Since 2020, the Municipality of Józsefváros has made it a priority to name public spaces after more and more women. Therefore, on the initiative of the Municipality of Józsefváros, the newly renovated public space at the intersection of Práter utca and Szigony utca has been named after Janka Dirnfeld by the Municipality of Budapest.

When? 22 October 2024 16:00-17:00

Where? At the intersection of Szigony utca and Práter utca

What events can you expect?

• Speech by Dr. Udvarhelyi Éva Tessza Deputy Mayor
• Slam by Perei Vivien (PiSlam) slam poetry performer
• Music by singer and performer Okos Viola

Who was Janka Dirnfeld?

Janka Dirnfeld, a pillar member of the Feminists’ Association founded in 1904, lived at 21 Népszínház utca. As secretary of the association, she was one of the main organisers of the 1913 International Women’s Suffrage Congress in Budapest.

As a member of the movement, she fought for equal working conditions for men and women, for political, social and economic equality, as well as for better conditions for maternal and child protection. As the April 1910 issue of the Pesti Hírlap reported, Janka Dirnfeld discussed in detail the movement for women’s suffrage and its achievements.

She also presented a wide variety of industries from a woman’s perspective. She emphasised that all trades are suitable for women. She was a regular contributor to the first national feminist journal, Women and Society.

She and her sister survived the Holocaust and after the war she helped to re-establish the Feminists’ Association. For many years, she corresponded with Rózsa Bédy-Schwimmer, who was considered the founder of Hungarian feminism and who emigrated to the USA in 1921 and was later nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Women’s public spaces in Józsefváros

Józsefváros is a diverse, solidary district, proud of its history. That is why it is a painful omission that there are so few women’s street names in the district.

In 2020, only 7 of the almost 150 public spaces in Józsefváros – Blaha Lujza tér, Ludovika tér, Lujza utca, Magdolna utca, Magyarok Nagyasszonya tér, Mária utca, Márkus Emília utca – had a female name. This is why we have decided to name public squares in the district after honourable women, thus expressing our respect and our shared responsibility to ensure that the struggles and successes of women are not forgotten, either in history or in the present.

You can read about the public spaces named after women in Józsefváros Municipality since 2020 here:

• Read about the public spaces named after Julia Brunszvik and Vilma Hugonnai here.
• Read about the public space named after Erika Szeles here.
• Read about the public space named after Anna Koltói here.
• Read about the park named after Panna Cinka  here.
• Read about Janka Dirnfeld  here.

The new names of public spaces do not affect the population and nobody will have to change their address card.

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