Liget Sanatorium - 47 Benczúr street

Source: MESZL Budapest Collection

Benczúr street is the accompanying road to the north of the road leading out of Városliget (City Park), the Városligeti fasor (Tree-lined Avenue of City Park). Its name in the beginning of the 19th century has also indicated this: the Back-Városligeti fasor. In the middle of the century, the longer section of the cut off street by the upper treeline p to the park became the large János street. With time (exact date unknown), the origin of the name, of course, faded away, then the street was left with the name Kis János then Nagy János street. In 1921, the street settled on its final, current name: Benczúr.

  
Source: egykor.hu, MESZL Budapest Collection

At the turn of the 20^th century, a new type of medical institution gained popularity amongst the wealthier citizens. These famed sanatoriums were built all over the country. As opposed to the less equipped public hospitals, here the people received longer hospital care with the comforts of a hotel. The patients were carefully tended to, and it wasn't unusual to find their own doctors staying with them. In Budapest, sanatoriums and hydrotherapy institutions were constructed on Aréna (now Dózsa György) Road and the streets meeting with it. "Great air and waters with iron" declared all the papers of the time as they advertised the benefits of these places.

 
Source: egykor.hu

Inkeeper Jakab from Bihar County, out of his seven sons, only managed to get two some higher education. László Jakab became a famous doctor, while his 11 year older brother, Dezső, turned out to be a brilliant architect, partnered with Marcell Komor for decades. In 1898, László started his career in the Korányi Clinic, then from 1903 he headed the hydrotherapy section of the Herczel Sanatorium on Városligeti fasor.

Baron Manó Herczel (1862-1918) was a surgical doctor since 1898 and a businessman. Under 9 Városligeti fasor between 1894 and 1903, he had his hydrotherapy institution built by József Mann. In 1934, Frigyes Karinthy, Hungarian writer, was treated here. Before, Herczel had been the head doctor of Szt. István Hospital. Lining up next to it on Városligeti fasor were the hydrotherapy institutions of János Glück (number 11) and Mór Grünwald (number 13). The end of the Herczel Sanatorium came with the nationalization: they reconstructed it into a hospital for the Home Office. It closed its doors forever in 2007 and has since been waiting for a good turn in its sad, grey-walled existence.

  
Source: MESZL Budapest Collection, egykor.hu

László Jakab's wife, Anna Rácz was also a doctor, amking them the first married doctor couple of their time. Recognizing the trend of the era, László decided to invest. With his brother, Dezső Jakab (1864-1932) and his architect partner, Marcell Komor (1868-1944), he had the Liget Sanatorium built on number 47 of the then Nagy János, now Benczúr street. Two years later, in 1911, the Park Sanatorium was also finished on 84/b Aréna Road, as per the two architects plans. (The latter eventually merged with Liget by the 1940s: it was part of this enterprise already, when it was hit multiple times during the war, but in the end it burnt down, leaving a ruined torso behind. From 1947 it was rebuilt as a head office for the "Szakszervezeti Tanács" (Trade Union Council - ed.), but this - like the head office of SZOT - is a different story.

  
Some famous residents of the sanatorium (left to right): Endre Ady, Géza Csáth és Gyula Krúdy
Source: Wikipedia

Liget Sanatorium was a well-liked center of healing amongst the citizens of the capital city. The profile of the hospital contained neurology, surgery, hydrotherapy, gastrointestinal disorders in internal medicine and metabolic disorders. As the plaque on the outer wall shows, Endre Ady, one of the great poets of Hungary, had passed away here on 27 January 1919. In honor of him, visitors can take a look at the memorial room created for his memory. The surgery of Mihály Babits took place here in 1938 and many politicians found refuge and peace among these walls, Sándor Wekerle among others. One of the institution's famous residents was Géza Csáth writer, or József Brenner, the cousin of Dezső Kosztolányi. Csáth had decided to admit himself voluntarily, when he realized that he needed hospital treatment to be saved from his severe opium addiction. He was wrong, though, to leave once he felt cured. Soon, he fell victim of the drug once more.

