Approach:
1. By Várbusz (Castle bus) or by bus No. 16 up to Szentháromság square.
2. By tram No. 18 to Mikó street
3. By Metro No. 2. to Déli pu. (railway station)
Entrance of the Museum is at 47° 30,044' N, 19° 01,892' E.
Opening time:
Daily from 10 to 20, except Monday. Last entry: 19:00
Things to see:
Those who join the guided tour (hourly starts, no individual visit) will take part for about an hour in back-to-the-past journey with strong 'retro-feeling' for older people. Walk on the underground corridors and looking into small rooms you will have impression and get an insight into the conditions of a military hospital which was under operation during 1944-45 and shortly in revolt in 1956.
The rather realistic image is enhanced by 83 lifelike wax figures of doctors, nurses, patients and soldiers. Although the pose of the figures isn't always too natural, on the contrary, the expression in their faces is often better than those in the famous Mme Tussaud's wax museum.
You will get to know a couple of interesting facts and stories from the short movie shown before the tour and especially during the tour from the English speaking guide. It wouldn't be too tactful to disclose them here thus let me just mention that you will get to know how the energy supply was provided and that beside so many tragedies some joyful events took place here, too.
The short history of the Hospital in the Rock
Before the hospital was established, a maze of mostly separated corridors and small caves were here, about 15 m under the ground level and about 10 km of total length. These caves were used by their private owners as cellars for storage, each having individual entrance.
Right before the start of World War II., the number of entrances was limited, the corridors were strengthened and all objects brought together into a one unit to serve as air-raid shelter during the possible bomb attacks.
In 1938, the mayor of the capital decided to established here an emergency hospital. The object was adapted to the cave system, i.e. caves were turned into rooms and ducts to corridors. The construction has taken place between 1939-1944 and the hospital was opened in February 1944. It served both for civil and military wounded people.
About forty doctors worked here, many of them were inmates of labour camps along with mostly volunteer nurses. The hospital was designed for 300 people, howver, during the occupation 650-700 wounded were squeezed into the rooms. Those who couldn't get in were laid on stretcher or straw matress and placed on the corridors. Due to the epidemic and lack of medicine and equipment, the death rate was very high.
The hospital had its own energy plant thus they could continue to operate at the time when the other hospitals were short on electricity.
In 2007 the competent Hungarian authorities decided to recontruct and reopen the establishment which from March 2008 can be visited by the public. Besides the hospital, exhibition presenting devices, equiments and chemical materials of civil defense is visited, as well.