Parliament Buildings: Austria vs. Hungary

Up until its dissolution in World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire featured dual monarchies for half a century with separate governments in Vienna and Budapest. Interestingly, both capitals decided to build their parliamentary buildings in the latter half of the 19th century, and it's hard to imagine there wasn't a competitive drive by each royal to out-build his counterpart.

Since Vienna built its Parliament first (pictured at right), let's start there.  Designed by Baron Theophil von Hansen and largely constructed between 1874 and 1883, the structure features a Classical Greek style as a nod to the nation that helped found democratic ideals. In addition to the tall pillars that dominate its façade, the exterior is most famous for its statue of Athena in front of the building. Interestingly, the designer had the Goddess of Wisdom facing the city itself, not the Parliament, meant to symbolize that the politicians were there for the people. Ironically, though, there was such animosity and bickering between the parliamentary members (mostly liberal vs. conservative) during the Empire that people joked that Athena had turned her back in disgust.

Hansen strove to make the Parliament a harmonious structure, so he also oversaw all the interior designs and furnishings, from the paintings and statutes to the tables and chandeliers. Overall, the building is over 13,500 square meters and contains 100 rooms. It is also from the building's front ramp that the people declared the First Republic in 1918, which is when Austria officially abandoned the monarchy and became a full democracy.

Hungary naturally didn't want to be left behind in the building game. As the Austrian Parliament was in its final years of construction, the government is Budapest started work on designs for its own massive structure (picture below). The government broke ground in 1885 and inaugurated the building in 1896 on the millennial anniversary of the country. The building was completely finished in 1904 thanks to 1,000 workers, 40 million bricks, half a million gems and massive amounts of gold.

So, you want to outdo your imperial counterpart, what's the first thing you do? You make your Parliament bigger! That's what Budapest did, creating what is still the second largest parliamentary building in Europe (trailing only Bucarest, Romania). While Vienna went for a classical look, Hungary decided to build its structure in Gothic revival style with a symmetrical façade and glorious dome that stands nearly 300 feet from the ground. Vienna has 100 rooms, but the Hungarian Parliament boasts nearly 700, including 10 interior courtyards and 27 gates. In fact, it has so many staircases that if stitched together they would extend about 15 miles. Interior highlights include the coronation regalia, the Dome Hall, the Grand Staircase and gorgeous painted glass windows.

Ultimately, who has the better Parliament? It certainly depends on taste, specifically when it comes to architectural styles, but Hungary does have one major edge over its former imperial partner — tourists are allowed to visit the inside. That's a major advantage, but when it comes to glorious facades, you can't go wrong with either.