The Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd in Hungarian) was the third road bridge built in Budapest, inaugurated in 1896, the year of the Millennium celebrations. It was originally named Ferenc József híd (Franz Joseph Bridge) after Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, who inaugurated the bridge on 4 October 1896.
The 333.6 m long, 20.1 m wide bridge is a cantilever bridge (although its shape resembles that of chain bridges), with the cantilever arms fixed by 609 tons of counterweights. The bridge was designed by János Feketeházy, with details of the plan worked out by István Gállik and József Beke, while the portals were designed by Virgil Nagy.
During World War II, the German Army exploded the bridge on 16 January 1945. After the war, the Liberty Bridge was the first bridge to be rebuilt, as many parts of the destroyed bridge could be salvaged and reused. Reconstruction work began in the spring of 1946, and the bridge was opened for traffic on 20 August 1946. Between 2007 and 2009, the bridge was completely refurbished.
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The Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport opened the exhibition "Connected - The History of Bridges of Budapest" in the northern toll house on the Pest side of the Liberty Bridge. Although there were temporary exhibitions here before, the small two-storey building is now permanently open from Monday to Sunday, from 11 AM to 6 PM. The 2x13 square meter space does not allow for a detailed exhibition on the history of bridges, but the informative bilingual (English and Hungarian) panels and some interesting artifacts provide a glimpse into the history of the beautiful Danube bridges that dominate the cityscape of Budapest.
On the ground floor of the exhibition, there is a small gift shop offering quality souvenirs, postcards, and publications from the Museum of Transport. As admission to the exhibition is free, many visitors choose to purchase souvenirs, postcards, or even books.
1053 Budapest, Szabadság híd, Hungary
