A historic castle in Békés County is reborn from ruins

The reconstruction of the former Tisza Castle is progressing according to plan, announced WEST HUNGÁRIA BAU Kft., leader of the construction consortium, on social media page. The investment is being implemented as part of the National Castle Programme and National Castle Programme by the WHB and Build It Mérnökiroda Kft. consortium.

The castle was the scene of negotiations and decisions that affected the fate of the country

The three-storey, Baroque-style castle was built in the second half of the 18th century by the Tisza family in the settlement of Békés County. Over the years, it has undergone numerous renovations, with each owner making changes. The historical significance of the more than 250-year-old building is enhanced by the fact that it was also the home of two prominent figures of the Tisza family, two prime ministers. The Geszti Castle was first owned by Kálmán Tisza in 1860, who was Prime Minister of Hungary between 1875 and 1890. After the death of Kálmán Tisza in 1902, the building became the property of Count István Tisza, who was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1903 to 1905 and from 1913 to 1917. According to the chronicles, the castle also hosted government meetings and was the scene of negotiations and decisions affecting the fate of the country on several occasions.

In keeping with the importance of the building described above, during the reign of Count István Tisza, it received considerable modernisation: electricity was introduced, a hot and cold water tank was installed in the attic and a telephone line was connected. Between the two world wars, the castle was further improved by replacing doors and windows, but at the end of the Second World War all its furnishings were destroyed after being looted by invading Romanian-Soviet troops. After the subsequent nationalisation, a primary school and a cultural centre were established in the castle in 1949, and later the municipal library of Gesti was also housed here.

After the change of regime, the building deteriorated steadily and by the 21st century it was in a state of disrepair, so its renovation has been on the agenda for the last few years, and this work was finally started by the consortium of WEST HUNGÁRIA BAU Kft. and Build It Mérnökiroda Kft..

The renovation, which is currently underway, will include repairing the plaster, building a new roof cladding, restoring the parquet flooring, interior wooden doors, stone surfaces and ceiling plasterwork. In addition to the castle, the project will also include the renovation of the Keeper's House and the crypt, as well as landscaping and the creation of exhibition spaces.

The cleaning and repair of the decorations on the north façade has already started

According to the news just published by WHB, the restoration of the side walls of the upstairs rooms is underway inside the building and the laying of the restored parquet floors has begun. In the downstairs rooms, the cleaning and construction of plaster stucco and rosettes is progressing, surface preparation work is underway, and wall surfaces are being cleaned, plastered, sanded, sanded and decorative painted. In addition, the new terrazzo flooring has been started and the repair and restoration of the old one has been completed.

In the west wing of the castle, part of the windows have been installed, and on the north façade, the cleaning and repair of the ornaments has begun. In the basement, the tiling of the water closets, the installation of the fire water mains and the boiler room are in progress. On the roof of the castle, the installation of the lightning conductors is continuing, and the standing seam sheeting of the dome and the slate roofing of the roof have now been completed, and the restored metal balustrades have been installed on the balcony.

How the renovation of additional buildings is progressing

The restoration of the garden pools outside the Tisza Castle has started and some of the new metal fence panels have been installed. The new terrazzo cladding and the installation of the lightning conductor on the roof of the cistern are also underway, while the rebuilding of the east ventilation wall, field insulation, and the construction of a leakage system have been completed at the crypt, and the demolition of the west ventilation wall has begun.