The History of Our Company
On December 1, 1696 the Rudas Bath, parts of which were built during the period of Turkish occupation, came into the ownership of the city and was run by tenants. It lasted until April 19, 1866, when the city of Buda took it into its own operation. Essentially, this marks the founding of our company. In 1916 the Mineral Water Plant of the Capital Town was founded.
On May 9, 1928 (decision Nr. 442) at the General Meeting of the Capital Town, it was decided that the operation of the baths St. Gellért, Rudas and Széchenyi should be united. In 1929 St. Gellért and Rudas baths were put under common management.
In 1931 the Municipal Council of the Capital Town Budapest united all the baths in its ownership (decision Nr. 701/1931.tan.). In 1932 the unification was implemented by order of the Mayor (Nr.199.496/1932.IX.) and on January 18, 1933 at the General Meeting the Municipal Council consented to the unification (Nr.27/1933.kgy.). on May 5,1933 the unification was finally approved by the Minister of the Interior (Nr. 78.419/1933-V). on January 1,1933 the operation was registered as an independent commercial firm at the Court of Registration. The St. Gellért, Rudas and Széchenyi baths, as well as the Mineral Water Plant of the Capital Town started functioning as a united operation under the name "Budapest Székesfováros Gyógyfürdoi és Gyógyforrásai" (Thermal Baths and Medicinal Springs of the Capital Town Budapest). Its central management was installed at the St. Gellért Bath. In this period the Capital also owned two public baths: the sanitary tub and shower bath built on a site of small apartments in 1911 (Palotai street District VI), and the sanitary bath (opened in Dandár street District IX in 1930). The Capital also owned Swimming baths on the Danube, some free of charge,others for payment. In 1935 the City bought the Rác (St. Imre) Bath.
On June 8,1949 the Municipal Council of the Capital Town Budapest, on the joint recommendation of The Capital Towns Minister of the Interior and Minister of Public Welfare decided to transform the company into a municipal company (Article of Law X, 1949), and issued on its General Meeting (Nr.117/1949.kgy.) a Founding Deed establishing "Fovárosi Gyógyfürdok és Gyógyforrások Községi Vállalat" (Municipal Company of the Metropolitan Healing Baths and Hot Springs). Baths in the ownership of the city and nationalised private baths were put under its management.
On June 4, 1949 the Founding Deed, approved by the Minister of the Interior (Nr. 5.283/(4-1949) III-3. BM.) defined the objective and sphere of operation of the company as the following:
a) maintenance and utilisation of baths in the ownership and management of the Capital
b) operation of the baths and thermal baths within the Capital city limits,
c) provision of services aimed at the comfort and health of the public in the baths (hairdresser, manicure and facial care, medical therapies, maintenance of medical stations, maintenance of spa hotels, restaurants, sales outlets), in order to eventually establish a legal relationship of lease.
On March 6, 1950 the Budapest Court recorded "Fővárosi Gyógyfürdők és Gyógyforrások Községi Vállalat" (Municipal Enterprise of Thermal Baths and Medicinal Springs of the Capital) (Nr.3.278/1950) in the list of municipal companies at the Court of Registration(Nr.80.030). on March 26,1957 decision Nr.55/1957 of the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Council declared "Fovárosi Gyógyfürdok és Gyógyforrások Községi Vállalat" an institution functioning in a corporate system and changed its name to "Fovárosi Fürdoigazgatóság" (Metropolitan Bath Directorate) from February 1 of that year. (Published in Fővárosi Közlöny, the official journal of the Council.)
In 1967 the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Council (decision Nr.514) re-established the company profile as follows:
Item B was extended to include planning, establishing, operation and maintenance of the thermal baths and spa and beach hotels on the territory of the Capital, and;
Item C was changed to provision of various professional and auxiliary services.
In August 2,1972 the companys sphere of activity further expanded when The Founding Deed was changed to include "Bottling of mineral water, packing of therapeutic mud, sale of these domestically and abroad. Displaying promotions and advertisement on the area of the baths." (Resolution Nr.404 adopted on the meeting of of the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Council)
On July 5,1985 the Metropolitan Court recorded (Nr. 3685/1985) the company of public works, Fovárosi Fürdoigazgatóság, (Bp. V. Guszev u. 25.) to the company record (Nr. 1759). on November 4,1985 in accordance with Act VI (1974) on state companies (amended in 1984 - Law Decree Nr.22), the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Council (decision Nr.230/a/1985), established the founding resolution of the General Directorate for the Construction of Public Works and Underground Structures of the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Council.
With the consent of the Ministry of Finance and the National Office of Water Management, it defined this new company as follows:
a) primary activity of the company will be water production, water supply, sewage disposal and treatment and service to baths.
b) other activities of the company were to include: water management, research and development in water management, implementation of water-bound constructions, miscellaneous retail trade, commercial catering, other commercial service, Bathing suit rentals, other tourist service, cloak-room service, custody of parcels and valuables and sanatorium service.
Foundation of the local government company, the newly-transformed joint-stock company
The Metropolitan Bath Directorate (Fővárosi Fürdőigazgatóság), operated as a state company under the guidance and supervision of the Metropolitan Council.
In 1990 state ownership of the baths was transferred to local governments except the Kiraly and Rudas baths which were considered public monuments. (Act LXV/1990, Act XXXIII/1991, Government Decree 83/1992.(V.14.9.). on Dec. 30, 1991, the property of the Metropolitan Bath Directorate was transferred to the ownership of the Metropolitan Local Government. The Király and Rudas baths remained in state ownership to be managed by "Kincstári Vagyoni Igazgatóság" (KVI, Property Directorate of the Treasury), but the Metropolitan Local Government retained their use free-of-charge. These baths, too, are operated by our company. The agreement on the operation of the two baths between the KVI, the Metropolitan Local Government and our company is still pending approval.
December 17-18,1992 - "Fővárosi Önkormányzat Fővárosi Fürdőigazgatóság" was established as the legal successor of the former state enterprise. The Metropolitan General Meeting entrusted, (decisions Nr.1603 and 1604/1992) "Fővárosi Fürdőigazgatóság" with the property which had previously been managed by the Directorate, except for its property parts in Finn-Magyar Gyógyszálló Rt. (Finnish-Hungarian Spa Hotel Co.Ltd.) and other investments, the development area of the Pascal beach and the apartments of the service personnel.
The amendment containing the corrections of the founding document dated December 23,1992 of the enterprise "Fovárosi Önkormányzat Fővárosi Fürdőigazgatóság" by its full name was signed by the Chief Burgomaster on May 27,1993, with a retrospective effectiveness of December 17-18,1992. Fovárosi Fürdoigazgatóság was transformed by the Metropolitan General Meeting by its decision 1069/1996.(VI.27.) Fov.Kgy., as of July 1,1996, into a one-person joint-stock company under the name "Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Rt." (Budapest Healing Baths and Hot Springs Co.Ltd.) with its seat at 1138 Budapest, Népfürdő u. 38., as the general legal successor of the enterprise operating since January 1,1933, originally named "Budapest Székesfőváros Gyógyfürdői és Gyógyforrásai" (Thermal Baths and Medicinal Springs of the Capital Town of Budapest) and from 1957 on named "Fővárosi Fürdőigazgatóság" (Metropolitan Bath Directorate).