145,300 sq ft), making it one of the largest structures on the Ringstraße. It contains over one hundred rooms, the most prominent of which are the Chambers of the National Council, the Federal Council, and the former House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus). One of the building's most famous features is the Pallas Athena fountain in front of the main entrance, built by Carl Kundmann after plans from Hansen from 1898 to 1902; it is one of the city's most notable tourist attractions. The Parliament Building is the site of important state ceremonies, most notably the swearing-in ceremony of the president of Austria. After five years of renovations, the building reopened in 2023.

Did You Know?

• The foundation stone was laid in 1874; the building was completed in 1883.
• The architect Theophil Hansen was honored by Emperor Franz Joseph with the title of Freiherr (Baron) after its completion.
• The Pallas Athena fountain in front of the main entrance was built by Carl Kundmann after plans from Hansen from 1898 to 1902.
• The building covers over 13,500 square meters (145,300 sq ft), making it one of the largest structures on the Ringstraße.
• After five years of renovations, the building reopened in 2023.