Margaret Bridge (Margit-híd)
The public limited company, built the Chain Bridge, had a right to collect a crossing toll for 87 years. Their contract had a chapter, which prohibited for the town building a new bridge within the distance of eight kilometres. Pest and Buda were developed very fast and they had a need of a new bridge in the north part of the town. In 1870 the council gets the rights for building a bridge, which was situated on the line of new Grand Boulevard of Pest and the Boulevard of Buda and north part of Margaret Island.
The new bridge was designed by Ernest Gouin, French architect, has a light French stile and follows the line of the two boulevards and has a 150 degrees angle breaking point at the Margaret Island. The bridge was completed in 1876. In 1900 a new connection to the Margaret Island was added, since that time visitors could go to the Margaret Island without using a ferryboat. During the World War II, on the 4th of November 1944, the bridge was blow up at the busiest peak time, when trams and cars run across the bridge. More than 600 people died.
After the war, next to the bridge were built, via Margaret Island, the so-called Manci (pet name of Margaret) pontoon bridge, which was the first crossing facility. The bridge was rebuilt by August 1948. It became wider than the original structure. From the elegant bridge is an excellent view to the Buda Castle district, the Gellert Hill and the Parliament.
Liberty Bridge (Szabadsághíd)
The Liberty Bridge is a beautiful construction, which connects the small boulevard of Pest to the south foot of Gellért Hill next to the Hotel Gellért. At this place was located a so called ship bridge up to 1868. The building tender was very successful. More than 70 plans arrived and the committee choose the plan of János Feketeházy. The bridge was totally Hungarian made construction from design to building.
The Liberty Bridge is the shortest one in Budapest. It was opened in 1896, in the year of Hungarian Millennium. King Franz Joseph was who put into its place the last rivet, made of silver and hold the initials FJ on its head and was covered with glass case. This rivet was remained during revolutions and wars, but in 1956 it was stolen. When it was replace, it was stolen again. According to a bridge engineer there are again a new rivet with FJ sign, but he keeps in secret where it is.
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