The history of Count Zichy Béla Estate

The History of Count Zichy Béla Estate (Source: Fonyódi Cultural Institutions, 2015)

István Varga, as the librarian of Fonyódi Cultural Institutions, has dedicated his expertise to exploring the local history of Fonyód for over a decade. In a series of volumes, he presents this fascinating and rich historical environment to the readers. His latest work introduces the history of the Zichy Béla Estate in Fonyód (commonly known as Bélatelep), not only as a classic monograph but as a genuine treasure trove of data and sources.

The essence of the book lies in sources, guest texts, and descriptions. The history of Bélatelep’s villa row and bathing association is discussed in such richness that is essential for those who want to understand local culture and history.

The book is divided into four parts:

The first encompasses the times before the founding of Bélatelep, from the appearance of the first bathers in Fonyód (referred to as “ancient bathers” by the author). This section essentially serves as an introduction to the subsequent chapters.

The second chapter is perhaps the most significant part, the heart of the book, as it deals with Bélatelep itself. The texts of documents related to its founding are presented here, followed by the author listing the villas, going through their history, and introducing their owners: names of notables from Budapest and the county follow one another. A separate mention is made of the particularly tragic events in Fonyód during 1919–1920. Beyond that, anticipating future sociological analysis, the author separately discusses national figures connected to the settlement (such as Ferenc Ripka, the Mayor of Budapest, or Jeno Huszka, the composer). Finally, although the manuscript fundamentally discusses the history of the settlement until 1948, the time of nationalization, it also looks beyond to the post-1945 era.

The third part examines the surroundings of Bélatelep: the villas outside the settlement but connected through their owners, showcasing the lookout tower and integrating their histories into the whole volume.

The fourth part is titled the Appendix. It is a collection of texts, the most important descriptions, memories, and abundant reports related to the settlement—a bouquet of newspaper articles, writings, and archival sources that shade and complement the essential information from the second chapter.

Moreover, the book is illustrated with numerous images, enriching the visual experience and providing additional information on the topic.

In this detailed and well-documented work, István Varga opens a new chapter in the history of Fonyód. The book can be accessed through the following link: https://mek.oszk.hu/18000/18045/18045.pdf