House of Ferenc Deák

How Ferenc Deák is related to Paks?

The story of the House of Ferenc Deák starts in 1808. The 17 years old Jozefa Deák, the sister of Ferenc Deák moved to Paks to the classicist mansion that time. "The Wise Man of the Nation" was often visiting his relatives. The national monument was renewed in 2015, by the Karácsony Architect Bureau, thanks to this, the mansion was broaden and they configured a museum space in it.

In 27th of may, 1808, Jozefa married to József Kiss from Nemeskér, who was a landlord of Paks. After the wedding she had been living in the mansion for 45 years. The mansion was updated after Jozefa’s arriving, it became a classicist mansion from a baroque manor house and also was expanded by two rooms from the street side. 8 children were born from their marriage, after József’s death Jozefa operated the family mansion with the help of his brother, Ferenc. After that Ferenc Szeniczey, Jozefa’s son-in-law inherited the property, who expanded the big family with 7 grandchildren.

Ferenc Deák visited Paks for the firs time in 1830, his aim was to help his sister with her financial problems. Later, he had been visiting Paks to split out of politics and to rest. The grandchildren of Jozefa was always welcoming the „Dear Oncli” a.k.a. uncle Ferenc with joy and love.

The 13th of october, 1853 was a grey autumn day, Ferenc arrived by streamship to Paks to the funeral of his sister. He used to visit the town, especially around Easter, Pentecost and grape harvest, until october of 1869. He visited his only relatives, the Szeniczey family sometimes two times a year.

When he visited Paks, he tried to avoid publicity, but he was not able to avoid the snoop of locals, who were watching curiously the prestigious jovial politician. Deák with his good natured personality, effaced the tiny inconvenience that the locals of Paks spied his private moments. According to his great-grandniece: „Deák was sitting in the courtyard and people were standing a certain distance from the gate with bars, just to see him. A fellow-citizen took pride in one of these moments to my father (Ferenc Szeniczey, postmaster), claimed that he saw Ferenc Deák. My father asked him „Well, did you like him?”. He responded that, 'he has had a proper body' and we had a good laugh.” Deák was often walking in his free time, he went to the grapeyard of the family with the children, he sat down under the walnut trees and he was often tricking the kids by tucking candy away in the grass or hanging oranges to the trees. After the long walks, he liked having a rich lunch at noon and he spent his afternoons sitting at the flowered courtyard, under the big mulberry tree. If it was raining, he spent his time at the domed hallway, chatting with guests. He spent most of his time with his great-grandniece and his goddaughter, named Stefánia and Cecília. He spent his nights among his political friends at the Casino of Erzsébet Grand Hotel, next to the mansion. In the course of these occasions, he never had dinner at the restaurant, he was sitting in the club only because of the company. That time, lots of people arrived to the Casino, who have had dinner before at home, only to meet with Deák. He never involved himself into disputable affairs, only interrupted these with anecdotes or humorous comments.

When he was staying in Paks he tried to acquit himself of political and national cases. Time to time, he surprised people around himself with instructive anecdotes, whereof turned out that, he did not liked sycophantic, extremely mealy-mouthed or not sincere people. On the other hand he respected nepotism, but he never used his influence to got his relatives unworthy benefits. Seemingly, he found a benevolent home among his relatives in Paks. In the 1860's, when he constantly used his intellectual virtue and was acting as a political leader, he found peace and recreation among his relatives in Paks, and he needed this privacy. In his old age he became contemplative, while he was staying in Paks. His last stay was resigned and memorial, presumably because of his late stage disease.

Source: www.epiteszforum.hu