The ancient stones whisper secrets. They stand before you the heart of Pesthidegkút-Ófalu. This is more than just a place. This is a living testament to centuries of history.
Pesthidegkút-Ófalu a village nestled in a basin. It continuously existed since the Middle Ages. Today it’s a charming garden city. Its name has several possible origins. The most likely is that it was named after Saint Catherine. Her shrine was located on Remete Hill.
The story begins long before 1711. That’s the year German settlers refounded the village. Before that Pesthidegkút-Ófalu was mentioned in 1255. King Bela IV’s charter recorded it as Hidegkút. He granted it to the nuns of Margaret Island. In exchange for the Mecse estate. Centuries later in 1580-81 Ottoman tax records listed it as a deserted estate. By 1690 it was among the destroyed settlements.
The 1711 refounding brought new life. By 1715 eleven households were recorded. By 1720 there were twelve. All inhabitants were German. Prominent families like the Péterffy and Nadasdi Tersztyánszky owned the land. Before 1848 the Steinbach Szunyogh and Jankovich families joined them. Even the Tahy family briefly owned land here until 1860. In the early 20th century Steinbach Szunyogh and Vári Szabó families were the main landowners.
The heart of Pesthidegkút-Ófalu beats in its church. Built in 1736 it stands on medieval foundations. It became independent from Solymár’s parish in the same year. Some findings suggest the area was inhabited in Roman times. The church’s exterior reflects Romanesque style. Its interior however is Baroque. The stained glass windows and organ were installed in 1760. A votive column stands before the church. Erected in 1749 it commemorates early pilgrimages to Mariazell.
Pesthidegkút-Ófalu boasted three tile kilns. The ruins of a 17th-century church were visible then. Mária-Remete a notable pilgrimage site lies northwest of the village. It’s nestled in a secluded area between the hills. The shrine of Saint Catherine and the Mária-Remete church built in 1899 welcome pilgrims.
The Klebelsberg Mansion stands as a symbol of Pesthidegkút-Ófalu. Some records indicate an earlier building existed during the Turkish occupation. It served as the economic center of Hidegkút. Klebelsberg Kuno acquired the site in the 1920s. He transformed the old building. After World War II the building deteriorated. Between 2014 and 2017 the Hungarian state restored it to its original form. Today it’s a hotel event center and Klebelsberg Memorial House. It’s considered one of the five most important architectural sites in Hungary.
Pesthidegkút-Ófalu’s legacy lives on. In the people who shaped it. Csák Ibolya a prominent athlete became Hungary’s first Olympic champion here. Rotter Lajos a 1936 Berlin air race winner set a world record. Klebelsberg Kuno the Minister of Religion and Public Education had a residence here in the early 1920s. Pesthidegkút-Ófalu’s story is a tapestry. Woven with faith perseverance and the enduring spirit of a community. It’s a story waiting to be explored. A story that continues to unfold.