The imposing building before you whispers tales of trials and triumphs. This is the Budapesti Katonai Ügyészség. Its imposing facade has witnessed a century’s worth of history.
Originally designed by Ferenc Jablonszky construction began in 1913. It was intended to house the Pest County Royal Court and a prison. Initially the building’s occupants included clerks from the Pest County Court and the prison. The building was completed around 1916.
Then came the war. In the early 1940s the Gestapo and the German military occupied this very structure. Its halls echoed with the footsteps of oppression. Later in 1951 the State Security Authority took over using it as a prison.
After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution the Budapesti Katonai Ügyészség found a home here. The Budapest Military Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court’s Military Collegium also occupied this building. One of the most famous trials held within these walls was that of Imre Nagy and his associates from 1956 to 1963. Their fates were decided behind these very walls.
Today the building hosts several institutions. The Forensic Science and Research Institutes occupy a part. A section belongs to the Military Council of the Budapest City Court’s Criminal College. The Unified Investigative Group of the Buda Central District Prosecutor’s Office also resides here.
The original plans called for two buildings a court building and a prison. They were to be connected by an economic section. The court building had three entrances. The main entrance led to the main hall. The right wing was designed with an entrance for minors. It housed the investigation department directly linked to the prison. The land registry office the royal prosecutor’s office the juvenile prosecution office and a criminal trial room were located here. The left wing had an entrance for residents. This wing contained the Pest County Royal Court’s land registry office for districts I-III. A civil court the guardianship council and the appellate trial room were here. The facade housed the I-III district court the jury room and trial rooms. The prison consisted of two larger units: an economic section and the cell block. The clever design of the economic section concealed the cell block from view. The cell block held 72 single cells and 38 multiple occupancy cells all facing an inner courtyard.
The Budapesti Katonai Ügyészség a silent witness to Budapest’s tumultuous past stands as a reminder of justice both served and sought. Its walls hold the weight of history a history we can only glimpse today.