![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
Abstract
The interaction of sport and politics has created various consequences in the evolution and development of Hungarian sport. The legal framework of sport organizations, the possibilities of elite and grassroots athletes, the incorporation of Hungary into the international sport structure and the financial public funding of physical activity have always been dependent on the dominant political powers and the international environment. The history of sport facility development and management in Budapest started simultaneously with the institutionalization of Hungarian sport in the second half of the nineteenth century, political endeavors arguably determine this progress. Until World War I, facility constructions were correlated with the Millennial Celebrations and preparation for the athletes’ participation in the Olympic Games; moreover, the intention to host the Olympics in Budapest was also crucial in policymaking. In the interwar period, the idea of ‘Justice for Hungary’ inspired political decisions related to sport, and facility constructions served the goal to create adequate circumstances to enhance physical education of the society and to host international sporting events. Legal documents, minutes of parliamentary, governmental, and municipal sessions prove that political actors of both time periods prejudiced essentially the development of sporting life and sport facility constructions of the capital.
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Heather Dichter, Associate Professor at De Montfort University, for the continuous support during the revision process of our work, for her patience, motivation and immense contribution in the correction of the text; regarding its formatting, references, English language and style. Her guidance helped us tremendously, that we are very grateful for.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Beth Karikari, ‘A Look at the History of Sports Stadiums’, Allsite Structure Rentals, July 31, 2017, https://allsitestructures.com/history-sports-stadiums/(accessed November 27, 2023).
2 Cheryl Mallen, Adams Lorne, Julie Stevens, and Lauren Thompson, ‘Environmental Sustainability in Sport Facility Management: A Delphi study’, European Sport Management Quarterly 10, no. 3 (2010): 367–89; Sylvia Trendafilova, Brian McCullough, Michael Pfahl, Sheila N. Nguyen, Jonathan Casper, and Manuela Picariello, ‘Environmental Sustainability in Sport: Current State and Future Trends’, Global Journal on Advances Pure and Applied Sciences 3, no. 1 (2014): 9–14; Susana Lucas, Manuel Duarte Pinheiro, and María De La Cruz Del Río-Rama, ‘Sustainability Performance in Sport Facilities Management’, in Sports Management as an Emerging Economic Activity: Trends and Best Practices, ed. Marta Peris-Ortiz, José Álvarez-García, Maria de la Cruz del Río-Rama (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017), 113–38; Gil Fried and Matthew Kasteil, Managing Sport Facilities (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2020), 440; Larissa E. Davies, Peter Taylor, Girish Ramchandani, and Elizabeth Christy, ‘Measuring the Social Return on Investment of Community Sport and Leisure Facilities’, Managing Sport And Leisure 26, no. 1-2 (2021): 93–115; John L. Crompton, ‘Proximate Development: An Alternate Justification for Public Investment in Major Sport Facilities?’, Managing Leisure 19, no. 4 (2014): 263–82; Maassoume Barghchi, Dasimah Bt Omar, and Mohd Salleh Aman, ‘Cities, Sports Facilities Development, and Hosting Events’, European Journal of Social Sciences 10, no. 2 (2009): 185–95.
3 Brian Chalkley and Stephen Essex, ‘Urban Development through Hosting International Events: A History of the Olympic Games’, Planning Perspectives 14, no. 4 (1999): 369–94.
4 Stephen Essex and Brian Chalkley, ‘Olympic Games: Catalyst of Urban Change’, Leisure Studies 17, no. 3 (1998): 187–206.
5 Dean Baim, ‘Olympic-Driven Urban Development’, in Olympic Cities: 2012 and the Remaking of London, ed. Gavon Poynter and Iain MacRury (London: Routledge, 2017), 91–102; Judith Grant Long, ‘The Olympic Games and Urban Development Impacts’, in The London Olympics and Urban Development: The Mega-Event City, ed. Gavin Poynter, Valerie Viehoff and Yang Li (London: Routledge, 2015), 101–13; Hanwen Liao and Adrian Pitts, ‘A Brief Historical Review of Olympic Urbanization’ in Olympism: The Global Vision, ed. Boria Majumdar and Sandra Collins (London: Routledge, 2013), 145–65; John R. Gold and Margaret M. Gold, ‘Olympic Cities: Regeneration, City Rebranding and Changing Urban Agendas’ Geography compass 2, no. 1 (2008): 300–18.
