Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge | |
---|---|
Danube River | |
Locale | Budapest |
Official name | Széchenyi Lánchíd |
Other name(s) | Lánchíd |
Characteristics | |
Design | chain suspension bridge |
Material | Wrought iron and stone[1] |
Total length | 375 metres (1,230 ft) |
Width | 14.8 metres (49 ft) |
Longest span | 202 metres (663 ft) |
History | |
Designer | William Tierney Clark |
Construction start | 1840[1] |
Construction end | 1849[1] |
Opened | November 20, 1849 |
Location | |
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge (
The bridge bears the name of István Széchenyi, a major supporter of its construction, but is most commonly known as the "Chain Bridge". At the time of its construction, it was regarded as a marvel of modern engineering.[2][failed verification] Its decorations are made of cast iron.[2]
History
The bridge was designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark in 1839, following an initiative by Count István Széchenyi, with construction supervised locally by Scottish engineer Adam Clark (no relation). It is a larger-scale version of Tierney Clark's earlier Marlow Bridge, across the River Thames in Marlow, England, and was designed in sections and shipped from the United Kingdom to Hungary for final construction.
It was funded to a considerable extent by the Greek merchant Georgios Sinas[3][4][5] who had financial and land interests in the city and whose name is inscribed on the base of the south-western foundation of the bridge on the Buda side.
The bridge opened in 1849, after the
The bridge's cast-iron structure was updated and strengthened in 1914. In World War II, the bridge was blown up on 18 January 1945 by the retreating Germans during the Siege of Budapest, with only the towers remaining. It was rebuilt, and reopened in 1949.[7]
The inscription on each side of the bridge is to "Clark Adam", the bridge builder's name in the local
The bridge was closed for traffic between March 2021 and August 2023 for renovations;[8]
In popular culture
In 2001 Hungarian stunt pilot Péter Besenyei flew upside down under the bridge, a manoeuvre that became a standard in Red Bull air races today.
The bridge is featured in the films
The bridge featured prominently in
It also appears at the beginning of the video for Katy Perry's song "Firework", and K-pop vocal duo Davichi's music video for the song "Cry Again".
According to a Hungarian legend, the lions of Széchenyi Chain Bridge have no tongues. This legend is not true, the tongues are just not visible.
The bridge has been depicted on the Hungarian 200 Forint coin since 2012.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Széchenyi Chain Bridge at Structurae
- ^ a b "History of Chain Bridge, Budapest". Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
- ISBN 978-0-554-23516-5.
The small observatory was built by Baron Sina, the well-known banker in Vienna, who is by birth a Greek. The royal palace, which is of modern date, is built of brilliant white marble, in the form of a large quadrangle.
- ^ Kohl, Johann Georg (1844). Austria: Vienna, Prague, Hungary, Bohemia, and the Danube; Galicia, Styria, Moravia, Bukovina, and the Military Frontier. Chapman and Hall. p. 126.
The principal banker, Sina, is a Greek. Since the late improvements in the navigation of the Danube, which have made it possible to travel from Vienna
- ISBN 0-88033-359-6.
In George Sina, a Viennese banker of Greek extraction, he found his financier; in William Tierney Clark his designer and in Adam Clark his engineer
- ^ "Budapest Tourist Guide - Chain bridge".
- ^ a b "Bridges of Budapest - Chain bridge".
- ^ "Renovation of the Chain Bridge completed, pedestrians can now also use the newly car-free bridge". telex.hu.
- ^ "200 Forint". Numista. Retrieved 14 September 2023.