Many of our students and professors may be unaware that ourBudapest campus building embodies the captivating history ofa bygone era that is built into its brick structure. Located in a historic former Jewish school building, McDaniel College Budapest today is nestled in the heart of what was once known as the renowned – or, due to its high criminal rates and fast-paced urbanization, rather infamous – “Csikágó” (Chicago)area of the Hungarian capital. But, in order to understand why this district was named after the Windy City, let us take a step back in time and see how this new neighborhood came to be, from its initial design to reality.
Our story begins during the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, specifically the 1880s, a time when Budapest had already outgrown its city limits and was embarking on a journey of territorial expansion. As part of this growth, a new central railway station was designated for the increasingly metropolitan capital, to be built on the previously undevelopedagricultural lands that marked the city’s border – what is now known as the Keleti Railway Station. With the opening of the new train station, the surrounding area also experienced a remarkable surge in urbanization. In fact, contemporary accounts indicated that “no other part of Budapest had ever experienced such an accelerated development” as this districtsaw, currently bordered by Thököly út, Dózsa György út, Damjanich utca, and Rottenbiller utca.
Here, rows of newly erected apartment buildings mirrored the Art Nouveau architectural style of the era, characterized by multi-story residential structures colloquially known as “gangway houses.” These typical Budapest apartment complexes had a distinctive feature that set them apart: while they appeared to be simple 3-to-5-story residential buildings from the outside, by stepping through the entrance they revealed a vibrant internal courtyard surrounded by walkways, or “gangways,” that provided access to each apartment. At thetime, the residents of Budapest believed that the emergence of these tall buildings – often regarded as impressively high for that period – combined with the dynamic surrounding urbandevelopment, closely resembled the contemporary growth ofWestern metropolises, especially Chicago in the United States. According to local author Pál Békés, renowned for his popular novel Csikágó: Gangregény, which is set in the area, the name ‘Csikágó’ (as pronounced in Hungarian) was selected by the public “because postcards at the time only celebrated Chicago, the overseas prairie-metropolis, as the peak of modern urbanity.”
Typical gangway house in Budapest
However, this was not the only reason why the area earned this nickname. As it is often the case, the wave of infrastructural development spurred not only the revitalisation of the area but also led to its subsequent decline. Csikágó’s unprecedented level of population density – unlike anything previously experienced in Budapest – had soon turned the area into a stronghold for the most impoverished communities and a hotbed for criminal activity. One of the most notable examples of this transformation was Százház utca, a densely populated street on the outskirts of the neighborhood. As a news report by Lydia Kovács at the time indicated, this street became widely known as “a gathering place for suburban vagabonds.”
This situation persisted until the end of the 20th century, and over time, the place was overwhelmed by the homeless, drug lords, and prostitutes. Notably, a nearby street – Nefelejcs utca – had become one of the most infamous red-light districts in the country. At the same time, a large influx of people from rural areas, living in difficult economic circumstances, began to move in and inhabit the local residences. This transformation led to a very diverse mix of residents – ranging from country folk, who kept chickens and roosters as pets, tomysterious figures with questionable backgrounds, and everyday individuals that were just grappling with poverty, as is famously noted by Pál Békés in his novel. However, as time passed, the area has undergone a complete revitalization, and today, Csikágó presents a vibrant new face of Budapest, welcoming a diverse community of Hungarian and international university students, young couples, and small family businesses.
McDaniel College Budapest
Throughout this evolution, various eras have left their imprint on what is perhaps the most beautiful – and yet tragically significant – edifice on Bethlen Gábor tér: the campus ofMcDaniel College Budapest. Originally founded as the Budapest National Institute for the Deaf, this historic building later became a wartime Jewish hospital under the protection of the International Red Cross, during the occupation of Nazi Germany, in 1944. After the war ended, the building housed the Hungarian Jewish National Committee for Attending Deportees (DEGOB), an organization funded by the American Joint Distribution Committee.
From 1957 until 2000, it once again served as a school – this time as the home of the Bárczy Gusztáv College of Special Education, an elite college for psychology students. Notable figures, including Flóra Kozmucza, the renowned psychologist wife of the famous Hungarian writer Gyula Illyés, wereamong those who taught and led the institution. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the building has been utilized by McDaniel College as well as several other international college programs. The property has also been since returned to the Jewish community of Budapest, who were the original owners. Today, the Bethlen tér building with its unique architectural outlook and colorful legacy, continues to serve as a symbol of education and history, in the heart of the Csikágó neighborhood.
