Head Office of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office
Budapest is one of the most beautiful settlements of the region. It has a special location, that is divided by a large river in two parts in such a way that there is a flat one and a hilly one with elegant suburbs.
The city has beautiful public buildings showing the features of different styles and architectural fashions of different eras. However, the head office of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office located in Budapest, district 2, 5-7 Keleti Károly utca is special, because it is one of the few purpose-built buildings still in its original use.
After the idea of an independent office of statistics had been raised by our great leaders in the reform diet of 1844, a government unit of statistics of Hungary was set up in the framework of the Ministry of Interior. However, owing to historic events it was only short-lived; the setting up of an independent entity of statistics of Hungary was only put on the agenda after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. As a first step, on 10 March 1867, a department of statistics, headed by Károly Keleti, was set up in the framework of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade. Károly Keleti, already from the beginnings, was such a dedicated man of statistics that he housed the statistics service in his own home at Aldunasor (now Széchenyi rakpart).
As time progressed, there was an increase in the number of tasks and staff, so the statisticians were repeatedly relocated. Moving out of the home of Károly Keleti they were relocated to the building at Aldunasor of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade, and in October 1869 they moved to Kismező utca (now Klauzál utca), then one year later to the Széchenyi Inn in Buda. In November 1871 they moved to the house of Baron Lipthay, then two years later to the building of the Ministry of Religion and Education in Buda and in November 1879 to the Múzeum körút.
This building was demolished so the statisticians, who increased in number over time, moved into a rented apartment in Donáti utca, Buda in autumn 1880. Two further moves revealed the fact that there was not possible to do a great job under these transitory circumstances. However, timely, reliable data were needed by the then government, too. For this reason, the idea of a permanent, stand-alone head office was raised by the minister for trade and it was submitted as a bill in the Parliament on 15 April 1896. The Members of Parliament passed Act XX of 1896 stating that a government building (Hungarian) to house the National Statistical Office of the Kingdom of Hungary would be built in some suitable place of the right bank of the Danube in the capital.
Since no government money was available, the minister for trade was authorized to borrow money for a repayment period of 50 years to buy a plot of land and to construct and install a building. A proper site was sought by the experts; an easy-to-access site was found along Országút (now Margit Körút) (Hungarian), near to the Danube at hilly vineyards facing the Ferenc Heltai (now Károly Keleti) utca.
An architect was sought to design an outstanding building for the Hungarian Statistics Authority at a reasonable price. A famous architect Győző Czigler working at a reasonable price was sought, who previously designed a building for the Academy (Chamber??) of Commerce in Alkotmány utca, the First Pest Savings Bank in Erzsébet körút and a church in Rózsák tere. The famous architect lived up to his reputation. A building of outstanding quality, with its magnificent cupola, that dominates the small houses of the neighbourhood was built by him over a short time by 1898.
Though the neighbourhood has changed a lot, this building is still home to this institution.
The Statistical Review (Hungarian) deals with this subject, too.