The eclectic-classical former Gerliczy Palace (Alkotmány u. 36), built in 1884, currently houses the SZTE SZAKK Deszk Multidisciplinary Centre. The castle was originally surrounded by an 18-acre park. It was separated from the highway and surrounded by a carriage drive, small gates and the gate buildings attached to them, as well as other farm buildings. Opposite the main entrance on the other side of the highway, stood the landlord’s residence, a single-storey building of Baroque feel and service buildings. With the island and the rock cave, the artificial lake in the garden is of exceptional value of horticultural history in Hungary.
The palace park had remarkable horticulture, including a greenhouse and a separate flower house. In 1910, for example, 10 gardeners and several assistant gardeners worked in the 18-acre park. János Hein even published a picture of one of the elements of the park, the Turkish tent at the end of the pool, in his brochure. On September 24 1911 he received a letter of gratitude from Baron Ferenc Gerliczy, in which he expressed his appreciation for the garden. He had managed to create fertile land out of the deep-lying, saline, moist soil by covering it with 20,000 wagons of earth, which was essential for the creation of a high quality park. By that time the trees had rich foliage, offering shade. The lake and the cave constructed in the garden were in good condition. The Baron acknowledged that all this was the fruit of János Hein’s expertise and good taste.
Besides the rarely seen and sophisticated artificial elements, the value of the park is further enhanced by its plant stock. The valuable vegetation can be attributed to Félix, the son of Baron Ferenc Gerliczy, who brought plant rarities from abroad to the carefully planned park. This flora justifies protection for not only the built elements of the park, but also its vegetation. The pedunculate oak hedge in front of the main facade of the castle is another rare example of the valuable plant stock of the park.
The unique and protected pedunculate oaks of the currently seven-hectare palace park not only facilitate the healing of the patients, but also ensure a pleasant experience for visitors, along with the decorative sculptures of the park (works by Imre Varga, Károly Vass and Ferenc Kovács).
Source:
Architectural monuments of Csongrád County. Szeged, 2000. Publisher
Csongrád County Local Government (pp. 84-85)
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