The Tisza residence in Geszt – The source of power and will
At the exhibition, you will be enchanted by the atmosphere of the Geszt family home, the original items, old paintings, photos and caricatures – and in addition to conventional exhibits, you can also immerse yourself in interactive experiences. Costume short films (starring actors like Gábor Reviczky and Zsolt Trill) provide a context to the items on display. From these short films visitors can learn about mounted hunting in the period, and the equestrian skills and the love of nature the Tiszas were famous for. You can also learn about the frontlines of World War 1, where István Tisza served as a colonel from the summer of 1917. In almost all the rooms, you will find quotes from the most renowned Hungarian authors. You can listen to audio plays about the great flood of Szeged, the first Hungarian expedition to Egypt, and more.
As you enter the reception room of the castle, you will immediately know where you are and you can interact with the spaces as you learn about the history of the castle, from the time of its construction to the present day. Then you go to the most impressive room of the castle, the salon, where you are greeted by your hosts and hostess, Kálmán Tisza, István Tisza and Ilona Degenfeld– who appear as holograms. You are taken back to a time when this was a busy place with lots of social events, and by the tarot table and the carom billiards table, you can see pipe smoking paraphernalia – something closely associated with the Tisza family.
The next stop is Prime Minister Kálmán Tisza’s study, restored to its original state, where you can learn about the amazing achievements, qualities, goals and struggles of this era. As you go on, you can explore the loving private life of the Tisza family, their memorable stories, the guests they entertained, their lifestyle – which was modest, yet involved relations with the gentry – their knowledgeable tutors, their attitudes towards music, sport, books, literature, the church, the nation, politics and science.
The exhibition also paints the portrait of the ladies of the Tisza family, their roles and dedication. The ladies played a key role in creating the atmosphere of the Geszt residence, in preserving the legacy of the men, in managing the staff, in gastronomy and arranging meals, and they also did great work as leaders of national charitable organisations. Every generation of the family felt the moral obligation to help the poor and needy, also in their immediate environment. And the village was grateful: when the Tisza family were driven from their home after World War 2, several times a year the villagers took plenty of food to them, driving their carts all night long.
The last part of the exhibition is the study of István Tisza, where you can learn about the perception of his public life in Hungary and abroad, and the threats, social and national tensions of his era. The dramatic climax of the exhibition is István Tisza’s fate – in the Crown Council he was the only one who was against the world war, yet he was eventually treated as a “scapegoat for the war.”
One of the most exciting parts of the exhibition is a room modelled after István Tisza’s study–replicas will help you relive a busy working day of the politician, you can take a peek at secret documents, take books off the shelves and leaf them through while sitting in the prime minister’s chair.
Besides politics and their roles in church and public life, managing the estate was another important responsibility of the male members of the Tisza family. They managed model farms and their studs were renowned.
Their success was partly due to their sophisticated upbringing. The goals when raising their children were always the same: to create a solid religious and moral foundation, to develop scientific thinking, to provide excellent training in music and foreign languages, classical education and humanities, and to create the harmony of faith, knowledge, sports and intellectual investment.
The exhibition also boasts invaluable paintings, including the portraits of Lajos Tisza and Mrs. Lajos Tisza by Miklós Barabás, and the painting Historic Tarot Party by Arthur von Ferraris. Other exceptional pieces include the Biedermeier desk of Kálmán Tisza Jr, created by Josef Danhauser, a bust of Count Kálmán Tisza by Alajos Strobl, and a cigar case with a hunting scene and the engraved signature of Denise Almássy, Count István Tisza’s niece.
Thanks to the descendants of the family, you can see several authentic items in the castle that belonged to the family, including an ivory letter opener from Ilona Patay, István Tisza’s great granddaughter; the painting “Geszt Landscape” by István Bosznay from 1904;
a painting of the Tisza Castle in Geszt by Baron Béla Rudnyánszky, donated by Péter Patay, which has this inscription on the back: “If Auntie Jolka asks for it, give it to her”; a special marble table clock, where the clock is in a sphere – polished glass, both front and back – hanging from the beak of a mythical turul bird; and a palm-sized silver tray award won by István Tisza’s sighthound, Szipirtyó. Ilona Nitch (née Ilona Tisza) donated the portraits by Miklós Barabás we mentioned earlier, a silk napkin with the Tisza-Degenfeld coat of arms, and a silver seal with the family’s coat of arms.
If you come to the castle, you will never forget the Tiszas: Geszt is a historical heritage site and a place of pilgrimage for Hungarians where you can find answers and can also raise serious questions.
