The Jewish population of Barcs increased significantly from the second half of the 19th century as a result of the economic recovery following the construction of railways and the start of shipping on the Drava. In addition to community facilities, the construction of a cemetery had become necessary.
It was built in the mid-1860s in connection with the northern boundary line of the cemetery on Imre Street, its marking is already on the 1866 cadastral map. Towards the end of the century, after the formation of the local Chevra Kadisa (Holy Association, Funeral Association) (1890), a mortuary and a cemetery guardian’s apartment were built in the cemetery. The mortuary was demolished in 1988.
At the front of the cemetery we can see a monument to the Jewish victims, it was relocated from the demolished synagogue alongside with the tablets of Moses. The oldest still legible tombstone in the cemetery is from 1868.
The Israeli residents of Barcs held their feasts in the neighbouring Virovitica from the 1860s, as neither a house of prayer nor a synagogue was available locally.
In 1883, an elementary school and a prayer hall were established in the building (Novák House) rented from Károly Kremzir, which was then donated to the community by Mór Kremzir in 1892. The community soon outgrew both the school and the prayer hall, so in 1895 a new school and in 1899 an imposing new synagogue was built costing nearly 40,000 forints, the ceremonial inauguration of which took place on 22 August, 1899. Both facilities were located in the then largely undeveloped area between Barcstelep and Barcs. The model for the synagogue was the Leopoldstadt Synagogue, designed by Ludwig Förster in 1858, and this new building was designed by architects Enderle and Freinwald. The exterior of the synagogue is made of red and yellow brick stripes, and the Torah room is made of Zsolnay porcelain. Its external size was 15,90 x 24,55 metres.
The construction work was carried out by a local construction contractor Ferenc Szenicza, and the finishing works were done by the masters of Barcs. It was used as intended until the deportation of the Jews, and then the building, which was looted and partly destroyed during the war, stood abandoned and ruined for a long time. In 1967, the Jewish community sold it to the local ÁFÉSZ, that turned it into a home store. Completely stripped of its original form, the building, which deserves a better life, functioned as a shop for a long time and is now empty. The tablets of Moses, which were placed on the facade of the former synagogue, are currently in the Israelite cemetery.
The Széchenyi Castle (148 years old), built in 1873 by Count Ferenc Széchényi, grandson of István Széchenyi, is under monument protection. The eclectic style building was designed by Antal Wéber. It was inhabited by the Count’s family until 1944, and after the nationalization it was used for public purposes. After the establishment of the Somogytarnóca State Farm, the castle became its centre.
After the cessation of the farm, the building became privately owned in the early 1990s, and its condition deteriorated rapidly thereafter. The rare, exotic trees of the once magnificent castle park have been largely cut down, the park is now in a critical condition, with no sign about possible recovery.
Unfortunately, the chapel of the Széchenyi family (built in 1907) in the Somogytarnóca cemetery is located in a closed area and cannot be visited, but it is also a protected monument. The 3-hectare park around the castle is a valuable park with special trees, and on the outskirts of the village there are exceptionally large acacia trees on the former pasture.
Part of the Aranyospuszta estate was separated from the estate of Tarnóca at the turn of the century as a legacy for the young Count Ferenc Széchényi.
Ferenc Széchényi was one of the grandchildren of Ferenc Széchényi (1835-1908), the “founder of the estate” in Tarnóca. After the demarcation of the Trianon borders, one of the beautiful points of the estate, Aranyospuszta, was singled out by the young Count and he began to create a home and a farm there. The castle, or, in terms of its size, it is more of a mansion, built in the neo-baroque style, was built around 1925. The 35-room building was built by Géza Bájer, a master builder from Barcs, and we have good reason to assume that the other professional works were also done by craftsmen from Barcs.
The castle has a mansard roof, its elegance is enhanced by a covered driveway, spacious balconies, terraces and a decorative staircase. A wide, tree-lined road led to the main entrance. The main facade was decorated with a stone-carved coat of arms of the Széchényi family. The Count’s family went abroad in 1944. The building was revived after the war as a forestry vocational school, and later became a dormitory of the institution that moved to Barcs. After several renovations and alterations, it still functions as a dormitory.
In the 18th century, the Catholic population of Barcs had their masses in the small wooden church built around 1723, which stood on or around the place of today’s Arany János Primary School.
According to the minutes of the episcopal visitation held in 1815, “92 years ago a wooden church was built in Barcs in honour of St. John the Baptist, which can collapse at any moment. Thanks to Count Ferenc Széchényi, a beautiful, spacious church built of solid material in 1814 is under construction, it can accommodate the entire parish and it will have a tower too.” After this concise summary, let us examine in a little more detail the circumstances and reasons for building the church. Count Ferenc Széchényi, as the chief lord of Somogy county and the royal commissioner of the Drava regulation, paid special attention to his market town from the end of the 1790s. The status of the market town and the growing population made it necessary for the Catholic congregation, that had previously belonged to the Babócsa parish, to have an independent parish and church in Barcs.
After the parish was founded in 1803, the Count donated a plot of land to the market town to build their church there (with the help of the landlord). Due to the lengthy administration and landscaping work, the foundation stone could not be laid until 1814. The church was already under construction when the old wooden church and three more houses burned down in 1816. Believers left without a church and the landlord were in a difficult position, the building had to be completed as soon as possible. Finally, they could start using the church in 1819.
The chronogram on the facade says: “AEDES HAECCE DEI EXSTAT SANCTA IOHANNI, that is, “Behold, this Holy Church of God already exists in honour of St. John”. The numerical value of the letters (chronostichon) in the Latin text, highlighted in a different colour, says: 1819, the date of completion. However, this is only true for the nave because the tower took another two years to build. The consecration took place in 1821 after the tower was completed. Fate brought it so that the builder-owner could not see it, Ferenc Széchényi died in 1820. In its present form, the church still largely retains its original, classicist style features, although it has been altered several times over the past two centuries.
The shingles of the roof were replaced first with tiles and then with slates, and a sacristy was added. In 1926, the church was painted from the donations of the people, and a ten and a half hundredweight bell and a small bell (1924) were cast in the Rincker foundry in Budapest in place of the bells taken for military purposes in 1916. The middle bell was made in 1948. The interior was substantially altered only during the time of priest Jenő Czövek (1943-1954), then the main altar was completely rebuilt.
The old altarpiece, painted by Ignác Mauer, depicting St. John the Baptist was removed (1943) because, in the parish priest’s view, its way of depicting St. John offended the believers. It was replaced by a statue of Christ the King. According to the folklore, the two angel statues on the main altar and the statues of the apostles Peter and Paul above the two sides of the altar are among the relics rescued from the old church. Of the first fixtures, the baptismal font made in 1815, is still in use today. With the conversion, the dedication of the church and the parish also changed. The heavily worn interior walls were repainted under the time of priest József Horváth (1954-1973), when local artist László Maróti made frescoes depicting saints in Hungary.
The exterior renovation took place several times in the 1970s and 80s, so it is still an imposing building, harmonious in appearance, defining the atmosphere of its surroundings, which, in addition to its religious purpose, more often hosts secular events and concerts.
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