6 John Lauermann, ‘Legacy after the Bid? The Impact of Bidding to Host the Olympic Games on Urban Development Planning’, Olympic Studies Centre 2 (2014): 1–29; John Lauermann, ‘Temporary Projects, Durable Outcomes: Urban Development through failed Olympic Bids?’, Urban Studies 53, no. 9 (2016): 1885–901; Kamilla Swart and Urmilla Bob, ‘The seductive Discourse of Development: The Cape Town 2004 Olympic bid’, Third World Quarterly 25, no. 7 (2004): 1311–24.
7 Gábor Kozma, Zsolt Radics, and Károly Teperics, ‘The Changing Role of Sports in Urban Development: A Case Study of Debrecen (Hungary)’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 31, no. 9 (2014): 1118–32; Gábor Kozma, Zsolt Radics, and Károly Teperics, ‘The Role of Sports Facilities in the Regeneration of Green Areas of Cities in Historical View: The Case Study of Great Forest Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary’, Buildings 12, no. 6. (2022): 714.
8 Gábor Kozma, The Spatial Development of Sports Facilities within the Cities: A Central European Case Study, Editura Universităţii din Oradea, http://geosport.uoradea.ro/2014_1/GSS_Kozma_01.01.12.002.pdf (accessed April 2, 2024); Gábor Kozma, János Pénzes and Ernő Molnár, ‘Spatial Development of Sports Facilities in Hungarian Cities of County Rank’, Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series 31 (2016): 37–41.
9 András Killyéni, ‘Kolozsvár Sportélete a Kiegyezés Időszakban (1867-1914) II’ [Sport Life in Cluj in the Time Period of the Compromise (1867-1914) II.], Korunk 11 (2010): 81–5; András Killyéni, ‘A kolozsvári Sporttelep Felépítésének Története a Korabeli Sajtó Tükrében’ [History of the Contruction of the Sport Establishment of Cluy in the Mirror of the Contemporary Press], ME. DOK Média-Történet-Kommunikáció 13, no. 3 (2018): 81–8; Zoltán Katona, ‘Olimpikonok és Világbajnokok egy Kisvárosból. Székelyudvarhely rövid Sporttörténete’ [Olimpians and World Champions from a Small Town. Short Sport History of Székelyudvarhely], Korunk 12 (2023): 63–9; Anders Blomqvist, ‘One City–Two Images–Two Communities: The Case of the Romanian Hungarian City of Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti’, Eurolimes 2 (2006): 43–51.
10 Miklós Zeidler, ‘Egy régi Pálya a Polgári Korban – A Millenáris Sporttelep’ [An old Sport Field in the Civil Era – The Millenial Sport Establishment], KORALL no. 7-8 (2002): 117–39.
11 Ferenc Kemény and Rezső Kovács, ‘A Testi Nevelés Állapota a Magyarországi Középiskolákban 1897-98’ [The State of Physical Education in Hungarian Secondary Schools in 1897–98], Magyar Pedagógia 8 (1899): 3.
12 Alfréd Hajós and János Villányi, A Magyar Stadion, a Magyar Tornatanárképző Intézet és az Országos Testnevelési Tanács Székháza Terveinek Műszaki Ismertetése [Technical Description of the Plans of the Hungarian Stadium, the Hungarian Gymnastics Teacher Training Institute and the Headquarters of the National Council for Physical Education], Box OTT, 1913, Sportmúzeum Archives [Hungarian Sport Museum], Budapest, Hungary (hereafter SA).
13 László Siklóssy, A Magyar Sport Ezer Éve I-III. [One Thousand Years of Hungarian Sport I-III.] (Budapest: Országos Testnevelési Tanács, 1929).
14 Miklós Zeidler, ‘Irredentism in Everyday Life in Hungary during the Inter-War Period’, Regio-Minorities, Politics, Society-English Edition 1 (2002): 71–88.
