Pest, Hungary

Pest is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the eastern bank of the Danube River. Before 1873, Pest was its own city, but it later joined with Buda and Óbuda to become the unified city of Budapest. Today, when people in Hungary speak of "Pest," they often mean all of Budapest.

Pest covers about two-thirds of Budapest and is flatter and more built-up than the Buda side. Many of Budapest's famous places are in Pest, such as the Inner City, the Parliament building, the Opera, the Great Market Hall, Heroes' Square, and Andrássy Avenue. These areas are important for both locals and visitors.

Etymology

According to Ptolemy, the area was once called Pession. In Roman times, it was known as Contra-Aquincum, across the Danube from a place called Aquincum in what is now Óbuda.

Another idea is that the name Pest might come from a Slavic word meaning "furnace" or "oven." This could refer to a local cave where fire burned. The spelling Pesth was sometimes used in English in the past but is now old-fashioned.

History

Pest began as a settlement founded by the Celtic people and later became a fortified camp built by the Romans named Contra-Aquincum. You can still see parts of the old Roman camp today at Március 15. tér.

During the Middle Ages, Pest grew into an important city. It was separate from Buda, located across the river. Sadly, Pest was destroyed during the 1241 Mongol invasion of Hungary but was rebuilt. In 1838, a big flood caused by the Danube covered parts of Pest in water and damaged many buildings. Later, in 1849, the first suspension bridge, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, was built to connect Pest with Buda. Finally, in 1873, Pest, Buda, and Óbuda joined together to form the city of Budapest.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Budapest

Pest has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some well-known individuals from Pest include László Teleki, a writer and statesman, Henrik Weber, a painter, and Theodor Herzl, who started an important movement for Jewish people. Other notable figures are Harry Houdini, famous for his magic and escape tricks, and Franz Rausch, a piano maker.