{"id":3765,"date":"2024-05-31T10:36:27","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T09:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/?p=3765"},"modified":"2024-05-31T10:42:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T09:42:46","slug":"bitter-water-sweet-life-the-magnificent-saxlehner-palace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/villak\/keseruviz-edes-elet-a-csodalatos-saxlehner-palota\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitter Water, Sweet Life \u2013 The Magnificent Saxlehner Palace"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3765\" class=\"elementor elementor-3765\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7705065 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7705065\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-358400e\" data-id=\"358400e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c26401 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4c26401\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed0e6f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ed0e6f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2200\" height=\"1803\" src=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-3771\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2.webp 2200w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2-300x246.webp 300w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2-1024x839.webp 1024w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2-768x629.webp 768w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2-1536x1259.webp 1536w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN9074_2-2048x1678.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2200px) 100vw, 2200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a08c9c0 elementor-mobile-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"a08c9c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-c24483e elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"far fa-user-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWritten by: Kordos Szabolcs\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-bfbae1b elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\"><g id=\"date\" transform=\"translate(-360 -786)\"><rect id=\"Rectangle_68\" data-name=\"Rectangle 68\" width=\"14\" height=\"3\" transform=\"translate(360 786)\" fill=\"#54565b\" opacity=\"0.6\"><\/rect><rect id=\"Rectangle_69\" data-name=\"Rectangle 69\" width=\"14\" height=\"11\" transform=\"translate(360 789)\" fill=\"#54565b\" opacity=\"0.3\"><\/rect><text id=\"_21\" data-name=\"21\" transform=\"translate(363 797)\" fill=\"#707070\" font-size=\"8\" font-family=\"HelveticaNeue-Bold, Helvetica Neue\" font-weight=\"700\" opacity=\"0.6\"><tspan x=\"0\" y=\"0\">21<\/tspan><\/text><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time>2024 May, 31<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-d408410 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-camera\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhotos: Husz\u00e1r D\u00e1vid\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-e691cfc elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"14.539\" height=\"14.539\" viewbox=\"0 0 14.539 14.539\"><g id=\"time\" transform=\"translate(-2 -2)\" opacity=\"0.6\"><path id=\"Path_124\" data-name=\"Path 124\" d=\"M9,7h1.454v3.635h3.635v1.454H9Z\" transform=\"translate(-1.911 -1.365)\" fill=\"#54565b\"><\/path><path id=\"Path_125\" data-name=\"Path 125\" d=\"M16.539,9.27A7.27,7.27,0,1,1,9.27,2,7.27,7.27,0,0,1,16.539,9.27Zm-1.454,0A5.816,5.816,0,1,1,9.27,3.454,5.816,5.816,0,0,1,15.085,9.27Z\" fill=\"#54565b\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReading time: 5 minutes\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f74d83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7f74d83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bitter Water, Sweet Life \u2013 The Magnificent Saxlehner Palace<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9351a8c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9351a8c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2dd8cf8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2dd8cf8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Excerpt from the bestselling book New Secrets of a City \u2013 Budapest Legends, Legendary Budapest Citizens by Szabolcs Kordos (with photographs by D\u00e1vid Husz\u00e1r).<\/p><p>The story of Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner is a true Hollywood screenplay waiting to be written: across the Atlantic, dozens of films would probably have been made about his extraordinary life story. Today, few people know his name, even though Saxlehner managed to build the world\u2019s best-known Hungarian brand in just a few years. The Hunyadi J\u00e1nos bitter water was known and consumed from Brazil to South Africa, from the United States to India. At the height of its popularity, in 1913, fifteen million bottles of the water were sold. Apart from the Rubik\u2019s Cube, there has perhaps never been another Hungarian brand that achieved such worldwide recognition. All of this was thanks to one man: Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner, who encountered the mineral water by sheer chance \u2013 and immediately recognised the enormous opportunity it represented.<\/p><p>The palace of the bitter-water magnate stands at 3 Andr\u00e1ssy Avenue, close to De\u00e1k Square. Anyone can admire it from the outside \u2013 tourists especially love photographing the torch-bearing figures guarding the entrance gate. Together with my photographer colleague D\u00e1vid Husz\u00e1r, we received the special opportunity to explore the most beautiful parts of the palace and witness with our own eyes the former wealth and grandeur of the Saxlehner family.