Eisenstadt / Kismarton trip report
First letter
Dear Women! I am on my way! To pave the way for you…
I will introduce you to the events of the Esterházy Foundation in Kismarton this weekend, so that next time you can attend the most exciting lectures at a discount as a member of our group. Come with me!! Let’s go together. 😊👠
With love:
Anna
Second letter
Dear Women and Men!
My return train ticket cost me just under 8 thousand forints. I started from Kelenföld, but due to a lack of tracks I only got as far as Csorna. However, a very kind colleague of the Esterházy Foundation, Kati, came to my aid immediately. After a short drive we arrived at the castle of Lakompak, 20 kilometres from Sopron. Lakompak, or Lackembach as the Austrians call it, is an excellent destination for a day trip, whether you are going by car or by bike.
I took my room, which is called the “Vogel Zimmer” or “bird room”. This immediately put me in a good mood! After a short rest, I walked over to the nature, interactive and adventure museum.
The arcaded corridor of the inner Renaissance courtyard inspired me to dress up as a princess first thing!
No matter how old you are!!! You have to experience this once!
The photo was taken by Szilvi, thanks to whom there is a guided tour of the museum in Hungarian for young and old alike. The exhibition also has a significant hunting section… let’s face it, it’s part of our human history.
I found two interesting quotes in the exhibition about this:
The regulation of hunting in Hungary from 1826:
“If hunting is not regulated, man shoots at whatever he hits.”
And the other quote is from Prince Paul Esterházy the Younger from 1652:
“On the third day we set out on a hare hunt. The servant was riding towards the mill – but he was already drunk – the horse stumbled and both horse and rider died instantly.”
The Lackembach Castle, which was rebuilt by Miklós Esterházy in 1618 on the territory of former West Hungary, is surrounded by 22 hectares of beautifully manicured parkland. The arboretum lies along the Selitzabach stream. Michael, the park’s caretaker, is delighted to show you the special natural treasures, native trees and modern art that can be found here.
Peace, tranquillity, respect for place and history. This is the feeling I got on my first day.
I think that the castle and its park are not only the perfect venue for corporate events and weddings, but also for retreats and meditation camps.
Enjoy your stay!
Anna
Third letter
Today also started well! 🌞
I woke up at 5:20 am after an endlessly restful night at Lakompak Castle. This is the early part of the day, between 4 and 6 am – the time for spiritual practitioners.
As usual, I joined the Sivananda Yoga Centre online for a 30-minute meditation session in the morning, and after an hour of yoga, physical exercises and a hearty breakfast, I set off for my destination for the day, Frakno Castle.
The baroque complex of Forchtenstein Castle is 511 metres above sea level. It is a true gem of the area north of the Alps.
The medieval castle has belonged to Esterházy since 1622. The decaying building was transformed into a huge fortress by the nobleman Nicholas and his son Paul. It is no wonder that neither the Turks nor the armies of Bocskai and Bethlen managed to take it, and even the Austrians spared it!
The “Austrian” castle, 40 km from Sopron, is considered the oldest surviving Hungarian fortress.
Three different permanent exhibitions can be admired here:
the Esterházy family history gallery, the arms collection – one of the largest private arms collections in Europe – and the family treasury.
But the little ones are never forgotten!!! The Draculade, the full moon castle tour, is a very popular adventure tour.
I can’t deny that I always have a queasy feeling when I “have” to look at rifles, cannonballs, maces, swords, helmets, armour and all the other combat gear. But there are so many of them here and they are displayed with such precision and care and as Gertrude the guide explained – constantly cleaned, maintained – or should I say “kept alive” – that as I looked at these “destructive objects” I suddenly had a feeling of being overwhelmed, as if they had come to life and I suddenly saw the people, the soldiers, the medics and all those who had sacrificed their lives and the lives of others for some perceived or real purpose! Terrible! Let us remember them! Because only the objects remain…
And of course, there are the treasury and the archives! And suddenly I saw in front of me the Emperor Nicholas, who loved to collect! And he collected everything he could, from ostrich eggs to diamonds, and his booty was endless!
And man changes nothing! I’m just like Nicholas! I have a lot of shoes! I’m ashamed of myself.
And in the archives, I must admit I was crying. There is about 10 kilometres of paperwork, testifying to times gone by, old estates, fortunes accumulated and lost or still existing.
How much, how much work, how much enthusiasm, desire, effort!!! Hope!
Man, fight and trust, so that everything you do has a meaning!!!
And we will not end up like the singing birds in the cage in the castle kitchen! If they were quiet, the kitchen workers knew immediately that there was a big problem!!! There was a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning! They immediately opened the windows and doors and rushed out of the kitchen. Then they brought in the new birds…
Frakno Castle is a miracle!
