Bugyi Istvan Hospital
Photo: Papp László Gyula / CC BY-SA 3.0, modified.
Overview
The Japanese Garden at Dr. Bugyi István Hospital in Szentes is known from historic documentation, especially a 1965 postcard showing the “Japán kert a Megyei kórház parkjában” / Japanese garden in the county hospital park. The Terebess postcard collection identifies the site as Dr. Bugyi István Hospital, Sima F. u. 44–58, Szentes.
History
The hospital in Szentes developed from an institution founded in 1881 and later grew into the present Dr. Bugyi István Hospital, set in a large landscaped park of about 7 hectares.
The wider hospital park was created in the 1930s, in parallel with the development of the hospital wards, and later became known as one of the most attractive hospital parks in the Great Plain.
The establishment of the park was closely linked to local public works during a difficult agricultural period. In the early 1930s, severe droughts and hailstorms caused major crop losses in the region. A public works programme was organised, but the available funds could only be used for earthworks. This gave the hospital an opportunity to shape its surrounding grounds into a landscaped park, based on the plans of the gardening technician Ferenc Hrudka.
The design preserved the old healthy trees and supplemented the existing grove with ornamental species. Fountains, a rock garden, a hanging garden, flower beds and a Japanese garden made the hospital grounds more varied and lively. The park was intended not only as decoration, but also as a restorative environment for patients, offering shaded walks and places to rest on benches.
Design features
The available sources are too limited for a full reconstruction of the garden’s layout. The 1965 postcard confirms the existence of a Japanese garden in the hospital park, while local descriptions place it among ornamental features such as fountains, rock garden, hanging garden and flowerbeds. The safest description is therefore Japanese-style ornamental garden area within a therapeutic hospital park.
Garden elements
Buildings
Stones
Other elements
Current status
Historic Japanese garden / Japanese-style garden area in the hospital park, documented by a 1965 postcard. The hospital is known for its large landscaped park, historically described as one of the most beautiful hospital parks in the Hungarian Great Plain. Available public sources confirm that the park included fountains, rock garden, hanging garden, Japanese garden and flowerbeds, but they do not clearly confirm whether the Japanese garden survives today in its original form. For database purposes, it should be treated as a documented historic Japanese-style hospital garden, current condition uncertain.