Podmaniczky Castle of Fenyőharaszti

The estate changed hands several times—even serving at one point to settle gambling debts—but eventually it came into the ownership of Levente Podmaniczky, who, together with his wife Magdolna Podmaniczky, dreamed of turning it into an exceptional country estate. (Yes, as you may have guessed, they were first cousins. Nevertheless, they enjoyed a happy marriage for almost forty years, until Magdolna's death.) Magdolna possessed considerable wealth, enabling the couple to realise virtually all of their plans for the estate. Before long, the manor was bustling with activity. Although there were no children to fill the grounds with laughter, between 80 and 120 servants and employees worked on the estate. Only the animals outnumbered the staff. Levente was one of Hungary's best-known and most respected livestock breeders. His estate produced some of the country's finest horses and greyhounds, while he also bred Beagle dogs. Together with his cousin Géza Podmaniczky, he led the county hunting and sporting association and established the tradition of hosting the prestigious annual hunting ball at Fenyőharaszt, marking the close of the hunting season for the Hungarian nobility. By the 1880s and 1890s, the castle had entered its golden age. Besides its internationally recognised achievements in animal breeding, the ornamental gardens also received numerous awards. The family's reputation was further enhanced by its library of around one thousand volumes, its collections of weapons and porcelain, and an outstanding collection of graphic prints assembled by Magdolna's father, László, during his travels. Fortunately, these graphic works were later transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, ensuring their preservation.

Magdolna passed away in 1903. After her death, Levente lived in seclusion at the castle until his own death ten years later. As the couple had no children, the estate was inherited by their nieces, who eventually sold it to Endre Hatvany-Deutsch, whose family owned the Hatvan Sugar Factory, the foundation of their considerable fortune. By this time, the estate had already begun to lose much of its aristocratic splendour. It was transformed into an agricultural production estate—albeit one of the most advanced in Hungary. During the First World War, prisoners of war provided much of the labour force, and the estate became an important supplier to the country's sugar industry. The real decline came after the Second World War, when the estate was first occupied by German and later Soviet troops. At that time it was still owned by the Hatvany-Deutsch family, who leased it to the Hungarian Seed Production Company, thereby saving it from nationalisation. In the following decades, the estate served many different purposes. It once again became a sugar factory farm, later a student dormitory and training centre. When the buildings were no longer suitable for residential use, they were converted into a pesticide storage facility. At various times, the estate also functioned as a pig farm and even as a retirement home for former circus animals.