Deák Ferenc Gimnázium

Nestled within the charming Wekerletelep district of Budapest, the Deák Ferenc Gimnázium has witnessed over a century of history. Its story begins not within these walls, but in the bustling heart of Pest, at the Pesti Császári és Királyi Katolikus Főgimnázium. This school, now known as Berzsenyi Dániel Gimnázium, birthed several other institutions due to rapid growth. One such offspring was the Budapest X. Kerületi Tisztviselőtelepi Magyar Királyi Állami Főgimnázium (later Széchenyi István Gimnázium). From this lineage, in 1919, the Deák Ferenc Gimnázium emerged. Kispest’s burgeoning population needed a local gymnasium. Students initially traveled to the X. District school, but it was overcrowded and difficult to reach. Driven by necessity, local parents petitioned the Ministry of Religion and Public Education for a local school. On December 23, 1918, the Kispest council allocated 5000 Korona for a “workers’ gymnasium,” reflecting the predominantly working-class population. This initial sum proved insufficient. The Deák Ferenc Gimnázium opened in September 1919 in a rented building on the corner of Sárkány (now Ady Endre) Street and Árpád Street. It began with three classes and 250 students. The school utilized the afternoon classrooms of the newly built Kossuth téri civic school for the 1920/1921 school year. The Deák Ferenc Gimnázium gained independence in 1921, coinciding with Kispest becoming a city. It adopted its namesake, Deák Ferenc, a prominent statesman. It occupied various temporary locations before settling in the repurposed Teudloff-Dittrich factory on Üllői út in the 1932/1933 school year. The war years disrupted education. The school building became unusable. Classes resumed in May 1945 at the Kispest State Civic Girls’ School, continuing until July in a shortened school year. After the war, it continued as the Kispesti Magyar Állami Deák Ferenc Gimnázium. In 1949, the school returned to the Üllői út building and expanded to four grades. During the communist era, the school was renamed Landler Jenő Gimnázium. Its location outside the city center made it a place for “problematic intellectual” teachers, which benefited the students and their education. The school participated in the “5+1” educational experiment, with students spending six days at school and one day at a local factory. Boys worked at the Vörös Csillag Tractor Factory. Girls went to the Vörös Október Clothing Factory and Hungária Jacquard Factories. In 1964, the Deák Ferenc Gimnázium moved to its current building, constructed on the site of the former Wekerletelep market. The Deák Ferenc Gimnázium Alumni Association, formed in 1986, campaigned to restore the school’s original name. This was achieved in 1990. Today, the Deák Ferenc Gimnázium stands as a testament to its rich history. It continues to nurture young minds. It has partnerships with prominent universities and the Hungarian Defense Forces. It remains a vibrant part of the Kispest community.