Author: mak-admin

The national flag serves as a reminder of the unjust peace dictate that ended World War I, which Hungary was forced to sign. In Makó, the Turul Association initiated the raising of a national flag in 1933. The monument was designed by Loós Károly and was completed in 1942. After World War II, the double cross and the Turul bird were removed from the monument, and in 1947 it was demolished. The monument was reconstructed in 2017 in a reimagined and proportioned form, in accordance with the requirements of the built environment.

The new national flag—just like the original—has an equilateral triangular design and can be viewed from all sides. The flagpole stands on a highlighted pedestal made of high-quality polished light-colored concrete, bordered by a brick-clad parapet, and the parapet is crowned with a sculpture made of fractured white artificial stone.

The Korona Hotel is located in the center of Makó, in Széchenyi Square. It is the most beautiful eclectic building in the city. On the site where an important market took place in Makó, where major national roads met, an inn was built at the end of the 18th century to serve guests. The Korona Hotel was built in four different stages, between 1855 and 1967.

The building, which initially functioned as an inn and later as a hotel, was constructed between 1854 and 1929, constantly changing and adapting to the city of Makó. It became an important center for intellectual life, often hosting debates, conferences, and musical events.

Korona played a significant role in the cultural history of the city. Tömörkény István lived here between 1877 and 1880, Mihály Fátyol, the famous Roma violinist, played music here and Diósszilágyi Sámuel and Görbe Sámuel were frequent guests. Additionally, the March Front party was founded here in 1937, and literary evenings held at the Korona Hotel were attended by Illyés Gyula, Veres Péter, Féja Géza, and Erdei Ferenc.

Today, the building houses the Korona Business and Service Center, which hosts cultural events, concerts, conferences, balls, and even weddings.

In preparation for the millennial celebrations, in 1885 the idea of establishing a museum in Makó, Csanád County, was proposed. After a long break, in 1943, several rooms were allocated for the museum materials collected, but these were significantly reduced during the war. The Makó Museum was officially established in 1950, and its collection area covers the 16 municipalities of Makó.

The József Attila Museum in Makó has established the following collections: ethnographic (16,000 objects), which include painted folk furniture, traditional clothing, agricultural and household tools, craft workshops, etc.; literary (2,176 objects), rich in relics of József Attila; local history (1,000 objects); fine arts (4,114 objects), including works from the artist colonies of the 1920s and 1970s-80s, as well as a gallery of historical portraits. In this last collection, paintings of Maria Theresa, Queen Elizabeth, Ferenc Deák, Lajos Kossuth, viscounts, and main counts are displayed, some of which are also exhibited separately.

In the library collection (14,000 objects), in addition to local publications, there is a rich collection of ethnographic materials, literary history (related to József Attila), and local press. The museum also holds collections of natural sciences (96 objects), photographs (7,000 objects), archives (3,000 objects), and historical documentation (11,000 objects). The museum was previously housed in a bourgeois house, but due to the growing collection, the building became too small. The city of Makó built three museums simultaneously: in 1979, the literary exhibition space in the Espersit house was completed; in 1980, the Makó Onion House was opened in the Ópusztaszer National Memorial Park; and in 1981, the new main building of the museum was inaugurated.

An open-air museum was established in the museum courtyard, which includes a Makó onion house, blacksmith and wheelwright workshops, a carpentry workshop, small houses, grain barns, and much more. On the upper floor of the main building, there is a permanent exhibition presenting the history of the city, while temporary exhibitions can be viewed on the ground floor.

In 1952, a book collection had already existed, and it continued to grow over time. As a result, in 1969, the foundation stone of the library was laid at its current location. According to the plans at the time, the building was mainly constructed with glass and aluminum.

In the mid-1970s, the library began to experience unprecedented growth; the collection expanded continuously, the number of readers increased (with a higher proportion of young readers), the reference service became consistent, the local history collection was cataloged using a perforated card system, and preliminary work for some local history publications began.

Regular meetings between authors and readers, reading nights, lectures, and game afternoons became common.

On September 22, 1973, the music section was opened with 118 records and discs for learning foreign languages.

Over the years, services expanded even further: the introduction of an integrated library system, the development of a CD-ROM collection, continuous resource development, the creation of a reading room with internet access, IT courses, and hosting conferences marked the institution’s ongoing activity.

The condition of the building deteriorated over time, and the book collection grew continuously, creating the need for a new, modern building to provide a worthy space for public cultural development.

According to the plans of architect Imre Makovecz, the current building was inaugurated in 2018.

Since 1851, only a private secondary school with four classes operated in Makó, but it closed in 1872. After its closure, the town was left without a secondary educational institution. Therefore, according to the decision made on August 9, 1875, at a general assembly, the reformed school became accessible to students from other denominations as well. It operated until 1880.

On the 400-square-meter site, 8 classrooms, 4 smaller rooms, a 140-square-meter drawing room, a 72-square-meter conference room, and several smaller storage rooms were arranged. A library for teachers, a library for young people, an office for the headmaster, and a room for teachers were also set up. The building included a gymnasium with restrooms. The school provided space for a 5-room apartment for the headmaster and two smaller apartments for the maintenance staff. The official inauguration took place on September 15, 1895.

The secondary school was named Csanád vezér until 1950, and was later known as “Szántó Kovács János State Secondary School” until 1955.

