Dreams of a pig paradise may have danced here once. We are standing in Gyárdűlő, a district in Budapest’s District X. Once upon a time, this area was anything but residential.
Gyárdűlő’s story began with a bustling pig market. It was established in 1861 near today’s Mázsa Square. The market spanned 20 holds. Budapest’s pork consumption was largely managed from here. Farmers from the surrounding areas brought their fattened pigs for sale.
Within two decades the market’s reach expanded greatly. It became a central hub for pig trade from Hungary, Serbia, and Romania. By 1896 Vienna imported pork from here. Nearly two-thirds of Vienna’s pork came from the Kőbánya market. This equated to 234000 pigs annually. The market gained fame across Europe. Facilities for further fattening livestock were constructed. The Kőbánya-Gyárdűlő site could house 100000 pigs. The area covered 120 holds.
But this prosperity was short-lived. Disaster struck in May 1892. A swine fever epidemic hit the market. The government imposed a quarantine. Animals could only be sold for immediate slaughter in Budapest. Many forced slaughters occurred during the summer. The site was emptied. Nearly 15000 pigs died from the disease.
The area was disinfected in November. Trade resumed in December with 25000 pigs present. Swine fever resurfaced soon after. Foreign markets banned Kőbánya pigs. The market then served only Budapest.
In 1873, the district got its name from the factories nearby. Industrial growth in the late 19th century drew people to Budapest. This led to a housing shortage in the early 20th century. The first emergency housing in Kőbánya appeared in 1886. Seventeen two-story buildings were erected on Ceglédi Road in 1911. These offered one-room or one room plus kitchen apartments. In the 1930s 8 to 10 percent of Kőbánya residents lived in such housing. A building with 216 single rooms was built on Bihari Road in 1932 and still stands today. The Ceglédi Road emergency housing was eliminated by the mid-1970s.
Between 1955 and 1958 a residential complex for officers was built. It rose on the southern side of the district, along Üllői Road. The area was bordered by Zágrábi Street, Ceglédi Road, and Száva Street. It was built in the socialist realism style. It featured four-story buildings with curved concrete elements.
Gyárdűlő’s second modern housing estate was built between 1977 and 1979. It replaced the Ceglédi Road emergency housing. This occurred during the fifth Five-Year Plan. Unlike other districts with panel blocks, only three ten-story buildings were built here. They feature eight staircases each. These are located on Bihari Road, Kékvirág Street, and Balkán Street. There is also a ten-story building with six staircases. It is on Somfa köz and has a shifted square shape. Three more ten-story buildings with one staircase each were built on the eastern side of the estate between 1985 and 1986. The estate has 1152 apartments. Approximately 3500 people live here.
A post office hostel on Ceglédi Road and a kindergarten on Zágrábi Road were completed by 1981. Gyárdűlő has transformed greatly. From a pig market to a residential area. It reflects Budapest’s ever-changing story.