“Ever dreamt of tracing the footsteps of textile giants? Here, before us stand the remnants of the Budapesti Harisnyagyár.
Let me tell you about this once-thriving industrial complex. The Budapesti Harisnyagyár wasn’t always called that. Back in 1923, it started as the Filatorigáti Textilművek. Imagine the looms already clattering then.
Later, it merged with a spinning mill in Pestszentlőrinc becoming Filtex. Then, it became a site for Viktória Kötő és Szövőgyár. Finally in 1951, these sites merged and the Budapesti Harisnyagyár was born.
For a time, it incorrectly appeared as the Óbudai Harisnyagyár in some sources. The real Óbudai Harisnyagyár stood at the meeting of Vihar and Raktár streets. Before nationalization, it was Guttmann és Fekete Budapest Harisnyagyár founded in 1924. It was only merged into the Budapesti Harisnyagyár in 1961 along with other smaller factories. This made the Budapesti Harisnyagyár one of the largest companies in the knitting industry. It possessed the most factories.
In its heyday in the 1970s, the Budapesti Harisnyagyár employed around 800 to 900 people. They worked in three shifts. The factory produced approximately 80 million pairs of stockings annually. A large part of this was exported to Denmark, West Germany and the Soviet Union.
Imagine the constant hum of machinery. Picture workers meticulously crafting stockings. Feel the heat and humidity they endured. The Budapesti Harisnyagyár churned out hosiery for nations near and far.
The factory’s first floor produced fine products. The second floor of the main building handled coarse stocking production. The former section had 50 machines, while the latter used 10 to 20. In the 1950s, the main building’s attic housed a workshop. Today only colorful scattered yarn spools remind us of it. Old yarn holders still linger in the empty rooms.
Workers used a still-functioning elevator to navigate the main building. The unhealthy working environment was extremely difficult. The stocking makers had to constantly change threads. They also monitored the machines. They notified machine masters to fix issues they found. The humidity and heat were unbearable. The workshops could reach 50°C in the summer. This was due to the steam and electric machines, which shaped the stockings.
Sadly, like so many Hungarian factories, the Budapesti Harisnyagyár declined after the change of regime. By 1994, it was liquidated. Some parts became independent and continued operations. A portion of the machinery went to new small businesses.
Though operations ceased, the original buildings and the factory chimney still stand. The chimney served as a machine-gun nest during World War II. This is fortunate as most factories in Óbuda built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been partially or completely demolished.
The factory’s buildings may seem fortress-like at first glance. Look closer. You can see the refined industrial brick facades. Some even have Art Nouveau decorations.
Today, around 65 to 70 businesses operate within the former factory. These include a bike shop, gym, film and photo studio, workshop, fitting room, clothing store and dance school. The Budapest Harisnyagyár buildings now house offices for these companies.
Also the fence of the former hosiery factory facing the HÉV line has been utilized. For nearly 30 years, this concrete surface has been a graffiti wall. This makes it one of the most important places for Hungarian graffiti subculture. It provided the first surface for graffiti artists in the early 1990s.
In recent years, the roof structure of the former Budapest Harisnyagyár building is to be replaced because the timber has been damaged in many places due to decades of soaking.
As we stand here, we are reminded of Óbuda’s industrial heritage. The Budapesti Harisnyagyár stands as a testament to a bygone era, its walls whispering tales of innovation, labor, and transformation.”