15 Miklós Zeidler, ‘A Nemzeti Stadiontól a Népstadionig’ [From a National Stadium to the Peoples’ Stadium] Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 26 (1997), https://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02120/00026/pdf (accessed January 14, 2023); Lajos Szabó and Katalin Szikora, ‘Budapest – Sportfőváros: Sport, Sportolás a 150 éves Budapesten’ [Budapest – Sport Capital: Sport in the 150-year-old Budapest], Magyar Sporttudományi Szemle 23, no. 6 (2022): 5–18.
16 Katalin Szikora, ‘Sportélet Magyarországon a XIX-XX. Század Fordulóján, a Millenium és az Első Újkori Olimpia (1896) Évizedében’ [Sport Life in Hungary in the Turn of the XIX-XX. Centuries, in the Decade of the Millenium and the First Modern Olympic Games (1896)], Magyar Sporttudományi Füzetek 15 (Budapest: MSTT, 2016): 7–24.
17 Minutes of the House of Representatives of 21 December 1911, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/OGYK_KN-1910_13/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed July 12, 2023).
18 Act XXXVIII of 1868, https://net.jogtar.hu/ezer-ev-torveny?docid=86800038.TV (accessed August 20, 2023); Act XXX of 1883, https://net.jogtar.hu/ezer-ev-torveny?docid=88300030.TV (accessed August 20, 2023).
19 Lajos Szabó, ‘A Középiskolai Testnevelés a Polgárosodó Magyarországon: Különös Tekintettel a Két Világháború Közti Korszakra’ [Secondary School Physical Education in Civilizing Hungary: with Special Regard to the Interwar Period], Testnevelő 3, no. 2 (1998): 228–33.
20 Szikora, ‘Sportélet Magyarországon a XIX-XX. század fordulóján’, 7–24.
21 Vasárnapi Újság 17, no 51 (1870): 654.
22 László Siklóssy, A Magyar Sport Ezer Éve, III. [One thousand years of Hungarian Sport, III.] (Budapest: OTT, 1929), 804.
23 Ferenc Zuber, A Magyar Athletikai Club Története 1875–1925 [History of the Hungarian Athletic Club 1875-1925] (Budapest: Magyar Athletikai Club, 1925), 276.
24 Jenő Porzsolt and Kálmán Porzsolt, Képes Sport-Naptár az 1886-ik évre [Sport-Calendar for 1886] (Budapest: Pallas Irodalmi és Nyomdai Részvény-társaság, 1881), 202.
25 Act VIII of 1896 on the Works to Commemorate the Thousandth Anniversary of the Foundation of Hungary, https://net.jogtar.hu/ezer-ev-torveny?docid=89600008.TV (accessed August 20, 2023).
26 Sport-Világ 2, no. 33 (1895): 4.
27 Italo Stanelli became the coach of numerous Hungarian Olympic Champions: Aladár Gerevich, Ilona Elek, Endre Kabos, and Sándor Pósta.
28 Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly on May 3, 1893, Point 446, page 4, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1893/?pg=141&layout=s&query=m%C3%A1jus%203 (accessed August 20, 2023).
29 In 1909, the natural ice of the lake hosted the World Figure Skating Championships and the European Figure and Speed Skating Championships.
30 Zeidler, ‘Egy Régi Pálya a Polgári Korban’.
31 Ibid., 117.
32 Pesti Hírlap XVIII, no. 152 (1896): 1–3; Herkules XIII, no. 12 (1896): 1.
33 Sport–Világ 3, no. 41 (1896): 1–2; Sport–Világ 3, no. 42 (1896): 1–2; Sport–Világ 3, no. 43 (1896): 1.
34 Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly No 21, November 4, 1896, Point 1322, page 432, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1896/?pg=460&layout=s&query=november%204 (accessed August 20, 2023).
35 Ferenc Takács, Budapest Sporttörténete 1873-2000 [Sport History of Budapest, 1873-2000] (Budapest: Fővárosi Önkormányzat, Sport Ügyosztály, 2009), 103.
36 Táborszky Ottó és Érdektársai Levele a Tanácshoz. [Letter of Ottó Táborszky to the Council], December 15, 1896, 1407 b, 515.251/1896, Budapest Fővárosi Levéltár, Budapest, Hungary (hereafter BFL).