<\/p><p>The building was completed in 1885, the same year when Sug\u00e1r Avenue was renamed Andr\u00e1ssy Avenue. The plot, located in such an exclusive area, was so expensive that the city authorities feared nobody would buy it, and that the Hungarian Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es would be inaugurated with an embarrassing gap between buildings. At the very last moment, Saxlehner arrived and paid the price in cash. The water magnate was certainly not modest in this respect \u2013 nor when it came to luxury. The building itself was designed by Gy\u0151z\u0151 Czigler, who was also responsible, among other works, for the Sz\u00e9chenyi Thermal Bath. The interior was created by the greatest masters of the era: Miksa R\u00f3th designed the stained-glass windows, Endre Th\u00e9k created the woodwork, Gyula Jungfer produced the wrought-iron elements, and K\u00e1roly Lotz painted the frescoes.<\/p><p>Visitors entering the palace are greeted by no less than 400 square metres of fresco-covered wall surfaces. On the first floor there is a ten-room luxury apartment suite, preserved in exceptionally good condition. This was where the Saxlehner family lived. The head of the family was certainly not a modest man: the initials SA, referring to Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner, and SE, referring to his wife Em\u00edlia, appear repeatedly throughout the palace \u2013 on walls, frescoes, wrought-iron objects and fireplaces. Once one\u2019s eyes become accustomed to searching for them, dozens of these monograms can be discovered in every corner of the building. The luxurious apartment is truly breathtaking. Its survival in almost its original splendour is partly due to good fortune and partly to the careful work of restorers. The atmosphere of grand bourgeois luxury was enhanced by silk wallpapers, carved and inlaid wooden panelling, enormous Venetian chandeliers and fireplaces made of Carrara marble. Mrs Em\u00edlia was passionate about music: the ceiling of the music room is decorated with portraits of her favourite composers \u2013 Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d63f5a gallery-spacing-custom elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-gallery\" data-id=\"0d63f5a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-3765 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-2048x2048'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"0d63f5a\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"_HDN0228\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6Mzc2OSwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL21hZ3lhcnZpbGxhay5odVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDVcL0hETjAyMjgud2VicCIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjBkNjNmNWEifQ%3D%3D\" href='https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228.webp'><img width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-2048x1366.webp\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-2048x1366.webp 2048w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0228-1536x1024.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-912458a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"912458a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My photographer colleague and I could hardly decide where to look first. Every square centimetre offered something remarkable: an interior design detail, an artistic solution or a beautifully crafted decorative element. The Lotz frescoes elegantly celebrate bathing and the beauty of water \u2013 with the help of numerous graceful female figures. The most fascinating features, however, are the details that remain hidden at first glance: for example, the safe concealed behind the wooden panelling or the dumbwaiter disguised as a cabinet. The automatic opening mechanisms of the windows and shutters still function today. As the saying goes, these buildings were made with lasting quality \u2013 they were not designed to survive for only a few decades.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e17f313 gallery-spacing-custom elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-gallery\" data-id=\"e17f313\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-3765 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-2048x2048'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"e17f313\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"_HDN5022\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6Mzc3MCwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL21hZ3lhcnZpbGxhay5odVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDVcL0hETjUwMjIud2VicCIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6ImUxN2YzMTMifQ%3D%3D\" href='https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022.webp'><img width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-2048x1366.webp\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-2048x1366.webp 2048w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN5022-1536x1024.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-95e9e65 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"95e9e65\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>While the family lived in the Versailles-inspired suite on the first floor, the ground floor housed offices, and the remaining apartments were rented out to wealthy tenants. Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner himself could not enjoy the splendour for long: he died in 1889, only a few years after the palace was completed. In the Saxlehner family, originally from Thuringia, textile trading was a deeply rooted tradition. Andr\u00e1s\u2019s great-grandfather, grandfather and father all earned their living as cloth merchants. The family members also had a tendency to marry into other textile-trading families, so Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner, born in K\u0151szeg in 1815, did not have to spend much time considering his future career.