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The Vagyon Family – Senica Branch

The Hungarian noble family Vagyon originated from the Trenčín County, specifically from the village of Hanzlíková (Hanzlikfalva), which today forms part of the town of Trenčín. Members of the Vagyon family used the noble predicate de Hanzlikfalva.

The earliest known member of the Vagyon family, Adam Vagyon, nicknamed Pecho, is mentioned in Hanzlíková as early as 1544. His descendant, Juraj Vagyon, appears in a register of Trenčín nobility from 1590. Several members of the family held positions in county and municipal administration. Between 1751 and 1760, Michal Vagyon (1698–1769) served as a senator of Trenčín. Jozef Vagyon (1740–1785) was listed as the Trenčín deputy notary in 1780, and Mikuláš Vagyon (1806–1868) became the chief county officer (ispán) of Trenčín County. Mikuláš’s younger brother Anton (1814–1850) served as the chief officer of Nitra County, while their other brother, Štefan (1808–1871), pursued a clerical career and became a canon in Nitra.

Na fotografii István Vagyon s manželkou Šaroltou a so svojimi troma dcérami Margitou (1873–1918), Lúciou (1874–1933) a Gabrielou (1875–1907). Chýbajú synovia Arpád (1876–1948) a Géza (1879–1932)

The Vagyon family owned their manor house in Senica on Kunovská Street. Originally, it was an older Baroque palace, which István Vagyon rebuilt in the early 1870s. The manor had 16 rooms. Its more elaborate façade, designed in a Neo-Baroque style, faced the courtyard and the park, while the street-facing façade, adorned with Art Nouveau plant motifs, remained rather simple. The building was demolished during urban redevelopment in the 1970s.

Until the mid-19th century, the Vagyon family primarily resided in Hanzlíková, Trenčín, and Zemianske Mitice (now part of Trenčianske Mitice). Their connection to Senica began in the 1840s when Anton Vagyon, serving as the chief officer of the Skalica District — which included the Senica region — moved to Senica. He settled on Kunovská Street (today Štefánikova Street) in a manor house formerly owned by the Nyáry family. As chief officer, Anton participated in the suppression of the Slovak Uprising of 1848/49. In the summer of 1848, he was elected to represent the Skalica District in the Hungarian Parliament. His only son, István (1848–1926), was born in Senica and baptized by his brother, canon Štefan Vagyon. Shortly afterward, Anton passed away.

Volebné pierko Arpáda Vagyona z roku 1910 ako kandidáta za Senický volebný okres do uhorského parlamentu za liberálnu stranu Menzeti Munkápart. Pierko nosili jeho prívrženci. Protikandidátom za Slovenskú národnú stranu bol Dr. Milan Hodža. Vo voľbách zvíťazil A. Vagyon.

In 1871, István married Sarolta Rakovszky. They had three daughters and two sons. István established a model agricultural estate in Senica, utilizing the most advanced technologies of the time. He managed 1,200 Hungarian holds (approx. 518 hectares), of which 840 holds (approx. 362 hectares) were arable land. On his farms at Horné and Dolné Suroviny, he raised about 150 head of cattle (of the Bernese and Simmental breeds) and built his own dairy. He gained an excellent reputation as a breeder of Arabian horses and Lipizzaners, maintaining around 80 horses. He produced clover, alfalfa, and vetch seeds on a large scale and extensively cultivated sugar beet. For more efficient loading, he personally financed the construction of a railway siding with a loading ramp and a weighbridge.

The estate also included 200 Hungarian holds (approx. 86 hectares) of forest land in Suroviny and 2 Hungarian holds (approx. 0.86 hectares) of vineyards in Kunov. Additionally, he owned two brickyards (one near Horné Suroviny and another on Kunovská Street) and large estates covering 1,900 Hungarian holds (approx. 820 hectares) in Trenčín and Csanád counties (now part of Romania and Hungary).

The Funeral Notice of István Vagyon

István Vagyon passed away in Senica on February 17, 1926, at the age of 78. His funeral took place on February 19 at 4 p.m. in Senica, and he was laid to rest in the Senica cemetery. On the following day, a requiem mass was held at 10 a.m. in the Roman Catholic church. The funeral notice lists the names of his wife and children along with their families.

