One in four: the ruined church in Lajosmizse has been saved

This is the seventh time we have been able to report that the Market Építő Zrt. ROM Vándor programme has saved a centuries-old sacred monument from destruction. Péter Belecz, programme director of ROM Vándor, and Edit Nagy, head of sponsorship and CSR at Market, helped us understand the circumstances surrounding the reception of the heritage conservationists visiting the Great Plain for the first time, the task they had undertaken, and the programme’s now well-established set of values.

We know of only four medieval church ruins in the region, the first preserved example of which has now been handed over to the local community. A speech was given at the ceremony by Sándor Scheer, founder and chief executive of Market Építő Zrt., Zsolt Fekete, Mayor of Lajosmizse, Dr István Pánya, a geographer at the Katona József Museum in Kecskemét, and Péter Belecz, Programme Director of ROM Vándor.

„We are a large company with a 30-year history and 1,550 employees. Although this is perhaps the smallest project in the company’s history, it is nonetheless the most complex – and it is the one that gives us the greatest satisfaction. After a year and a half of work, we will be able to hand over the church ruins,” emphasised Sándor Scheer.

„Three hundred years ago, ruined churches stood here in every direction of the compass. The fate of these ruins was sealed by the returning population’s lack of building materials, which only a few managed to survive. All the documentation and finds from the excavations carried out here a hundred years ago were lost at the end of the World War, so the work of Market has enriched our knowledge with a wealth of new information,” explained Dr István Pánya, describing the circumstances.

The task is preservation, not reconstruction

„We are delighted that the ROM Vándor has arrived here at just the right time,” noted Péter Belecz – “and we have also been able to put the plans for our previous initiatives into practice.”

„Unfortunately,” he emphasised, “there is no centralised funding scheme with nationwide coverage dedicated to the remains of buildings from the Árpád era. Our Roman ruins are falling into disrepair at a national level, and so by preserving them, we are also safeguarding the cornerstones of our culture and history.”

Every single restoration project presents a unique challenge, where striking a balance between respect for the past and modern heritage conservation techniques demands a high degree of professional humility. The team’s primary aim is to preserve the authentic beauty of the ruins; interventions are therefore designed to be unobtrusive, facilitating conservation, safe viewing and interpretation, whilst preserving and enhancing the „timeless” atmosphere of the sacred ruins.

As the programme director explained: „In the case of the Pusztatemplom, too, the primary objective was to ensure the professional conservation of the historic monument. The design phase was preceded by several technical surveys and specialist assessments; we then determined the technical scope of the intervention based on the results of these. As part of this, the rubble masonry was structurally reinforced, collapsed sections were rebuilt, cracks in the walls were repaired, drainage was installed at the wall copings, dilapidated surfaces were preserved, and patches of original plaster were restored.”.

The building’s sacred function is indicated by the wrought-iron cross placed outside and the candle holders situated in the former beam sockets, whilst the ruins are framed by the tasteful landscaping of the surroundings, comprising 12 Cseplesz cherry trees planted along the access road, and the large picnic table with benches placed there.”

It has evolved into a nationwide mission to raise awareness

Edit Nagy, Head of Sponsorship and CSR at Market Építő Zrt., emphasised in response to our newspaper’s question: although the mission has remained the same since the beginning – the preservation of our endangered medieval ruins – the passing years have brought experience, and a well-coordinated team has emerged, thanks to which the ROM Vándor programme has grown into a professionally and organisationally confident initiative.

„At the first site (Tök),” he emphasised, “we focused primarily on preserving the site’s heritage whilst developing the programme’s professional methodology and workflows; today, however, it is a fully-fledged heritage conservation programme in which archaeologists, conservators, heritage conservation specialists, designers, local communities, local authorities and volunteers from Market all work in a coordinated manner.”

As he said: „Perhaps the biggest change is that we are no longer thinking in terms of saving individual ruins, but rather in terms of a nationwide mission to shape public attitudes. The ICOMOS award and other professional accolades have also confirmed that the programme goes beyond a corporate CSR initiative: we have become a notable player in Hungarian heritage conservation, our work is known and recognised within the profession, and we now serve as a benchmark for other heritage conservation initiatives.”.

Today, the ROM Vándor serves simultaneously to preserve historic monuments, build community and draw attention to our built heritage – which, whilst often on a smaller scale, in many cases falling into disrepair and neglected, nevertheless represents outstanding cultural value.

Success depends on local ties

The experience gained from previous projects proved particularly useful in three areas: the thoroughness of the preparatory work and documentation relating to the listed building, cooperation with local stakeholders, and how to carry out interventions in such a way as to preserve the ruin’s original character and atmosphere. At the Pusztatemplom in Lajosmizse, the team was able to draw on the experience gained from six previous projects, which significantly enhanced the level of awareness during both the preparatory and implementation phases.

„Over the years, we have found that the key to long-term success lies in strengthening local ties,” he added. “A ruin only remains a living heritage if there are people who feel a sense of ownership towards it and who continue to look after it even after we have left the site.

The ROM Vándor continues its journey from Lajosmizse. Its autumn stop will be in Mezőnyárád, in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, marking the seventh county in which the programme has saved centuries-old artefacts from destruction.