Budapest later, with the help of the Russian Empire. 1867 was the year of Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary. This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest, lasting until World War I. In 1849 the Chain Bridge linking Buda with Pest was opened as the first permanent bridge across the Danube and in 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Old Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into
Budapest Museum Quarter the National Gallery would not cease to exist, but only that its collections would be relocated to return it to its pre–1957 state and give it more prominence. Despite all of the challenges and the opposition to the planned Budapest Museum Quarter, creating unified spaces is not unheard of, as there are other major cities worldwide which have successfully created cultural and tourist centers by clustering museums and other similar attractions in one location. The Museumplein of Amsterdam — a spacious square with a pond and park frequently used for outdoor festivals and events — lies in the heart of