<\/p><p>The young cloth merchant was an active member of the Honi V\u00e9degylet (National Defence Association), an organisation supporting Hungarian industry, where he met Lajos Kossuth, who encouraged him to open a business in Pest. The rather unusual-sounding \u201cBlack Dog\u201d cloth shop awaited customers on V\u00e1ci Street. Andr\u00e1s\u2019s business partner was his brother, S\u00e1muel. The business developed successfully, but the merchant\u2019s private life took a tragic turn. His wife, Erzs\u00e9bet, died young after only three years of marriage. In 1854, he married again; his chosen wife was Em\u00edlia Pelik\u00e1n, who gave birth to nine children over seventeen years, of whom four sons and two daughters reached adulthood. It seemed that, like his ancestors, Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner would retire comfortably as a successful cloth merchant and eventually pass the business on to his sons. Then, one day in 1862, a farmer entered his shop, and Andr\u00e1s\u2019s life took a dramatic turn. The farmer, J\u00f3zsef Bayer, complained that he had bought land on the southern slope of Dobog\u00f3 Hill in Buda, but the water from the well he had drilled there was useless: it was bitter beyond belief, his animals refused to drink it, and if they did, the consequences were even worse, as it caused them diarrhoea.<\/p><p>Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner had no geological training, but he had heard that a few years earlier bitter water had been discovered on the nearby Kelenf\u00f6ld Plateau, in the area of today\u2019s Szent Imre Hospital. He immersed himself in research and came to the conclusion that if medicinal water springs truly existed underground, they could represent an enormous business opportunity.<\/p><p>Saxlehner bought the land from the farmer and, at the age of forty-eight, threw himself into his new venture with extraordinary enthusiasm. He did not proceed cautiously or think small; instead, he immediately aimed high. He trusted his instincts and the power of careful planning. He handed over the cloth business to his brother, and only one year after farmer Bayer had entered his shop, the businessman began extracting water from three wells in the \u00d6rs\u00f6d Valley, between today\u2019s K\u0151\u00e9rberki area and the old Balaton Road. Already in the first year, forty thousand bottles of the bitter water named after J\u00e1nos Hunyadi were sold. By 1864, sales had reached ninety-nine thousand bottles, and by 1869, three hundred and four thousand bottles were placed on the market. By 1885, no fewer than seventy wells were operating. By then, the Hunyadi J\u00e1nos bitter water business provided a livelihood for 250 workers and their families. Its two active ingredients were Glauber\u2019s salt and Epsom salt. The facility introduced public lighting before it appeared on the streets of Budapest, and enormous underground reservoirs helped make extraction more efficient. It even had its own fire brigade with fourteen full-time officers. Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner invested enormous sums into his enterprise, used the most modern technology available, and was an innovator in every respect.<\/p><p class=\"translation-block\">The magnate\u2019s greatest idea was undoubtedly launching exports in 1869. This bold step brought spectacular success, and within a few years the Hungarian market became insignificant compared with international demand. The bitter water was a true product of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy: the glass bottles were Bohemian, the corks and seals were Austrian, while the water itself was, of course, Hungarian. The famous advertising slogan was born: \u201cThe whole world uses it, and it benefits the whole world.\u201d There was no exaggeration in this claim: from South America to India, people across half the globe truly consumed the Hungarian water to relieve digestive ailments. Saxlehner expanded not only on the market but also territorially: he purchased the surrounding plots of land, and connected the factory to Kelenf\u00f6ld railway station with his own two-and-a-half-kilometre-long railway line. He patented a \u201cbottle-filling\u201d device that was capable of filling ten thousand bottles (!) of the bitter-tasting water every hour. In his guidebook published in 1900, Guszt\u00e1v Thirring described the technology as follows: \u201cThe filling process takes place mechanically. Since human hands never come into contact with the water, the cleanliness and precision of the handling process are raised to the highest possible level. The facility consists of approximately 200 buildings, and the number of workers is 600. Its annual output reaches 5\u20136 million bottles.\u201d<\/p><p>In addition to clean production, the former cloth merchant also understood multinational marketing: he was the first among Hungarian entrepreneurs to sign a contract with a London company and launch an international advertising campaign. He made descriptions of the health benefits of the water available in several languages and, with excellent business sense, invited renowned doctors and chemists to write short endorsements about the product\u2019s beneficial effects. According to the promotional materials, the water helped with \u201cconstipation, loss of appetite, obesity, congestion, arteriosclerosis and haemorrhoidal complaints,\u201d but it was also particularly recommended for \u201cslimming treatments.\u201d<\/p><p>At the height of the company\u2019s success, advertisements for the Hungarian drink even appeared on one of New York\u2019s skyscrapers, accompanied by the slogan: when the rooster announces the morning, drink Hunyadi J\u00e1nos bitter water! During my research, I came across the following English-language advertisement: \u201cIn the morning, before rising or while dressing, the best time to take Hunyadi J\u00e1nos.\u201d Seeing the overwhelming success, more and more people began drilling wells in Buda, but none of the companies could compete with Saxlehner\u2019s enterprise. The former cloth merchant either bought out his competitors or pushed them out of the market. An even greater challenge than domestic rivals was international counterfeiting: Saxlehner allegedly employed full-time lawyers whose task was to keep a close watch on where fake bottles appeared.