Our village, which is more than 530 years old, is located in Csongrád-Csanád County, 3 kilometers from Szeged, along the international highway 43 leading to Romania. Deszk is a growing town with a current population of 4,156. Although it was inhabited exclusively by Serbs in the early 18th century, only about 3% of its population is of Serbian ethnicity today.
Our village has become much more prosperous over the last twenty-five years: all our streets are paved, a sewage system has been built, all our institutions have undergone energy renovation, and there is now a safe cycle path along the Szeged, Deszk and Klárafalva route. We have a sports hall, our sports center has been renovated, and the large Leisure Park has a fantastic playground and an outdoor sports park. In Deszk’s newest residential area, an outdoor sports park and a grass soccer field await those who want to play sports.
The Village House opened in September 1998, housing a library, a cultural center, and a DJP point. In 2015, the Folk Tradition Community House was completed, which is dedicated to showcasing the history of the village. Opposite our beautiful Roman Catholic church is the beautiful Gerliczy Park, and in 2014, the village’s first public statue, the Zoltánfy statue, was erected in front of the school.
The village boasts strong agriculture thanks to its vast outskirts stretching from Szeged to Kiszombor, with high-quality farmland, and it also has significant economic potential in the micro-region with its machine factory, cattle farm, and more than 300 businesses.
Our village is best known in the country for the county-run Mellkasi Betegségek Szakkórháza (Chest Diseases Hospital) operating in the former Gerliczy mansion. However, for those familiar with the cultural life of the country, the name Deszk is synonymous with one of the strongholds of Serbian and Hungarian culture.
We have many events that are worth visiting, such as the Ajvár Festival, the Deszki Village Days, the May Day celebrations, and even the Deszki “Bu-show,” where we chase away winter with the burning of effigies, winter customs, and the Deszki busók. Deszka is the only place in the region to host a prestigious professional cultural exhibition, which is becoming increasingly popular every year and is known to all schools in the region as the Maros Menti Festival.
The Serbian community living here has revived its colorful traditions not only with its folk dances, which are recognized throughout Europe, but also with its nationally renowned craft workshop, where an increasing emphasis is being placed on education. The community’s St. Sava Cultural, Education and Faith Center, not only education and folk dance have been given a place of honor, but visitors can also learn about the past and traditions of the Serbs living here through the unique local history collection, which includes newly woven, sewn, and gold-embroidered traditional costumes that have been brought back to life.
Perhaps no other town of this size can boast 26 active art groups and social organizations, which shows that the town’s leadership and community are working together to provide an excellent living environment and intellectual and moral nourishment for self-organizing and self-motivated groups.
We hope that the above few lines have shown that Deszk is a colorful town, rich in cultural values and social life, always bustling with activity, which, building on its past and making good use of its assets, is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for those wishing to move away from Szeged. Those who live here love it because we all feel that the town’s motto is true:
There’s always something happening in Deszk!