“Built around 1840” The Teleki-Tisza Mansion whispers stories of its past. This grand four-story building stands proudly on a seven-hectare estate. Originally the Wattay Mansion it later became the Teleki family’s home. Then the Tisza family inherited it. Both families used it as a hunting lodge. They visited mainly during hunting season.
In 1849 General Görgei made it his headquarters. The mansion underwent several renovations. In the 1880s Lajos Tisza redesigned it based on plans by József Benedicty. The Tisza family coat of arms was added to the facade. The last owner was Kálmán Tisza Lajos in 1946. He was the grandson of István Tisza a former prime minister.
After World War II the mansion was nationalized. In 1956 Béla Király’s national government took refuge here. From 1958 it served as a forestry training center. Children of forestry families received boarding school education. In 1992 it housed the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Vocational Training Institute and Dormitory. It offered vocational training and hosted events.
The name changed in 2004 to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Vocational Training School and Dormitory. Its jurisdiction transferred in 2007 to the Agricultural Forestry Vocational Training School Dormitory and Ministry of Agriculture Practice School in Piliscsaba. The dormitory closed in 2008. The building was abandoned its condition deteriorated.
In 2012 Nagykovácsi’s local government and the Hungarian Scouting Association initiated its transfer to local ownership. The 2013 Act CXVIII granted the Teleki-Tisza Mansion to the association. They received the property on March 8 2014. They established a children’s and youth center. It offers camping recreational and enrichment activities. It also hosts training and international conferences. The Hungarian government invested 2.5 billion forints in renovations. Additional funds came from a KEOP grant. The renovated mansion reopened on May 27 2018. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself spoke at the ceremony. The Teleki-Tisza Mansion a testament to history now serves a vibrant community.