Orientation options for hungarian architects to the west Between 1945 and 1968

In my study, I will first examine the accessibility of Western architectural knowledge in Hungary, based on the contemporary architectural press, then on archival and library sources. By exploring the possibilities of orientation in greater depth than before, I aim to illuminate the question of Eastern or Western orientation of the Hungarian architecture of the era, and to give a more nuanced assessment of the Hungarian building material post-1945, which is also significant in terms of numbers, and to understand its place in the universal history of architecture. The research clearly demonstrates that there was a continuous exchange and transfer of knowledge through study tours, design export and joint work with international organisations. The focus of my research was on access to the Western trade press, as journals convey the most up-to-date knowledge. The study showed that the libraries of the 15 most important design firms and architectural organisations subscribed to 368 different journals for a shorter or longer period between 1955 and 1968, and all subscribed to Architecture d’Aujourd and Baumeister. The architects made constant use of the architectural libraries, and their knowledge of Western trends was a key feature of their orientation. Using the example of László Csaba’s church in Hollóháza, I will show how Csaba was able to learn about the formal problems of contemporary church architecture in an industrial architecture design firm and provide a valid and exceptional response.