<\/p><p>Andr\u00e1s Saxlehner worked with incredible energy, but his legendary stamina seemed to decline by 1889. He himself felt that his strength was fading, so in a suitably elegant manner he travelled with his wife to the spa town of Karlsbad for a water cure. However, he became ill on the train journey and died in a Vienna hotel \u2013 his death was probably caused by complications from pneumonia. Although the founder had passed away forever, his greatest creation continued to grow day by day. His wife, Em\u00edlia, took over the leadership, while his sons Andor, \u00c1rp\u00e1d, K\u00e1lm\u00e1n and \u00d6d\u00f6n all took part in managing the business. They established offices in London and New York, each managed by one of the sons. One of the children also became honorary consul of Belgium, while another represented Finland. During the golden age, the Saxlehner family became connected with other prominent families as well: K\u00e1lm\u00e1n married Emma Haggenmacher, a daughter of the famous Haggenmacher industrial family. (The Haggenmacher family, whose palace was also built on Andr\u00e1ssy Avenue and who were prominent figures in the milling and brewing industries, is discussed in another chapter of the book.) Before the First World War, fifteen million bottles of the famous Hungarian bitter water were already being sold annually. However, the war dealt a severe blow both to the country and to the company. Demand declined and never returned to its former level.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-962c848 gallery-spacing-custom elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-gallery\" data-id=\"962c848\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-3765 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-2048x2048'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"962c848\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"_HDN0100\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6Mzc2NywidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL21hZ3lhcnZpbGxhay5odVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDVcL0hETjAxMDAud2VicCIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6Ijk2MmM4NDgifQ%3D%3D\" href='https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-2048x1366.webp\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-2048x1366.webp 2048w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HDN0100-1536x1024.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f759427 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f759427\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The palace itself remained in the family\u2019s possession until 1938, when most members of the Saxlehner family left the country and sold their properties. The new owners rented out the apartments to the National Association of Industrialists and to stamp collectors. From 1972 until 2012, the Post Museum operated here. This partly explains why the building avoided the \u201cpartitioning\u201d that was common during the socialist era: the magnificent interiors and spacious rooms survived intact for future generations. Today, specialists continue to work on preserving the condition of the building, while its future use remains uncertain. After the Second World War, one of the former business partners restarted production, but following nationalisation the site was taken over by the Water Research and Drilling Company. Today, the names Keser\u0171v\u00edz Street and Gy\u00f3gyv\u00edz Street in Budapest\u2019s 11th district recall the former industrial site. Many of its main buildings are still standing, and Hunyadi J\u00e1nos bitter water is still available \u2013 although it is sold on a much smaller market than at the beginning of the 20th century.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e7220d gallery-spacing-custom elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-gallery\" data-id=\"8e7220d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-3765 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-2048x2048'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"8e7220d\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Kordos_ko\u0308nyvbori\u0301to\u0301\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MzU3NiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL21hZ3lhcnZpbGxhay5odVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNFwvMDRcL0tvcmRvc19rb255dmJvcml0by53ZWJwIiwic2xpZGVzaG93IjoiOGU3MjIwZCJ9\" href='https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1660\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-1660x2048.webp\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-1660x2048.webp 1660w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-243x300.webp 243w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-830x1024.webp 830w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-768x947.webp 768w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito-1245x1536.webp 1245w, https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kordos_konyvborito.webp 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1660px) 100vw, 1660px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce548b2 elementor-share-buttons--view-icon elementor-share-buttons--skin-framed elementor-share-buttons--shape-square elementor-grid-0 elementor-share-buttons--color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-share-buttons\" data-id=\"ce548b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"share-buttons.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_email\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Megoszt\u00e1s itt: email\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Megoszt\u00e1s itt: facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_twitter\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Megoszt\u00e1s itt: twitter\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_pinterest\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Megoszt\u00e1s itt: pinterest\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-pinterest\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A keser\u0171v\u00edz-milli\u00e1rdos palot\u00e1ja az Andr\u00e1ssy \u00fat 3. sz\u00e1m alatt \u00e1ll, a De\u00e1k t\u00e9r k\u00f6zvetlen k\u00f6zel\u00e9ben. K\u00edv\u00fclr\u0151l b\u00e1rki megcsod\u00e1lhatja \u2013 a turist\u00e1k el\u0151szeretettel f\u00e9nyk\u00e9pezik is a kaput \u0151rz\u0151 f\u00e1kly\u00e1s alakokat.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-villak"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarvillak.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}