Show buda and pest are united by fifth danube bridge built by hungarians Hung arians the filth fifth bridge to span the danube between buda and pest Is open to the public writes the budapest correspondent of the london sunday observer the bridge which stands near the horthy miklos road Is a plain solid structure designed by hungarian architects and built from hungarian materials by hun garlan workmen it indicates the swift development of the capital in the last 10 years for it opens new prospects over a district which not long ago was marshy land the fifth bridge commemorates both the world war and the postwar period and brings the history of the city up to date A hundred years ago tl the e only means of crossing the danube was a bridge made of 42 boats which was taken apart and stored in winter when the ice formed the citizens walked across the river from one town to the other the first bridge to be built was the chain bridge below the royal palace after count had struggled for fop seven years to carry through the plan the chain bridge cost florins florans flor ins end and the toll was two farthings far things it was opened in december 1849 twenty seven years later the margaret bridge was built by a french engineer named gouin not by eiffel who was then director in the firm which employed him the tha bridge was opened by the suicide of several persons who threw themselves s down from its parapets and immortalized by arany in his ballad anthe on the scene the francis joseph bridge was built in 1896 for or the hungarian millenary and was opened by the emperor hammering a silver nail into the construction during the revolution this nail was lost but was later found and may now be seen under glass |