Régiakadémiatelep

Nestled between Rákosliget and the former Egyesült Vegyiművek, lies Régiakadémiatelep. This unassuming neighborhood in Budapest’s 17th district holds a secret history. Régiakadémiatelep wasn’t always called that. It began as part of the Rákoskeresztúr area. In 1873, this land became the property of Count Vigyázó Sándor through his marriage to Podmaniczky Zsuzsanna. Their son, Ferenc Vigyázó, a respected lawyer and member of the Upper House, inherited the estate. Upon his death without an heir, the land was bequeathed to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, as per his father’s wishes. This act set in motion the transformation of Régiakadémiatelep. In the 1930s, the Academy began dividing the agricultural land into plots for housing. This marked the birth of Régiakadémiatelep as a residential area within Rákoskeresztúr. After 1950, when Rákoskeresztúr became part of Budapest, the area became known as Akadémiaújtelep, further solidifying its connection to the Academy. Régiakadémiatelep is bordered by the Gyöngytyúk utca to the north, the Cinkotai út to the west, the MÁV railway line to Pécel, and the Rákos Stream to the south. The Cinkotai út, a major thoroughfare in the district, runs along the western edge of Régiakadémiatelep, connecting it to the bustling city. While the area no longer has its own railway station, the now-closed “Rákoskeresztúr” stop once served Régiakadémiatelep, a reminder of its past. The area was also once home to the Egyesült Vegyiművek (United Chemical Works), a major Hungarian company. From 1956 until 2014, this factory produced household chemicals under brand names like Wu2, Caola, BIP, and Ultra. Régiakadémiatelep, though quiet now, carries the echoes of this industrial past. Today, Régiakadémiatelep stands as a testament to a unique legacy, a blend of academic inheritance and industrial history. Its quiet streets and family homes hold the story of a land transformed, from agricultural fields to a thriving community, shaped by the will of one man and the vision of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.