37 Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly of 14 July 1897, Point 994, Pages 152-3, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1897/?pg=64&layout=s&query=j%C3%BAlius%2014 (accessed August 20, 2023).
38 Iszer Károly Levele a Tanácshoz [The letter of Károly Iszer to the Council], 1407 b, 40.245/1897, BFL.
39 Zeidler, ‘Egy Régi Pálya a Polgári Korban’.
40 Jenő Bakó, Az Úszás Története [The History of Swimming] (Budapest: Sport, 1986), 295.
41 Szabó and Szikora, ‘Budapest – Sportfőváros’.
42 Football clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy launched the competitions of the Challenge Games in 1897, where clubs from the Empire’s three major cities Vienna, Budapest, and Prague participated. There were Challenge Cup competitions every year until 1911, proceeded by the Mitropa Cup of the interwar period.
43 Miklós Zeidler, Sportterek [Sport grounds] (Budapest: Fővárosi Önkormányzat, 2000).
44 Takács, Budapest Sporttörténete, 175.
45 Herkules 28, no. 10 (1911): 73.
46 Letter of the Lord Mayor of Budapest to Pierre de Coubertin, June 27, 1912, IOC Historical Archives e-documents, Candidature Files, Summer Olympic Games, Budapest 1916, https://library.olympics.com/default/candidatures.aspx?_lg=en-GB (accessed September 30, 2023).
47 In the art competition of the Paris Olympic Games (1924), the design of Hajós won second place in the category of architecture.
48 Ferenc Takács, ‘Budapest Olimpiai Kandidálásainak Krónikája’ [Chronicle of Olympic Candidature of Budapest], ME. DOK Média-Történet-Kommunikáció 7, no. 1 (2012): 21–38.
49 István Kollega Tarsoly, ‘Magyarország a XX. Században III’ [Hungary in the twentieth Century III] (Szekszárd: Babits Kiadó, 1996).
50 Otto Mayer, A travers les Anneaux Olympiques: Histoire du Comité International Olympique et de ses Sessions de 1894 à 1960; une Seŕie de Documents Authentiques, dont quelques-uns Inédits [Through the Olympic Rings: History of the International Olympic Committee and its Sessions from 1894 to 1960; a Series of Authentic Documents, some of which have never been seen before] (Geneve: Cailler, 1960).
51 Minutes of the National Assembly, No. 1920-271, Motion of Jenő Karafitáh, concerning the urgent enactment of the Law on Physical Education, (Nemzetgyűlési irományok, 1920, Volume IX.): 255–303, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/OGYK_KI-1920_01/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed August 20, 2023).
52 Journal of the National Assembly XIV, (1920): 272-3, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/OGYK_KN-1920_14/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed August 20, 2023).
53 Kunó Klebelsberg, Világválságban [In a World Crisis] (Budapest: Athenaeum Kiadó, 1939), 312.
54 All Hungarian currencies (Pengő, Crown, and Forint) indicated in the text were conversed to Euros at 2023 values. ‘Central Budget of Hungary between the years 1922-1927’, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/AllamiKoltsegvetes_1922-1923/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed April 1, 2024).
55 Katalin Szikora, ‘History of the Hungarian University of Physical Education: The Beginning of School Physical Education in Hungary’, Kalokagathia 38, 75th Anniversary Special Issue (2000): 36–40.
56 András Killyéni, ‘A Magyar Sportélet Kulcsembere: Muzsa Gyula’ [Gyula Muzsa, the Central Figure of Hungarian Sport], Művelődés 74, no. 1 (2021): 13–26.
57 Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly in 1921, point 132, pages 23-4, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1921/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed December 20, 2023).
58 Minutes of the Hungarian Olympic Committee Meeting in 1921, Box 3, no. 26, SA.
59 József Huszti, Gróf Klebelsberg Kunó Életműve [The Biography of Count Kunó Klebelsberg] (Budapest: MTA, 1942).
60 Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly, February 10, 1926, Point 98, page 30, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1926/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed December 20, 2023).