Even Gyúla Krúdy was not exempt from the benefits of Liget, either. The paper "Magyar Hírlap" (Hungarian News - ed.) wrote this about the incident: "The magical artist of words giving life to emotions, Gyula Krúdy, the great Hungarian writer, took ill suddenly and was taken from his residence on Margaret Island to Liget Sanatorium on Monday evening.
Gyula Krúdy has been battling a nervous indisposition for days and on Tuesday he fell violently ill due to heart troubles. However, thanks to his exceptionally strong physique, the great writer fought off the heart troubles on the first day of his illness and his friends and admirers were overjoyed to hear on Monday that his condition took a turn for the better and was gradualy improving.
[...] Members of the writing and art society inquired with loving concern about Gyula Krúdy's condition and many lovers of his stunning stories were constantly asking how the recuperating writer was doing from the inspecting doctors.
This warm outpouring of love and appreciation has been forwarded to Krúdy, who was visibly touched by the wave of affectionate inquiries."

The plaque commemorating the death of Endre Ady on the outer wall of the sanatorium
Source: egykor.hu

Liget Sanatorium wasn't just a hospital, though, but a business, too, and not just any kind. Its main shareholders were the head doctor and his brother, the architect Dezső Jakab. The permanently hired doctors were also shareholders, and also Antal Bayer pharmacist, the owner of the Red Cross Apothecary on Andrássy Road since 1884, and the regular supplier of medicines. Later László Jakab  started an even bigger business: in 1927 he had the Svábhegy Sanatorium built, but the loan he took out for this and the economic crisis of the time made him go bankrupt.

The six-level (three-floored) sanatorium of Jakab was a late art nouveau specialty: it had 40 beds, was well-equipped and quite comfortable, serving the needs of the wealthy citizens of the time. The rooms had their own balconies, as well. Carbonated and electrical baths and mud treatment were on the menu. There was a dietary kitchen, X-ray lab, physical therapy, neurology and hydrotherapy sections. The ornamentation of the house was the Hungarian version of art nouveau with the features of our folklore, for example the birds of the cypress.

  
Source: iroda.hu, lathatatlan.ovas.hu, varosilevego.blog.hu

People stepping inside are welcomed by an entrance hall quite special and with its almost completely original Zsolnay-porcelain decorations, which could be worthy of adorning the world's most famous churches. Around the doors and on the dark grey tiles, a flock of birds create a border. The cold marble-like walls are freshened up by the small reliefs - like the tea biscuit-like flowers. Above them on the border the pairs of peacocks are repeated as if they are swaying on the cables stretching between telephone poles. The love between these pearly-feathers birds are represented by little hearts not just on the doors, but on the border, as well. Probably, the blooming of the flowers in colourful yellows and light greens is for these lovebirds, some reds, blues and purples snuck in here and there. These wall ornaments, the rhythmically bordering peacock motifs around the openings and the Eosin-glazed beautiful ceramics are from the Zsolnay factory. (Most likely the works of Géza Nikelszky (1877-1966), the very versatile craftsman and painter. This wonderful multi-coloured Eosin glaze was first created in the Zsolnay factory in 1892.)

   
Source: lathatatlan.ovas.hu

At the staircase landing, a small, three-paned window with even more flowers on its frame can be seen. From the medusa-like roots and on the end of the twisting leaves return the tea biscuit-shaped flowers, too. Above them, petals are opening up to the world. Next to this window, between two potted plant shaped ornaments, a tiny peacock is sitting in a niche. Its body is coloured in gorgeous blue, aquamarine and deep green.

On the way to the mezzanine, a long lampholder is clutching desperately at the first step of the stairs, as if it's afraid that someone is going to pick it up in the dead of night and use it a a torch. A solid gold line runs through the vaulted ceiling above. On each side of the oval windows with spder web-like framing golden flowers are swaying side-to-side. This motif is repeated on the checkered parts of the stairs railing. Reaching the mezzanine, an iron peacock with flared tail-feathers accompanies the visitors on both sides.

Source: lathatatlan.ovas.hu, varosilevego-blog.hu

These wrought-iron rails with birds, the painted doors, the lustered facade ornaments (a rarity in Europe) gives the impression of Gesamtkunstwerk ("total artwork"). (These fine wrought-iron works were possibly made by Győry and Gerő locksmiths in their workshop on 31 József Marek street. This shop was also built by Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab.)

Liget Sanatorium received a lot of damage during World War II, but it was neglected in the '50s (the windows were missing). In 1999, a bank investor renovated the house, now it is an office building. The current heads of the place forbid any kind of photography inside, which, considering the exceptional, 110-year-old works of art, is rather sad news However, everyone can admire it freely, and the building can be visited every day of the week, especially for the Ady-room.

Source: Google Maps street view

Sources: egykor.hu, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, varosvedo.hu, egy.hu, Ars Hungarica Issue 45 Volume 2 (2019)