It must be seen and experienced … and if possible learn from the good and bad deeds of our ancestors.
With love:
Anna
Fourth letter
Dear Women and Men!
Today I was in a gentler place, after the castle of Frakno I gave myself over to culinary delights.
At the Esterházy organic farm, better known as the Hofmarkt, on the grounds of the Seehof-major in Donnerskirchen, you can buy and eat locally grown organic produce and wine specialities.
The area has a long tradition of cattle breeding and hunting.
You will find everything you could wish for, from cheese specialities, local vegetables, a wide variety of honeys, fine oils, freshly baked bread and pastries and of course, wine specialities.
The local Esterházy business unit is called Pannatura and, as well as creating jobs, it is active in nature conservation.
Children especially enjoy seeing the free-roaming farm animals, cattle, goats and scratching hens.
But! Have you ever seen an insect hotel?
I just saw one for the first time in my life, here in the Hofmarkt. And really! It’s full of maggots, insects and all sorts of flying little creatures around the stacked boxes.
So, as well as feasting and shopping, you can also have a special experience. What’s more, if you bring your knives and tools from home, local craftsmen will grind them on the spot.
And you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the organic farm.
The sight of the free-range animals reminded me of the monkeys rejoicing in a banana tree I saw on a recent trip to Sri Lanka! And in Cambodia, a local woman told me the recipe for dog goulash… I can’t eat meat anymore…
But back to the Hofmarkt, it’s perfect for a family weekend trip, as it’s a paradise for children! There’s a playhouse, a bouncy castle and the essential pony rides.
I can’t wait to have a grandchild and so have another excuse for why I want to jump.
With love:
Anna
Fifth letter
Dear Women and Men!
Many people are afraid of the French language. But I love it. And music knows no boundaries!
Arnaud Bernard, the French opera director.
So I would like to introduce you to one of the world’s most famous and internationally most busy opera directors! Arnaud Bernard 🌞
So if you want to see Carmen directed by him, you can do it now!
The audience can see Bizet’s opera Carmen staged by this outstanding director at the Szentmargitbánya Quarry. Premiere: 12 July!!!
The quarry is now one of the most beautiful and impressive open-air stages in Europe.
The quarry is one of the most beautiful places in Europe today. The performers come from 20 nations. And as Arnaud Bernard said, they are putting on a truly political performance. The setting for Carmen is both a Hollywood film factory and the Spanish Civil War.
I would like to point out that 70 percent of the stage manager and extras are Hungarian! So their diligence, knowledge and talent contribute greatly to the success of the production.
As the indispensable stage manager, Attila Galács from Budapest, has been a pillar of the company for 27 years, holding the position of Stage Manager. His whole life is tied to this venue, as it is where he met his future wife. The ballerina was already blessed with both of their children when she danced in the productions Don Giovanni and The Love Potion, which were staged on the small stage.
A few more words about the quarry. The Szentmargitbánya Quarry is one of the largest and oldest quarries in Europe. Its precious limestone, which was formed on the site of a prehistoric inland sea, has been used since ancient times. The quarry is still used today to extract high-quality building materials. The limestone from here was used for the construction and restoration of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, and the buildings of the Ringstrasse in Vienna were also built from limestone quarried here. In the 20th century, a number of important finds, including some 25 million years old, were discovered in the area, which dates back to prehistoric times.”
So even if you don’t get a ticket for the lectures, don’t despair! The exciting tour will take you on a journey through the quarry’s history, which stretches back millions of years.
Source : https://esterhazy.at/hu
Sixth letter
Dear Women and Men!
I continue my adventures in Burgenland. I have arrived in Kismarton (21.9 km from Sopron) or as the Austrians call it Eisenstadt.
The castle and the cultural life around it is the main attraction of the town! The beautiful Baroque and Neoclassical castle alone is worth a visit. But! Of course, the temporary and permanent exhibitions also attract many visitors. We’re not to be left out! There’s always something new to learn, see and experience!
First of all, I visited the exhibition “SCHEWA KEHILOT” or “”Seven Settlements”, which will open in 2022. The temporary exhibition shows the role of the Esterházy princes and the Jewish community under their protection – the so-called “Seven Settlements”.
A little historical perspective:
In what is now Burgenland in western Hungary, the first Jewish inhabitants are mentioned as early as the Middle Ages, and Kismarton had a fully established Jewish community with a rabbi and synagogue.
Although Prince Paul Esterházy also expelled the Jews from Kismarton, Mattersdorf and Lakompak in 1671, in accordance with Emperor Leopold I’s decree of 1670/71 on the expulsion of Jews from Vienna and Lower Austria, he resettled them in his manor from 1676.
