Egy csehországi fürdő mindennapjai magyar szemmel

Absztrakt

The essay presents the life of Hungarian guests at Gräfenberg, the small Moravian- Silesian spa town, where the first cold water health establishment was built. The spa was very popular among the Hungarian nobility and the middle class: apart from the renowned Gräfenberg guests (Miklós Wesselényi, Antal Reguly, Mihály Tompa, Miklós Barabás), members of aristocratic families such as the Szécsényis, Esterházys, Zichys, Andrássys etc. have paid Vincenz Priessnitz, the founder of the spa visits as well. Many relics inform on the presence of Hungarians. Priessnitz’s three daughters married Hungarian nobles; Hungarian guests had a monument erected for the great healer, as a sign of their gratitude and appreciation. The monument with the lion is today the symbol of the spa. To enhance comfort, Hungarians founded a hotel, had wells and promenades built for the town, and established a casino, a fencing room and a public park in order to make social life flourish. Their letters serve as important sources of their life at the spa and the process of health therapy.