Reinventing Budapest in a Post-Imperial Era: Symbolic Landscapes of the City Between the Two World Wars.

This article examines how interwar Budapest adapted to the challenges of the 20th century in a post-imperial context, focusing on the city's symbolic urban landscape shaped by dominant political ideologies during the Horthy era (1920–1944). It analyzes the use of public spaces, monuments, street names, and toponyms as tools for expressing conservative nationalism, territorial revisionism, and religious values, while also highlighting the coexistence of modernist architectural developments and traditionalist political symbolism. The study emphasizes Budapest's dual role as both a site of ideological representation and a modernizing metropolis, shaped by municipal efforts, market forces, and international tourism strategies. It concludes that interwar Budapest was characterized by a striking dichotomy of tradition and modernity, reflecting Hungary's complex political and cultural identity after World War I.