From time to time, students question the logic behind the naming of Corvinus’s buildings, as it is not immediately obvious why the facility between Buildings “E” and “C” was named Salt House. Few people know that the name is the result of a long historical process dating back to the era of 19th-century economic transformation, which we explored in this article.

Written by: Katalin Bogos, cover photo: Márton Mézes

The area around today’s Fővám Square looked completely different until the mid-19th century. On the 1854 map of Pest-Buda, a significant portion of the area was still occupied by the Müllnerteich, or in other form, Molnár Lake. The lake was formed by a branch of the Danube and was linked to the area’s industrial and commercial activities. However, due to the city’s rapid growth, the area was gradually filled in, and by 1872, the lake was completely gone to make way for new developments.

At that time, the square was known as Salt Square, as one of Pest’s major salt markets operated here, and there were also salt warehouses in the neighbourhood. Given that salt was a state monopoly of strategic importance in the 18th and 19th centuries, special officials, known as salt officers, oversaw its storage and trade. Their residences were also located in the area, so the square’s name became closely associated with this economic sector.

The Compromise of 1867 ushered in a new era in Hungary’s economic and institutional development. During the period of dualism, the country experienced rapid modernisation: new infrastructure, state institutions, and economic regulations were established. It was during this time, for example, that the now Andrássy Avenue was built, connecting the City Centre with the City Park as a symbol of urbanisation.

The development of the customs system was also a key element in the expansion of the state institutional framework. As early as 1868, laws were enacted to regulate customs collection in Hungary, laying the foundations for modern customs administration. A few years later, an independent customs office system was established, institutionalising the control of goods traffic and customs collection. At the same time, a need arose for a central building to house the Main Customs Office, as well as for facilities to provide warehouses and administrative offices for the customs administration.

Since the Danube was one of the most important transport routes of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, along which Hungarian agriculture also handled significant volumes of exports, the development of the customs system was of strategic importance. Consequently, large-scale construction projects began along the banks of the Danube to accommodate the ever-increasing volume of trade. Between 1870 and 1874, the Main Customs House was built, which became the centre of customs administration. Next to it, based on the designs of Gyula Basch and Lajos Krajovics, the four halls of the Public Warehouses and the so-called Elevator House were constructed, which served for the loading and storage of grain. The area thus became one of Budapest’s most important commercial and logistics hubs.

However, the operation of the Main Customs House required additional offices and storage space, so Keresztély Ulrich’s plans for the conversion of one of the buildings of the Hungarian Clearing and Exchange Bank were approved in 1886. The construction was supervised by architect Jenő Gáspár, and the new building was situated between the Main Customs House and the Public Warehouses, becoming an integral part of the commercial infrastructure along the Danube. The building housed offices for the employees of the Main Customs House, as well as warehouses for storing shipments and documents.

In the meantime, the square’s official name was changed to Fővám (meaning Main Customs) Square, but locals continued to remember the old Salt Square, the salt market, and the salt warehouses. In everyday speech, therefore, the official institutions in the area were often referred to as “salt offices,” referring to the high degree of state bureaucracy. This ironic nickname stuck to the new building as well, giving rise to the name Salt House that is used nowadays, preserving not the building’s original function but society’s historical memory.

The building sustained severe damage during World War II, but after the war, only a few minor interior renovations were carried out, and a comprehensive reconstruction was long overdue. Finally, in 1999, a complete renovation took place, during which the interior spaces were modernised. The building was then taken over by Corvinus University of Budapest and has retained the name Salt House ever since.