Danubius fountain, Budapest Postcard

Statue of the Danubius fountain, Budapest, Hungary The First National Savings Bank of Pest (Pesti Hazai Elso Takarékpénztár) offered to erect a new fountain in the city of Pest in 1869. The savings bank was no in hurry. The fountain was finally built in 1883. It was located in Kalvin square, near the National Museum, in front of the main building of the savings bank. (According to an urban legend, the directors of the bank offered to build the fountain because they had a dispute with the city of Pest: one of their buildings occupied public space and the city tried to demolish it. When the city of Pest decided to not demolish the bank's property they abandoned the idea of fountain. As a revenge the city planned to create the first public restroom of the country in front of the seat of the bank. Then the Pesti Hazai Elso Takarékpénztár built the fountain.) The architect of the Danubius fountain was Miklós Ybl. Its statues symbolize the main rivers of Hungary. The new fountain became a common meeting point in Budapest. It was also the object of many poems and novels. During the WW2 the fountain suffered some damage. After the war it was relocated to the Deak square, to its actual location.