-
Written by:
Noémi Vizi
- Photos: Urbán Tamás Fortepan, Csorba Dániel
- Reading time: 4 minutes
14 Baba Street – Former Járitz Villa, now a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Institute
Perched on Ferenc Hill with breathtaking views over Budapest, this Bauhaus-style villa represented the height of modern luxury when the Járitz family moved in in 1943. More than eighty years have passed since then, and today the once cutting-edge residence is almost unrecognizable. Nevertheless, it is protected as a listed historic building.
István Járitz was a well-known and highly respected automobile parts dealer. His sister, Józsa Járitz, was a painter and graphic artist, while their brother, András Járitz, owned a real estate agency specializing in villas and building plots in Buda’s most prestigious neighborhoods, such as Pasarét and Rózsadomb. Thanks to the family's extensive network of connections, they were able to commission the construction of the Járitz Villa on Ferenc Hill. The architect was József Fischer, while the structural engineer was Eszter Pécsi, Fischer’s wife and the first woman in Hungary to earn a degree in engineering.
The first architectural plans were completed in 1941, and construction soon began. The occupancy permit was issued in 1943, allowing the Járitz family to move into the elegant, curved villa, which appeared to float above the ground on its supporting pillars. In his plans, Fischer referred to the building’s levels as the basement, ground floor, and first floor, creating spacious interiors where functionality played a central role. Because of the Second World War, the house also included an air-raid shelter surrounded by walls at least 35 centimetres thick, consisting of two parallel rows of brickwork. This section of the basement could accommodate up to eleven people. The family lived in the villa for only about a year, spending several weeks in the shelter during the escalating air raids. In 1944, during the bombing of Budapest, the villa was hit by a bomb, forcing them to flee. At the time, the younger István Járitz was only four years old. In a documentary by Dániel Csorba, he recalled that his family escaped carrying only a few belongings. His two-year-old sister was carried by a Soviet soldier. The ten-year-old boy looked back and saw his home engulfed in flames. Even after so many decades, he remembers that moment with crystal-clear clarity.
The Siege of Buda came to an end on 13 February 1945. By April, the head of the family had already submitted plans for rebuilding the villa. It was during this reconstruction that the swimming pool was completed, featuring a colourful mosaic designed by Józsa Járitz. The renovation had originally been estimated to cost 300,000 pengő, but due to the hyperinflation of 1946, the final cost soared to 24.5 billion pengő. Even after the restoration, the family was unable to enjoy their home for long. Five years later, the property was nationalised. Although they were not forced to leave immediately, they were given only two weeks to move out. This brief period allowed them to rescue some of their personal belongings, a process carefully organized by the wife of the elder István Járitz. Six months after losing their home, their automobile parts business was also nationalised overnight. Following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the family attempted to reclaim the villa, but without success. Unable to come to terms with the loss of his home, the head of the family passed away in 1964 at the age of 58. His siblings, Józsa and András, had already emigrated abroad.
Like many Hungarian castles, villas, and manor houses, the property became state-owned in 1950. Once a family residence, it was first used by the State Protection Authority (ÁVH), before being converted into a hospital ward for patients suffering from respiratory paralysis, who were commonly known as the "iron lung patients." This change of function required extensive alterations to the building. The supporting columns of the villa’s distinctive floating terrace were enclosed with walls, completely transforming its original architectural character. In addition, an elevator tower—entirely alien to the Bauhaus style—was added to the rear of the building to facilitate the transportation of patients. This therapeutic ward operated until 2018, and since 2022 the building has housed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit.
Perhaps the saddest aspect of this story is that the luxurious villa, lovingly envisioned by the Járitz family as their dream home, was never truly enjoyed by them. Instead, it became associated with a succession of personal tragedies, and today the building is almost unrecognizable. The story of the Járitz family and their villa is recounted by István Járitz Jr. in a documentary by Dániel Csorba.