The Esterházy manor thus provided protection for the Jewish communities known as the “Seven Settlements” from 1739 to 1848. This period was a period of prosperity in economic, cultural, spiritual and social life.
The exhibition in the Moreau Hall of the Esterházy manor in Kismarton is the first in the world to focus on the partly unknown and less researched history of the Jewish community of the Esterházy estate in western Hungary. Many of the historical documents come from the archives in Frakno. There are also maps, valuable paintings and artefacts that give an insight into the living conditions of the Jews of the time.
The seven settlements of about 3,000 inhabitants included Köpcsény/Kittsee, Boldogasszony/Frauenkirchen, Kismarton/Eisenstadt, Nagymarton/Mattersburg, Kabold/Kobersdorf, Lakompak/Lackenbach and Sopronkeresztúr/Deutschkreutz.
The settlements paid a protection fee to the respective princes for the protection of the manor. In return, they proudly called themselves ‘Hochfürstlich Esterházy Schutzjuden’, i.e. ‘Esterházy’s Protected Jews’.
After the dissolution of the manor in 1848, the dependence on the Esterházy family was also ended and the village communities continued to develop independently.
Until November 1938, when Burgenland was declared Jew-free, after the Jewish inhabitants were forced to leave their homes within a few days. And so it was that the ‘Settlement of the Seven’, under National Socialist rule, was
under the National Socialist regime.
Respect for the victims:
Forrás: https://esterhazy.at/hu/kiallitasok/schewa-kehilot
https://volksgruppen.orf.at/magyarok/stories/3165726/
https://www.burgenland.info/dc/detail/POI/ausstellung-schewa-kehilot
https://www.becsinaplo.eu/zsido-hitkozseg-az-eszterhazy-birtokon
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siebengemeinden_(Burgenland)
Seventh letter
Dear Women and Men!
Even a long weekend of three days is not enough to visit the permanent and temporary exhibitions of the Esterházy Palace in Kismarton, which is as magnificent as the Infod Castle, also known as the Hungarian Versailles.
Perseverance and discipline – this is the inscription on the banner of the exhibition on the life of Princess Melinda Esterházy.
The exhibition is entitled “Life has given me many good things”. The most important episodes in the life of the Princess, wife of Pál Esterházy V, an extraordinary woman (1920 – 2014), a prima ballerina, are presented as if we were watching a stage play in five acts. The last princely couple, who went through many, many hardships, will thus live on in our memories not as some distant apparition, but as flesh and blood people who faithfully stood by each other despite all the difficulties.
Perseverance and discipline is the motto of the exhibition for a reason!!
And who would have thought that walking through the rooms full of incredible works of art, precious furniture and paintings, I would suddenly find myself on a Roy Lichtenstein carpet… in the Esterházy mansion!
I must admit, I really liked this duality: the mix of modern and classic! You have to see this!!!
By the way, in a space decorated with carpets and wallpaper by the most famous American pop-art artist, we can remember the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn.
The heyday of the Esterházy Palace is closely linked to Haydn’s name. The inventor of the classical symphony and string quartet, he directed the orchestra for nearly thirty years and wrote numerous symphonies and operas. As the conductor of first Prince Paul Esterházy and then Prince Miklós “Shining” Esterházy, the 29-year-old became one of the greatest masters of the Viennese classical style. He met Beethoven and, in 1781, Mozart, of whom he became a good friend. It was thanks to Haydn that the opera culture of the Princely Court became famous in Europe.
Between 1770 and 1790, Prince Miklós Esterházy was a guest of Maria Theresa, Goethe and almost all the celebrities of the time.
The exhibition “Haydn Explosiv – a European career at the Esterházy court” in the Sala Terrena (in elegant Italian, meaning ground floor ☺️) covers some 850 square metres and features contemporary sheet music, Haydn’s contract, princely portraits and a special imperial carriage, all while, as I mentioned, walking on Roy Lichtenstein’s polka-dotted striped carpet.
And the walls are adorned with playful bluish wallpaper with portraits of Haydn, Prince Nicholas I, Prince Nicholas II and Emperor Francis I. Simply stunning! Fun, interesting, unexpected!!!
The very nice guide, Maria, will tell us some interesting anecdotes, such as the history of the Succès Symphony, and then we will visit the Haydn concert hall, which is still in use today.
And now comes the big sigh from me! Because, heaven willing, we can even sit down at a Bösendorfer piano.
🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
Anna
Forrás: https://esterhazy.at/ueber-uns/die-stiftungen
Nyolcadik levél
🌞🌷I would like to introduce you to Dr. István Ottrubay, lawyer, Esterházy Privatstiftung / Vállalat
(Private Foundation). He is a Swiss citizen, spent his youth in Switzerland, then after postings in the US and Prague, he moved to Hungary during the regime change. But he has now been living in Eisenstadt (Kismarton) for 23 years.
Welcome to the big interview made on the trip from Eisenstadt ~ Kismarton:
~~ After Zurich, New York, Prague, Budapest, why Eisenstadt?
I came to Kismarton at the invitation of Princess Melinda Esterházy to take over the operative tasks of the Esterházy property as an experienced manager. The transition was not easy, as we arrived with our 7, 9 and 10-year-old children. In the early days, we returned to Budapest a lot, our relatives live there, but Eisenstadt eventually became our home due to the many jobs and activities.
Eisenstadt is a small town with 16,000 inhabitants, and almost everyone knows everyone. Sopron is also within easy reach. I can almost see it from my kitchen window. And of course, Vienna is only 45 minutes away, Budapest can be reached by train in an hour and a half.
If you look at it this way, Kismarton is absolutely centrally located. Not to mention the fact that Austrian and Hungarian coexistence here is extremely close to this day. That is why it is of great importance that the work of the Esterházy Foundation faithfully reflects the fact that the story of the Esterházy family is of particular importance in Hungarian history. The Hungarian nobility knew no borders.
Our goal is to present history in a living environment at the present-day locations of the Esterházy Foundation, even if it is not always glorious.
~~ I understand that cultural events are financed by the Foundation from economic activities:
That’s right. Our main sources of income are our 25,000 hectares of forest and 5 hectares of agricultural land. We operate them ourselves, we work with fully computerized, giant tractors. Since the founding of the Foundations, we have spent 225 million euros on cultural tourism and the development of the region.
~~ The temporary and permanent exhibitions are also internationally renowned. I am thinking here of the exhibitions presenting the life of Haydn or Melinda Esterházy. But the exhibition called “Schewa Kehilot” or “Settlement Week” also has a great resonance. In addition to the exhibitions, the way the halls and rooms of the ducal castle of the time have been restored is really impressive. It is a great experience to go through them. But of course, don’t forget Fraknó Castle and Lakompak Castle either! And the fantastic opera performances of Kőfejtő! Is it possible to know how many visitors visit the mentioned places?
We can organize 60 different events every year at 6 different locations.
This includes, as you said, exhibitions and opera performances, but we also organize other small and medium-sized programs for individuals or companies, from weddings to car shows, but we also have large-scale public interest events. All our locations are visited by 500,000 people every year.
We are currently preparing for a large-scale event, we are organizing a worthy celebration of Burgenland’s 100th anniversary. This will be a special event, with standing receptions and concerts.
~~ The visitor has nothing else to do but surrender to the experience, but a lot of work is going on in the background. How is the Foundation’s corporate structure structured?
Just like any modern, well-functioning business! The Foundation has 350 employees and approximately one hundred and fifty cooperate with us. The existence of 500 families therefore depends on us doing our job well. The 6 or 18 people belonging to the internal management meet twice a year, and on these occasions we discuss the current situation in each business area and think further together. Personally, it is important for me to take care of my successors in management.
The Esterházy Company has 5 centrally managed divisions, Pannatura dealing with forestry and agriculture, Real Estate Management, Tourism, Culture and Events, Hospitality, and Esterházy Winery. In addition, we provide services for all divisions, such as finance, IT, HR, legal and corporate communications (here I note that one negative news can be offset by 100 positive messages). Each line of business is equally important, none can function without the other. We implement our projects with three, but at least one, years of preliminary planning.
~~ I must admit, as a mental health specialist, I am particularly pleased that the Esterházy Foundation employs its own psychologist within the company:
Let me clarify then, we are connected to a psychological institution and we provide our employees with 4 free consultations a year. Experience shows that 4 times are enough for not very serious problems to be seen in a new light.
~~ We are slowly coming to the end of our interview.
Here I would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in the events of the Esterházy Foundation as a spokesperson for my 26,000-member women’s group, to get to know the Foundation’s operation and to share all these experiences.
But which event would you recommend specifically for us, women and men over 50?
I think any of our cultural events – be it the opera performances in the quarry, the classic. About the Esterházy concert series or the autumn HERBSTGOLD Festival – exciting
may. But of course, I wholeheartedly recommend our family programs, the organic market, or those who just want to relax and unwind from the daily grind, it is also possible to retreat and spend quiet days in the Lakompak castle.
Our goal is that, just as Hungarians naturally go to the Croatian coast or take a trip in Transylvania, Eisenstadt comes to mind as a matter of course.
There are no limits.
~~ Thank you for the interview.
Written by Ann Büky