The building currently operates under the name József Attila Secondary School in Makó. Its main activity is daytime secondary education. It offers 4- and 8-year courses. The institution teaches 500 students, divided into 20 classes. Education is provided in specialties such as general education, English language, biology, humanities, mathematics, computer science, and knowledge of film and media.

It is considered one of the best 4-5 high schools in Csongrád County.

The Hagymatikum Thermal and Medicinal Bath in Makó, known as the “spa of spas,” is a spa complex with wellness sections, treatments, and therapeutic baths, located in the heart of the city, and it is the most important tourist attraction in Makó. The thermal water, first brought to the surface in 1956, had its first service building constructed five years later. Initially a spa mainly intended for hygiene purposes, after the political changes of 1989, the spa gradually transformed, with the treatment section being established first, and in the 2000s, the city’s leadership considered the expansion of the bath and the addition of entertainment elements as a priority, hoping to increase the number of tourists. The complex of unique organic buildings was expanded in 2012, with the main section designed by Makovecz Imre, the most renowned architect of contemporary Hungarian architecture.

In 1956, the first drilling started, and the thermal water emerged from a depth of 993 meters, with a temperature of 41°C and an alkaline-hydrogen carbonate composition. In the early years, the bath served only hygiene purposes, and the locals had nicknamed it “unpleasant.”

Since 1990, visitors have had the opportunity to benefit from treatments that take advantage of the therapeutic effects of the mud from the Maros River.

On April 18, 2002, an outdoor experience area was inaugurated based on Makovecz’s plans, which included wave pools, water jets, mushrooms, hydromassage, and fountains. On June 4, 2004, the outdoor slide and arrival pool were completed.

The building’s appearance is defined by a giant dome bordered by two towers, and its glass peak resembles a crown. The experience pool area combines 29 small domes and one large one. Inside the building, there is an organic pillar in the shape of a tree of life, with a height of ten meters.

The latest section of the Hagymatikum Bath in Makó was opened on March 24, 2024, bringing the mythology of Atlantis to life with statues, light games, and film projections.

The Onion Statue is located in Makó, in the city center. It honors Makó’s red onion, one of the city’s symbols.

The sculpture is the city’s emblem. It doesn’t simply represent red onions in general, but artistically depicts the variety characteristic of the local onion type (also known as the ‘shouldered onion’), obtained through local cultivation. Ferenc Sütő did not model a real onion, but rather emphasized the essential structural elements of the plant. Two strong onion bulbs, which hold together the sprouting shoots of the young onion, symbolize renewal. While it references the onion, it also has a non-figurative character.

On the pedestal of the statue, a plaque was placed with the following text: “Made by the will of the citizens of Makó and with the hope that the Makó onion is, was, and will be.”

The current Onion House stands on the site of its predecessor, which was built in 1936 in a modernist style; it got its name from the fact that it was commissioned by the members of the Makó City Association, and it housed a market hall and the association’s headquarters.

The Onion House is the cultural center of the city of Makó, which also includes a theater hall, located in the city center on Posta Street. It was originally built in modernist style in 1936 and served as a center for onion producers, functioning as a sales center; since 1949, it has exclusively had cultural functions. In 1998, a new building was constructed on the site of the old Onion House, designed by Makovecz Imre, an organic structure with four towers, internationally recognized and one of the most famous attractions of the city and the surrounding region.

Since 2006, a temporary mobile auditorium has been set up in front of the outdoor stage, which, in terms of size, is the second largest of its kind in Csongrád-Csanád County, with a capacity to host 3,000 people.

The impressive historic building was restored in an art deco style, evoking the modern luxury and sophistication of the 1920s and 1930s, thanks to the work of architects and designers.

Thus, the world of Glorius came to life: in the elegant café with its sunlit terrace, under the archways formed by the intertwining branches of the trees, guests can leisurely sip a selection of wines from the hotel’s collection or sample the gastronomic specialties created by renowned chefs. After a light walk, visitors can recharge in the panoramic sauna on the upper floor, where they can enjoy a magnificent view of the unique Hagymatikum.

Originally, in 1926, the hotel building was constructed as the headquarters of the Arad-Csanádi Savings Bank, and later served as a school and a cafeteria.

József Galamb, born in Makó, was a world-famous automobile engineer. The Ford Model T, the first mass-produced car on an assembly line, is his creation. A preserved example of this model, housed in the József Attila Museum in Makó, is still operational and, as a vintage vehicle, participates in exhibitions under its own power.

The local association of vintage vehicle enthusiasts renovated the building and set up a vintage auto repair workshop inside, along with an exhibition of classic cars and motorcycles, in honor of the city’s distinguished native. A century ago, the brothers of the renowned engineer, who remained in Hungary, operated the country’s first Ford dealership.

József Galamb was born in Makó on February 3, 1881. After his studies, he traveled to Germany and later to the United States, where he entered the automobile industry. He became a close collaborator of Henry Ford and played a decisive role in the design of the Model T starting in 1907. The car, which revolutionized transportation in America, was produced between 1908 and 1927. Galamb was the chief designer of the Model T and its components. Together with his team, he introduced groundbreaking innovations, creating an affordable and easy-to-use car, which became the world’s first mass-market automobile. A key factor in its success was the introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913, which enabled mass production. The first unit was completed on September 24, 1908, and over the next 20 years, 15.5 million units were produced. Today, approximately 100,000 Model T cars still exist worldwide. One of them has been housed in the József Attila Museum in Makó for over 20 years.