← The Urbanist
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- [00:10]
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There's an intriguing juxtaposition between the often grand old architecture of a city library and the quiet contemplation and illumination which goes on inside. This is certainly the case in one of Budapest's most famous libraries, a beautiful building whose popularity with studious locals is only growing thanks to recent Hungarian success in the literary world. You're listening to Tall Stories, a monocle production brought to you by the team behind the Urbanist. I'm Andrew Tuck. In this episode, Geetanjali Krishna takes us to Budapest's largest public collection of books.
- [00:52]
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In the middle of Budapest's palace district and not far from the Hungarian National Museum, a secret hides in a 19th century Baroque palace. It's in a stately old building, a stone's throw from Smashies, the iconic burger takeaway that students in the city can't get enough of. Burger lovers queue outside its windows all day, and the first time I went to the palace, I thought maybe that's why there are so many people milling about outside. But the metropolitan Irwin Sabo Library has a following of its own. For over 120 years and several generations, it has been a part of the city's cultural fabric, a place where people gather to read, debate and to learn. Housed in the opulent Wenkheim palace in Budapest, it's always full of students, office goers, after work, elderly people with companions and more. They all attest to the fact that Budapest has always been a city that reads. In the city, large and small, bookshops are everywhere. You can even find thrift stores where racks of old books stand alongside vintage clothes. And it isn't unusual at all to find commuters immersed in books instead of their phones on the train. And right now, with Hungarian authors having their moment on the global literary stage, Budapest's love for books is on a high. In 2025, Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasna Horkay was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the second Hungarian author to receive this honour for his book Shethan Tango. In the same year, Hungarian British author David Saleh won the Booker for his novel Flesh, bringing Budapest and Hungarian storytelling into the heart of the international literary arena. Today, these accolades are generating a lot of interest at the Irwin Sabo Library. It's named after Irvin Sabo, a sociologist who dreamed of developing a centralized network of libraries dotting the city. For him, the library was a cultural space that housed books, music, art and more. And he planned, among other things, to build a library palace. This dream was realized in 1927 when, when the city council purchased the beautiful neo baroque Wenkheim palace in the center of Budapest. Built in 1889, the palace had ballrooms, dining halls and boudoirs which were transformed into the grandest reading rooms possible, complete with chandeliers, wood panelled halls and frescoed ceilings. Then came World War II, but thankfully the 1945 siege of Budapest left the Central Library with mere bullet holes. Today it houses Budapest's largest public collection of books and has now expanded to a network of 48 branch libraries across Hungary. And for a little over three pounds, visitors can explore its elegant interiors and the million odd volumes of books, journals and archives. And they'll find that the old ballrooms with stucco walls and crystal chandeliers and velvet chairs offer the reader the grandest literary experience. It comes as no surprise to learn that the library has provided a scenic backdrop to popular TV shows and movies, from Phantom of the Opera to Maria, the 2024 biopic on the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. While I'm exploring the rooms, a gaggle of tourists walk in whispering their oohs and ahhs as they espy the glorious wooden spiral staircase that curves from amid the cases of books. And all this opulence is totally lost on the handful of people who are sitting there immersed in their leather bound tombs. In fact, serious students and researchers would tell you that they prefer the more modern rooms in the building as they have better natural light and fewer tourists. The library doesn't just invite authors for lectures, it's it also hosts a variety of events like classical concerts, photo exhibitions and also a monthly program called Netrawalok, which connects elders to tech savvy teens who offer them digital literacy training. In urban planning terms, the Urban Sabo Library illustrates a simple truth. Libraries all over the world aren't just repositories of books. They can, like Budapest's Library in a palace, become hubs of culture and community.
- [05:38]
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Tall Stories is a monocle production from the team behind the Urbanist. This episode was written by Geetan Jali Krishna and produced and edited by David Stevens. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to receive new episodes every week. I'm Andrew Tuck. Goodbye and thank you for listening. City lovers.