Ferenc Liszt Memorial Museum

The Franz Liszt Memorial Museum is housed in the building of the old Academy of Music, as a reconstuction of Liszt's last Budapest flat. The composer as the president of the Academy of Music and professor of the master class for piano lived and held his lessons here in his last 6 years between 1881 and 1886. The collection of the museum contains his original instruments, furniture, his books and scores, personal objects.The visitors find changing exhibitions in the one-time dining room, on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. the museum organizes concerts, which can be attended with the entrance ticket of the museum.

In the last period of Liszt's life from 1869 on three European towns played a significant role. These were Rome, where he had been living for 8 years, Weimar where he had returned to the Grand Duke, and Budapest which was no longer omitted from his travellings. During his stays in the capital he always had problems to find a flat. On the first two occasions he stayed at the residence of the parish-priest. Although he was warmly welcomed, it became obvious that he needed a flat of his own in Pest. With the help of Baron Antal Augusz, he obtained one at Nador street Nr. 20. /today the correct number is 23/, where he lived between 1871-1873. From among the furniture he mentions altogether 3 pieces in a letter written to Baron Antal Augusz; one wide comfortable writing-desk with some drawers, and two pianos which were delivered by Boesendorfer.

Not much later a decision was made about the establishment of the Academy of Music and about renting an institutional building, where Liszt could have a flat. The building was at the one-time Hal ter (Fish-square) Nr. 4. On the site today one can find a memorial plaque at Iranyi u. Nr. 1. on the wall. The house was demolished around 1910. In the summer of 1873 it was rented for 6 years by the Ministry for Religion and Public Education, both for the Academy of Music and for the flat of Liszt. Two years later in the same building the Academy of Music was opened there. The flat of Liszt consisted of 3 rooms, and its layout was the same as in his later flat at Sugar ut.

Shortly after a new building was finished at Sugar ut for the Academy of Music. The architect Adolf Lang thoroughly studied both the characteristics of the building at Hal ter and the arrangement of the Liszt flat. As a result of this Liszt's flat became very similar to his previous one, but much larger and more decorative. The Academy of Music started its work in the academic year of 1879-80, but Liszt moved only in January 1881. Until that time 3 rooms in the Hotel Hungaria were reserved for him, where he gave his lessons.