61 Letter of the Hungarian Cycling Federation to the Budapest City Council, September 22, 1921, 1407 b, 234/1896–VI, BFL.
62 Budapest General Assembly, May 10, 1922, Points 709—713, page 260, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1922/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed December 20, 2023).
63 Note by Councilor Ferenc Felkay. 3 February 1936, 1407 b, 234/1896–VI. box, 86.912/1936–VII, pages 3–19, BFL; Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly, July 3, 1926, Point 54, pages 14-5, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1926/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed December 20, 2023).
64 After World War I the inflation rate in Hungary resulted in the depreciation of the local currency, the crowns, which were replaced by Hungarian Pengő in 1927. Minutes of the Budapest General Assembly, July 10, 1926, Point 834, page 320, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1926/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed December 20, 2023).
65 Elemérné Papp-Váry Serena Sziklay wrote the original three-line prayer in 1920, which became the ‘national prayer’ of the Horthy era:.
‘I believe in one God, I believe in a homeland:.
I believe in a divine eternal truth,.
I believe in Hungary’s resurrection! Amen.’.
Máté Millisits, ‘Kilencvenéves a Nemzeti Sportuszoda, a XX. századi Építészet Kiemelkedő Alkotása’ [The National Sports Swimming Pool is Ninety Years Old, an Outstanding Work of twentieth-century Architecture], PestBuda 8, no. 12 (2020), https://pestbuda.hu/cikk/20201208_kilencven_eves_a_nemzeti_sportuszoda_a_xx_szazadi_epiteszet_kiemelkedo_alkotasa (accessed January 13, 2024).
66 László Pecsők, ‘Hajós Alfréd az Olimpián túl’ [Alfréd Hajós beyond the Olympic Games], Budapesti Levéltári Mozaikok 10 (2021): 1–15.
67 ‘Gömbös Gyula Nemzeti Munkaterve’ [National Work Plan of Gyula Gömbös], Bizalom 3, no. 22 (1932): 169–76.
68 Bence Barát, ‘A Sport, mint Honvédelem? A Nemzeti Sport Háborús Propagandája a Második Világháború Idején’ [Sport as National Defense? Military Propaganda of National Sport during the Second World War], Jel-Kép: Kommunikáció Közvélemény Média 3 (2019): 55–66.
69 Magyar Közlöny 4 (1942): 115.
70 Budget of Hungary 1936–37, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/AllamiKoltsegvetes_1936-1937/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed April 3, 2024).
71 Budget of Hungary 1940, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/AllamiKoltsegvetes_1939-1940/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed April 3, 2024).
72 Budget of Hungary 1936–1942, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/collection/allami_koltsegvetes/(accessed April 3, 2024); Minutes of the General Assembly of Budapest 29 March 1939, page 347, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1929/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed April 3, 2024); Minutes of the General Assembly of Budapest Municipal Committee, January 31, 1941, page 35, https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/BPSZKJ_1941/?pg=0&layout=s (accessed April 3, 2024).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Nikoletta Sipos-Onyestyák
Nikoletta Sipos-OnyestyákNikoletta Sipos-Onyestyák, PhD in Sport Sciences, is an assistant professor at the Hungarian University of Sport Science in Budapest. She is an expert in international relations, sport management and sport recreation, and she is a Spanish interpreter and translator. The focus of her research interests is on sport and politics and on the management of sport organizations.
Katalin Szikora
Katalin SzikoraKatalin Szikora, PhD in Sport Science, is a retired supervisor teacher at the Hungarian University of Sports Science, in Budapest. Her research interests focus on sports history in Hungary, Olympics and physical education in the schools.
Diána Szekeres
Diana SzekeresDiana Szekeres, PhD in Philosophy and Doctor in Law, is a lawyer, an associate professor and Head of the Department of Law at the Hungarian University of Sport Science in Budapest. She also holds a degree as a European Union Finance Specialist, and has expertise as a business coach professional, project manager and competence trainer specialist. Her ongoing research interests include justice alternatives and fundamental human rights. Her research work is alternative dispute resolution, mediation and special alternatives of justice services, like legal aid and victim support.