The restored clock tower of Budapest’s City Hall was lifted back into place this week, with Mayor Gergely Karácsony announcing the milestone in a Facebook post accompanied by footage of the installation.
The tower had been removed in December 2025 as part of a conservation project, during which restoration experts discovered a sealed time capsule hidden inside the structure, a relic untouched since the tower’s previous restoration more than five decades ago.
A message from 1969
When conservators opened the original capsule, they found documents dating back to 1969, the last time the City Hall tower underwent major restoration. The cache included the original renovation plans, contemporary Hungarian newspapers, period coins and official records documenting the work carried out at the time.
A new capsule for future Budapest
Following the completion of the restoration, the city placed a new time capsule inside the tower, this time designed to reflect everyday life in Hungary in 2026. Its contents were prepared jointly by the Municipality of Budapest and members of the Budapest Student Council, giving younger generations an opportunity to leave their own message for the future.
Among the items sealed inside are the tower’s renovation plans, copies of the April 13, 2026 editions of Magyar Nemzet and Népszava, published the day after Hungary’s parliamentary elections, as well as personal accounts written by two students describing their daily lives.
The capsule also contains a contemporary Hungarian slang dictionary and messages from musicians and performers, creating a cultural portrait of modern Budapest that extends beyond official documents.
