A present rooted in the past: a decorative barn and a residential house evoke Swabian folk architecture in the Sóstó Museum Village

The aim of the Swabian Heritage project, which is partly funded by the EU, is to research and showcase the cultural and historical heritage of the Swabians by developing a sustainable cultural and tourist route linking Nyíregyháza and Palota.

As part of the project in the Sóstó Museum Village, experts from the Jósa András Museum, funded by the museum, are KE-VÍZ 21 Építőipari Zrt. experts are constructing a Swabian farmhouse and barn in Vállaj. The buildings will be converted into a historical memorial site and exhibition space, which will also serve as one of the stops on the Swabian Route linking Nyíregyháza and the Romanian town of Palota.  

The ornate barn

Vállaj lies along the Kraszna River, some 70 kilometres from Nyíregyháza. The first written record of the village dates from 1335. From the mid-17th century onwards, wars and epidemics set back the development of this once-thriving village. The settlement was part of the Rákóczi family’s estate; after the suppression of the War of Independence in 1711, it was confiscated from the family, then purchased by Ferenc Károlyi from the treasury, who revitalised the settlement’s economy with German settlers. Vállaj became famous as a Swabian village for its craftsmen, meat products and farmers. A characteristic feature of the village’s Swabian farmsteads are the so-called hall barns, which were built by local stonemasons in a distinctive eclectic style, and are therefore often referred to as ‘ornate barns’.

It is not just an outbuilding, but the heart of the farm

The most fascinating feature of the development is the barn, which was one of the most important buildings in the Swabian farming community of Vállaj. An imposing, hall-like space even by the standards of vernacular architecture, it served simultaneously as a place for storing crops, threshing, storing tools and carrying out the day-to-day operations of the farm.
The size of the barn also revealed the strength of the farm in question: the storage units dividing the interior space were referred to by the locals as „drawers”.

The residential building and barn will be built on a site of over 450 square metres

According to the
The net floor area of the residential building is 187.15 square metres, whilst the barn will cover 265.10 square metres.
The residential building will house an entrance hall, a stable, a pantry, a kitchen, a loft access, four rooms and a bakehouse.
The barn is described in the technical specifications as a large, open-plan space, evoking the generous use of space typical of farm buildings in Vállaj.

Wood and adobe – building the natural way

The buildings are constructed on strip foundations, with the load-bearing structures comprising a combination of rammed earth and brick masonry. The floor slab will be a traditional timber slab, dimensioned to provide structural support. The façade windows and doors, which define the character of the residential building, will be of a timber frame with interlocking sash and mullion construction, whilst the interior doors will be painted timber. The rooms will be fitted with brick and ship deck flooring.
The Nyíregyháza development is being implemented under the Interreg VI-A Romania–Hungary Programme. Funding consists of 80 per cent EU support, 15 per cent Hungarian state contribution and 5 per cent from the museum’s own resources.