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2009 Fall Works

By Timea Tomatas - President, December 04, 2009 03:36 PM

Why Szadvar?

(A personal note from our last activity.)

I am completely biased to answer this question. I could say just because but then I would lose the exciting details of being part of this great initiative.

I arrived Thursday night to the usual accomodation and spent the next few hours with old (castle) friends.

Next morning by the time we climbed up to the fog covered castle the rain has stopped and we formed smaller teams to execute on the tasks that were lying ahead. Our work was not as spectacular as in the summer but was needed to keep the castle and the surroundings neat.

Some people cut the vegetation, others collected stone for the works planned for next summer while others continued the conservation work on the outer walls.

I was glad to get back to the village have dinner and head to bed to recharge the batteries for the following day. As usual going to bed early was not an option. As we were getting ready to call it the day relief forces signalled their arrival, several people from the distant Csobanc castle (150 miles away) arrived to take part in the effort. Instead of going to sleep we again spent hours to catch up with the newcomers.

Next day beautiful weather waited for us and several new people joined in as well, some from as far as 300 miles from Slovakia. Thanks to the good weather we could enjoy the spectacular panorama of the Aggtelek National Park.

The 7th Save the Castle day ended in a local restaurant where everyone joined in for some singing and dancing.

So why Szadvar? That is why! Because of the 2 days of hard work, of being together for a common goal, to help a local community.

Our activities are covered from donation from all around the world. We would like to thank our donors for making our work possible!

Plans for next year:

- 8th Save the castle day around March 15th to prepare the grounds for the summer works
- Archeology camp for students in June
- Conservation work on the 15th century gothic palace

We would also love you to join any of these efforts. Please contact us for details if you want to have a medieval experience.

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2009 Summer activities

By Timea Tomatas - President, July 29, 2009 10:22 AM

Dozens of volunteers - under the supervision of the Herman Otto Muzeum and KOH - carried out the most extensive conservation work to date at Szadvar. The work focused on the most endangered section of the ruins, the remanants of the southern wall that once connected the outer gatehouse with the Nemet Bastion.

Our volunteers defying the summer heat removed several layers of earth under the walls, cleaned the walls and
covered it with a protective layer to resist the weather conditions. As part of the project 5 previously unknown loopholes were located in the wall, some of them were partially restored during the workshop.

The results of the projects were visible already during the conseravation works. People who never visited the site before decided to check it out. The number of tourists visiting the site has exponentially grown since 2006.

A photoalbum can be viewed here:
http://picasaweb.google.hu/nagyonvarbarat/Szadvar2009Julius814#

In mid July the effort of our nonprofit were recognized by the top heritage institute in Hungary, when it received the Podmaniczky price.

We would like to thank our individual domestic and foreign donors, the National Cultural Fund, the Aggtelek National Park, the Otto Hermann Museum, Eszakerdo and KOH for their support!

Contact us if you are interested joining our next workshop planned for late October or have any other comments, questions!

Links:

http://picasaweb.google.hu/nagyonvarbarat/Szadvar2009Julius814#

Pictures:

szadvar.jpg (JPG)

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Spring cleanup

By Timea Tomatas - President, March 18, 2009 10:29 AM

A record number (70+) of volunteers turned out to kick off the 2009 activities at Szadvar castle.

On Friday March 14th, winter conditions awaited the association members, who were not deterred by snow and bravely fought their way through the woods just outside the southern wall.

By Saturday spring has arrived and we could continue the work in much better conditions.

The spring effort targetted the area around the old military road leading up to the gates as well as the area just outside the southern wall. We wanted to improve the visibility of the ruins as well as prepare the ground for the summer work that is scheduled for July to conserve and save the southern
wall between the gate and the Nemet bastion.

Efforts are also underway to organize the International Historic Heritage Summer Camp for Children. We have participants signed up from Poland, Slovakia and Hungary so far.

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2009 plans

By Timea Tomatas - Chairman, January 28, 2009 09:19 AM

The Lisztes bastion after the October conservation work

Despite the difficult economic climate our organization is looking to do more in 2009.

We are gearing up for the 6th "Save the castle" Day scheduled for the March 13-14. The goal of the worksshop is to prepare the grounds for more conservation work as well as to set up desks, covered areas in an effort to create a pleasant tourist destination.

In the summer of 2009, (most likely in June) we are going to organize an international summer camp for children with learning disabilities. The camp will provide an opportunity to enjoy the natural wonders of the Aggtelek National Park (Unesco World Heritage) and learn about the history of Szadvar Castle. Participants will engage in reviving the Szadvar nature path, place informational signs for tourists about the path and the castle.

Also in the summer of 2009 - if we succeed raising the necessary funds - we will complete the conservation of the Lisztes bastion and start working on the Sourthern walls next to the outer gatehouse.

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September Workshop

By Timea Tomatas - President, October 22, 2008 05:50 PM

Thanks to material and financial donations, preservation work has began on the Lisztes bastion. In the end of September members of the association collected and cleaned a large amount of scattered stone. Under the guidance of professionals from the Miskolc Bureau of the Office for Historic Preservation preservation efforts took place the first time in 300 year. As a result the deteriation was stopped and 3 loopholes were restored. The association will finish the year with the traditional fall castle workshop in the end of October.

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