project culTOUR

Endre Ady was, according to many, the greatest and most influential Hungarian poet of the 20th century. And although he is not my favourite poet, even I admit that his poetry, with its symbolic imagery or exquisite use of language, is supreme.

When we arrived to his memorial museum, I was surprised to see that it is not a separate building. The museum itself is one apartment in an old house. We had to ring the electric doorbell, then wait for someone to answer the phone and open the gate to let us in. I did not feel like I came to a museum at all, it rather felt like I visited a friend.

Endre Ady Memorial Museum - first floor

After we entered the building and were walking up the stairs I was thinking about how wonderful it may be to rent a flat in this house, and got immediately jealous of the current tenants. Not everyone can say that they live next to the apartment where this impeccable poet spent his last years and wrote his last poems.

The place itself is not too big, nor is it too small. Although only 3 rooms are perfectly preserved, it does not lessen the experience. The moment I stepped into the blue salon, its simple but sophisticated charm instantly got hold of me. We soon learned from the guide that every single detail in the apartment was designed and carefully planned by Ady's wife, Berta Boncza, also known as Csinszka. In fact she committed herself to create a perfect home for themselves and she dreamed of establishing an environment where her husband could peacefully devote himself to his work. This loving and peaceful atmosphere could be felt the whole time, as if we were taken back in time.

Csinszka and Ady

A portrait of Csinszka by Ödön Márffy

The furniture and style are simple but elegant, however, they seem almost minimalist compared to the splendor of the Róth memorial house we visited the same day. The apartment was not a luxurius residence, it was the private home of a couple. Maybe that is why this place provided a humbling but also a very real experience. Endre Ady, however influential or grand a poet, was a human being like us, who lived in a flat in Budapest, just like we do.

Maybe museums like this are not for everyone, but those who are fond of literature, like the turn of the century atmosphere of old houses, or have 30 minutes of free time in the city center, should not miss this experience.

Why visit?

- great intellectual experience for fans of literature or interior design
- the photo album in the blue salon includes never before seen pictures of Ady and Csinszka
- no crowd
- very cheap (500 HUF), especially for students (250 HUF)

Tips:

- for 400 HUF visitors can purchase a little booklet that includes everything there is to know about Ady (text in Hungarian, German and English)
- foreigners who would like a guided tour should call the museum in advance
- I strongly recommend my fellow treasure hunters to go and have a coffee in Café Centrál ( 2 minutes walk from the museum) , where Ady and other great poets/writers used to meet in the beginning of the 20th century


For those foreigners who have never read Ady before:

Endre Ady: I guard your eyes