An attempt to deal with the housing problem in rural Hungary between the two World Wars Cover Image

Kísérlet a magyar falu lakásügyének rendezésére a két világháború közötti Magyarországon - Az Országos Falusi Kislakásépítés Szövetkezet története
An attempt to deal with the housing problem in rural Hungary between the two World Wars

Author(s): Péter Hámori
Subject(s): History
Published by: AETAS Könyv- és Lapkiadó Egyesület
Keywords: Hungarian social politics;

Summary/Abstract: A history of the National Cooperative for Constructing Small Flats in Villages In the first half of the twentieth century, authorities regarded the housing questions as one of the socio-political problems of the Hungarian country that once tackling it, they could find remedies to several other social evils. In part having influenced by German social thinkers, they looked upon proper housing, especially in the form of a family house with an allotment sizeable enough for self-sufficient food production, as a means that in addition to improving health care it has the potential to maintain and revitalise familial unity, tranquillity and old patriarchal relations as well as to refrain the head of the family from drinking, instructing him and his dependants in hard work. In order to achieve these goals, two laws were made in 1907; however, after the outbreak of the First World War they were compelled to discontinue the reforms. Intending to resume them, as part of the land reform of the early 1920s they distributed about 300 000 building sites. Those allotted, however, either lacked the financial means to be able to start building or, in a number of cases, erected buildings failing to meet public sanitation requirements. As a result, the government realised that the situation called for its intervention and after several aborted attempts they created the National Cooperative for Constructing Small Flats in Villages. An Organisation essentially under state control, it provided loans primarily for the previous beneficiaries of the land reform. Looking at the work of this organisation as well as its counterparts, in the essay I wished to assess the extent to which Hungarian social politics was able to attain its goals, especially considering the relative scarcity of funds as well as the almost complete disregard for the needs of social care.

  • Issue Year: 2004
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 51-76
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Hungarian