The Ferenczy Museum In Szentendre
RENEWAL
One of the most important milestones has been reached in the history of the Ferenczy Museum: the new building and the new exhibitions have been completed.
The History Of The Building
Following the system change of 1990 churches were given the right to claim thet buildings that had been taken by the communist state. This is how in 2010 the Serb Orthodox Church were given back its former Teachers’ Trainig College which from 1951 was the home of the Károly Ferenczy Museum and the Pest County Museum Directorate
In Kossuth Lajos street the two-storey building of the former Pajor-mansion can be found. Gáspár Pajor as a medical doctor played an important role int he life of Szentendre int he first half of the 19th century. The mansion was later given to the Calvinist Secondary School. During World War II. the house was used as a place for Jewish Labour Servicemen. This is where poet Miklós Radnóti was taken to his service in July 1942. Between the 1950s and 2005 the building was the home of the Szentendre Township Land Register Office.
Uncovering And Renewal
The street front of the building recovered its original character, its southern entrance emanates its beauty. In the inner courtyard significant changes were made. The northern and southern wings are connected by a modern wing, the courtyard facade of the southern section was given a glass wall.
THE MODERN MASTERS OF A GOLDEN AGE / THE ART OF THE FERENCZY FAMILY
The Ferenczy family had undoubtedly an outstanding history. Olga Fialka, the mother, was a talented painter in Vienna. The father, Károly Ferenczy was a leading figure of Hungarian Plein Air. All their children became artists. Valér was a recognized painter and copper engraver. Of the twins, born in 1890, Béni was one of the main characters of Hungarian sculpture, Noemi the leading gobelin artist. In 1973 Ferenczy Béni’s collection, more than 2000 works/of/art, paintings, graphics, sculptures was given to the museum.
THE EIGHT FOUNDERS – THE BIRTH OF THE SZENTENDRE ART COLONY!
Thanks to its unique location Szentendre became an important art center in the first half of the twentieth century. The art colony was founded in 1926 by 8 young artists: József Bánáti Sverák, Miklós Bánovszky, Henrik Heintz, Ernő Jeges, Béla Onódi, Jenő Paizs Goebel, Lajos Pándy és László Rozgonyi. They wanted to continue the tradition of the Nagybánya Art Colony, which was regarded as the birth place of Hungarian Plein Air. The first section of the exhibition presents the years of settling down.
ART WORKS, ARTISTS IN SZENTENDRE – SZENTENDRE THE PLACE OF CHANGE
From its founding the art colony was constantly joined by new artists. Generations of painters settled down here, and soon Syentendre was called the town of painters. The first part of the exhibition opened in the old wing presents the period between the 2 world wars. Outstanding figures, like Jenő Barcsay, Dezső Korniss or Lajos Vajda characterized the artistic effort of the time. The second part of the exposition is dedicated to the era of the resurrection period after 1945, the ouvre of the representatives of the European School. The museum had to go under several changes as well and during the following decades became a collection of more than several thousands of pieces. The works selected from this collection give the opportunity to see pieces from the earliest period and pieces made bz contemporary artists.
The Ferenczy Museum From A Financial Point Of View
The total cost of the renewal was 660 million forints. The reconstruction of the building was financed with the help of the KMOP-3.1.1/C-09-2009-0010 tender and bz the ALFA Program A The construction started in October 2011, and was completed in December 2012. The total floor space of the museum is 2362 m2
