On the shift that started before the political turn: urban conservation in Hungary from the 1970s to the early 1990s

Abstract Urban conservation in Hungary has a relatively long tradition of codified protection policies. Since the 1960s, national ‘ areas of monument significance’ have been the primary tool for safeguarding the urban built environment. By the 1970s, however, we can trace a significant shift marked by three salient innovations: the extension of the protection regime, the systematic assessment of ‘historic neighbourhoods’, and the implementation of new planning methodologies. These innovations did not vanish at the end of the political turn but informed the post-socialist years. Against this background, this article traces the rise and impact of innovations from the 1970s to the 1990s, considering the political turn of 1989 not as a breaking point but as a moment of ongoing heritage transitions. Alluding to dynamics outside the well-studied case of the Hungarian capital, the analysis draws on the example of regional cities. In terms of sources, the research is based on articles published in specialised journals, as well as archival documents which can help to reassess recent developments in urban conservation in Hungary.