The Past

Since 1883 when Ferenc Hopp purchased a villa on Andrássy Boulevard for the purposes of a holiday home the building has housed his Oriental collection. Enchanted by Buitenzorg, the famous botanical garden in Java, Hopp also had an Oriental-style garden laid out around the housewhich was unparalleled in Hungary.
In the memorial volume published in honour of Ferenc Hopp on the occasion of the 50th anniversaryof his professional activity, his colleagues said about the villa and the garden, 'Ferenc Hopp's modest holiday home stands on Andrássy Boulevard, on the ground-plot No. 103. It is a two-storeyed, slender, simple building, lacking external decoration and embellishment. Its plain brick walls and white-curtained windows do not make the visitor think that this villa is not an ordinary pleasure-house but a proper museum of Oriental civilisation that merits discovery; however, - due to its owner's modesty - it is almost unknown in Budapest.
Stepping into the interesting villa, the visitor catches sight of a garden unique in both the capital and the country. It seems that a part of the Japan of a smiling sky has been magically invoked within the heart of the capital. The attention is captured by luxuriant Oriental creepers and rare flowers vying with each other in rich colours; there is the surprising sight of Indian images of gods, Chinese and Japanese vases and statues (for instance, a splendid elephant of carved syenite and a stone monument resting on the back of a tortoise) peering through the bushes and flowers. At the entrance stands a Chinese gate with a round opening, decorated with numerous fine statuettes. Moreover, there is a Japanese bridge of bamboo and, in a corner of the garden, a Japanese pavilion.
The fact that these interesting and valuable statues, ornaments and plants were brought to Hungary by Ferenc Hopp from his world-wide trips only enhances their value.'



The Present

The war years did not leave the building or garden unscarred. The bridge, most sections of the Japanese pavilion and the majority of the plants were destroyed; the Moon Gate also suffered considerable damage. In the course of reconstruction, the garden was filled in with rubble; since then the level of subsoil water has risen and, consequently, the walls of the building have become damp.
Apart from repair to the damage caused by World War II and minor renovations, no wide-ranging reconstruction has yet been undertaken. The minor augmentations to the back of the building were carried out before World War II. Though the condition of building calls for urgent reconstruction, we have no information of the implementation of such a project, in spite of the fact that the Hopp villa stands in a listed area and is part of a World Cultural Heritage site (Andrássy Boulevard).



The Future

Reconstruction plans for the building are ready to be implemented. While planning, we had in our mind's eye a museum of Oriental -art attractive in all respects and fulfilling all contemporary requirements of both visitors and art objects. Meeting new demands of research but also reflecting the original idea of Ferenc Hopp, the building of the Museum should also have the functions of an Oriental research centre. The plans for the reconstruction of the garden are also complete. We plan to have an Oriental style garden with a lake, a small stage (suitable for summer events) and an Indian corner, for the delight of all those in love with the Orient.


Click the picture to zoom in!

We would be grateful for the call of all those companies, institutions or private persons who can help us realize our plans.

The garden is suitable for open-air events. For information about hiring, please contact Zita Bodnár
(phone: 0036-1-456-5108; email: bodnar.zita@imm.hu).
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