Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
architectureriverside19th-century
Hungary's Academy of Sciences, founded with a year of one count's income, on the river at Széchenyi tér.
The Story
At the Pozsony diet of 1825, Count István Széchenyi offered a year's income from his estates, 60,000 forints, to found a Hungarian Learned Society. The society's founding date is 3 November 1825. Other nobles also gave, and Simon Sina gave more than Széchenyi.
The society began work in 1830 and took the name Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1840. Its palace on the river was built to a winning neo-Renaissance design by Friedrich August Stüler. Construction started in spring 1862 under Miklós Ybl and Antal Szkalnitzky, and the building was inaugurated on 11 December 1865.
What to Look For
- The river front of the palace, facing the Danube.
- Széchenyi István tér with the Chain Bridge's Pest end beside it.
- Across the river: the Royal Palace, Clark Ádám tér and the Sikló funicular.
💡 Insider Tip
The best view of the palace is from the tram 2 stop by the river. Then turn around: the Chain Bridge, the Royal Palace and the Sikló line up across the water.