Gróf-palace, Szeged

The Count's Palace is the largest independent Art Nouveau building in downtown Szeged, which has survived almost unchanged to the present day. The construction of the palace was initiated by Count Márton Árpád, the then Prosecutor General of Szeged, to serve as a home for highly paid city officials. The building, designed by Ferenc Raichle J. had lawyers' offices on the street level and apartments on the upper floor. The palace was completed in a very short time, just 13 months after construction began.

Built on a triangular plot, the building faces three streets and forms a robust mass. The façade has a very varied surface, divided by gable walls, balconies and entrances, with two corner towers. The decoration of the gables makes the building particularly distinctive on early summer mornings, when the sunlight on the façade reflects off the golden pattern. In addition to the blue, yellow and gold decorations, which have an oriental feel, there are also a number of motifs from Hungarian folk art and ceramic wall decorations.

Inside there is a staircase with wrought iron railings. The façade also has several places with wrought-iron decorative elements and railings with Art Nouveau features. Wrought iron ornamentation also protects the entrances to the house.

The building was declared a protected building by the Ministry of Culture in 2006. In 2013, the cities of Szeged, Subotica and Zenta also applied to the European Union's cross-border cooperation fund, and the joint application submitted included the reconstruction of the most significant Art Nouveau buildings in the three cities. The reconstruction of the roof structure of the Count's Palace in 2013 was covered by the application.