Chainbridge is the most known bridge in Budapest and Hungary. Count István Széchenyi’s dream and the
Chainbridge is the most known bridge in Budapest and Hungary. Count István Széchenyi’s dream and the English William Tierney Clark’s plan came to life, when one of the largest and most modern bridges in the world at the time opened in 1849. The bridge was rebuilt between 1913-15, and also rebuilt after the Second World War, in which retreating German troops blew it up. The square at the Buda’s end of the bridge is named after another Clark, but this time we are speaking about a Scottsman, Adam Clark, whose name was iccidently the same, as the bridge’s designer. Young Adam Clark came from #Edinburgh as a young engineer to build his first big creation. The structure’s official name is #Széchenyi Chain Bridge, but only from 1895. Seems to be funny, but until 1915 the bridge did not even have a name; it was simply known as the lower case “chain bridge.” Just as we call today! One of the popular disbelieves, even amongst Hungarian, it is a copy of a bridge in England. Marlowe. But not at all! The designer, William Tierney Clark planned several bridges in England, one of which has survived more or less unchanged, the bridge over the Thames in Marlowe. Since they were designed by the same engineer, there are several structural and aesthetic similarities between the two bridges, but they are far from being each other’s copy. And do the famous lions have tongues or not? Yes, they did! The legend that during the opening ceremony a boy shouted “look, the lions have no tongues!”, resulting in the sculptor’s, Marschalkó’s, suicide, is false. In fact, it is a borrowing of an Austrian story, according to which during the unveiling of an equestrian statue in Austria someone exclaimed that there was no stirrup on the saddle. But it is true, that during revolution of 1848!49 against Habsburg rule in Hungary, Adam Clark saved the bridge from explosion, filling up the chain’s chambers by water personally. It is also true, that the first passanger of the bridge was the #Holycrown of Hungary, during the revolution above it was escaped from Buda Castle through tha half ready bridge. Interesting fact, that Chainbridge was privately owned until 1870; its shares were listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, meaning virtually anyone could have bought it. True, the price would have been high. When the state bought the bridge, it paid nearly one and a half times as much as the construction of Margaret Bridge had cost. -- source link
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