The Szilágyi Pavilion in Hrebienok. (source: Wikipedia.org/midnightrunner)
The Szilágyi Pavilion, a national cultural monument in the High Tatras, is about to enjoy a significant restoration.
Conservation workers want to instal a bronze relief with the likeness of the founder and early supporter of Tatra tourism, Dezider Szilágyi (1840-1901), along with a bronze plaque, the SITA newswire wrote.
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The observation deck is located near the end of the road leading from Starý Smokovec to Hrebienok.
The mayor of the settlement of Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras), Jozef Štefaňák, said that next year they will commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the gazebo to the public.
The relief with the likeness of Szilágyi has been made by the civic association Sine Metu based on a model of the original discovered in Hungary. The original relief disappeared from the building soon after the Second World War.
Probably the oldest building on Hrebienok
According to Štefaňák, the pavilion is probably the oldest building on Hrebienok.
The relief, along with a plaque, should be placed on the pavilion by the end of the year.
"The civic association wanted to instal a copy, but since it is a national cultural monument, it must meet all the conditions and have the permits of all the authorities concerned," explained the mayor. He added that the association wants to donate the relief to the town.
The Prešov Region Monuments Service has already approved the installation.
Monument commemorates former Hungarian justice minister
The six-sided pavilion, which has a stone base and a metal superstructure, is located at the southeastern foot of Slavkovský Štít (Slavkov Peak).
It was built on the initiative of the first tourist organisation in the area – the Hungarian Carpathian Association, which was founded 150 years ago.
It is a memorial to Szilágyi, who served as Hungary's minister of justice, as well as being a liberal politician, speaker of parliament, university professor, and an admirer and promoter of the Tatra mountains.
"Gedeon Majunke, a builder from Spišská Sobota, was entrusted with the development of the project and the realisation of the monument, which was conceived at the same time as the viewing pavilion," reads the public decree of the monument office.
It was put into use on August 7, 1904.
A contemporary postcard showing the pavilion. (source: wikipedia.org)
The original pavilion bore a relief of its politician namesake.
In 1932 and 1937, commemorative plaques dedicated to association officials Mikuláš Fischer, František Déneš, Mikuláš Szontágh, Sr. and Michal Guhr were added.
The relief and the plaques were removed after the end of the Second World War in unknown circumstances.
The pavilion was declared a national cultural monument in 2011.
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