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Somogy, the island of

culture

In addition to its wonderful natural values, Somogy also has
an outstanding cultural heritage. Several of our nation’s best
writers, poets, and painters lived and created here, in this

countryside. Their former birthplaces and the place where
they used to create still preserve their memory in the form
of cultural centres and exhibition venues. Berzsenyi’s former
mansion is now a memorial museum in Nikla, a school was

named after Csokonai in Csurgó, and he is commemorated

at the carnival in Kaposvár. Attila József is honoured with a
memorial house in Balatonszárszó, András Fodor’s name is
preserved by a plaque on the wall of his former villa in Fo-
nyód, while István Fekete’s birthplace is a memorial mu-
seum, and his gravestone is a place of pilgrimage in the cem-

etery of Gölle. The personal objects of Albert Gyergyai are
found in the Sárközy mansion in Nagybajom. György Som-
lyó is remembered as an honorary citizen of Balatonboglár,
and Gyula Takáts’ home in Kaposvár became a memorial
museum. An exhibition hall in Marcali bears the name of
Aurél Bernáth, and the county museum owns a dozen works
of art by Galimberti. The former house of József Rippl-Ró-

nai, the villa Rome in Kaposvár, preserves his works of art

and his painting equipment. The paintings of Lajos Tarr can
still be seen in the Szilfa Gallery in Törek. The birthplace of

János Vaszary in Kaposvár and Lajos Kunffy’s mansion in

Somogytúr are memorial museums, and the works of art
and personal objects of Endre Szász can still be admired in

his former house in Várad. The monumental oil paintings
of Mihály Zichy, as well as his graphics and illustrations can
be seen in his mansion in Zala. Several of the works of the
sculptor Imre Varga are found in Siófok. The lighter genres

are also represented in Somogy; the memory of the operett a
king Imre Kálmán is preserved in Siófok. Is there anyone
who has not heard of the pancake king, or Süsü, the sweet
one-headed dragon? Perhaps few people know that their
creators, the excellent story writers of the recent past, were
also connected to Somogy. Kaposvár is proud of Éva Fésűs,
while the people of Balatonszárszó are commemorating

István Csukás. In honour of the latter, the former open-air
cinema was rebuilt and reopened as a theatre, where perfor-
mances and concerts entertain the holiday-makers during
the summer season.

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