Another successor of the Senica branch of the Vagyon family was Árpád Vagyon (1876–1948), who, after completing grammar school, studied law in Bratislava and Budapest. After graduation, he worked at the state farm in Bábolna near Komárno as a state administrator. In 1898–99, he served as a volunteer in the 6th Dragoon Regiment. After returning to civilian life with the rank of reserve lieutenant, he worked for a year as a county official in Nitra County. He then managed the family estate in Senica together with his father. In the 1910 elections, he ran for the Liberal Party Nemzeti Munkapárt (National Party of Work) and was elected as a member of the Hungarian Parliament representing the Senica electoral district. His younger brother Géza pursued a career in acting in Budapest.

At the founding of the Red Cross in Senica during World War I, Árpád Vagyon’s sister, Margit Sabljar, played a key role. Wounded soldiers were cared for in the building of the "Polgárka" (Royal Hungarian State Civic School) on Kunovská Street (today Štefánikova Street). The Red Cross, established by the initiative of district officer Dr. Lajos Szalle, was dissolved towards the end of the war. Its members were primarily women from pro-Hungarian oriented families of Senica. Among the nurses was Márta Vagyon, the wife of Árpád Vagyon.

The nurses (from left to right): Márgit Sabljar — chairwoman of the Red Cross, Rozália Meislová, wife of Dr. Árpad Grünfeld, Árpád Grünfeld's wife, the wife of Chief Officer Lajos Szalle, Márta Vagyon, and Irma Schlesinger. In the center, seated in a white coat, is Dr. Árpad Grünfeld, and standing in the back row in civilian clothes is Dr. Lajos Szalle.

After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, Árpád Vagyon withdrew from public life and planned to move to Hungary. However, his father István disagreed with this decision. Árpád carried out his plan only after his father’s death. In 1929, he moved with his wife and two adult children near Rába (Győr), where they lived in a manor house in Bethlempuszta. He sold all his property in Senica. The undivided part of the estate was sold to Ing. Eugen Weisz. The manor house, along with the adjacent park and forest, was bought by lawyer Dr. Samuel Hajdu, owner of the Smrdáky spa. In 1925, the summer house was sold to TJ Sokol Senica. Árpád gifted the estate's stewards service apartments as severance pay for their service.

Upon his departure from Senica, the town officially thanked him for everything he had done for its benefit. According to witnesses, Árpád’s son, István, visited Senica twice (1910 – approx. 1992). The first visit was in 1957 with his daughter when the old cemetery was being dismantled, and the second was with his son in the early 1980s.

Margit's Rock Garden

The stone gazebo with an artificial rock garden, known as "Margit's Rock Garden," was built by István Vagyon in the park behind the manor house to commemorate the birth of his eldest daughter, Márgit. Originally, a plaque bearing her name was attached to the rock. The rock garden still existed until the mid-20th century.

1919–1938 Sokol and the Sokol Hall

The beginnings of organized sports date back to the second half of the 19th century. In Bohemia, Dr. Miroslav Tyrš founded the Sokol Physical Education Association, which also gained popularity in Slovakia. Inspired by the Greek concept of kalokagathia, the Sokol movement aimed to cultivate healthy, capable, honorable, and active individuals.

After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, the conditions for the activities of physical education and sports associations improved significantly. The first Sokol organization in Slovakia was founded at the end of 1918 in Skalica. The spread of the Sokol idea was supported by Czech teachers and officials who came to Slovakia after 1918. The founding of the Sokol unit in Senica in 1919 was driven by brothers Dušan and Cyril Kresák, Dr. Ivan Horváth, and several Czech officials: Červinka (head of the railway station), the Príbeský couple (railway employees), and Míček (an official in the artificial fiber factory and later the son-in-law of M. M. Braxatoris). Among the active members and long-time leaders of the Sokol in Senica were also MUDr. Ľudovít Šimko, who became the head (starosta) of the Senica Sokol, and the club’s chief instructor Samuel Mitáček. The women’s chief instructor was Amália Krištofová, later replaced by Elena Novomeská.

The Senica Sokol unit was part of the Masaryk Sokol District, specifically the Trnava (III) Subdistrict, and had around 150 members. On June 10, 1934, Senica hosted a district Sokol rally with 2,000 participants, including more than a thousand Sokol members from the Masaryk District and Moravia.

Sokol’s public exercises were usually held at the town marketplace (today the area around the Záhorie Library). It was there, on September 18, 1921, that the ceremonial unveiling of the TJ Sokol Senica banner took place. The net proceeds from the event, totaling 14,000 crowns, were dedicated to building a Sokol Hall (Sokolovňa). Eventually, the situation developed so that in 1925 the Sokol bought the summer residence from Árpád Vagyon for 220,000 crowns and adapted it into the Sokol Hall. The grand opening was held on September 11, 1927.

The building served not only for sports events but also became a cultural center. The basement was used by gymnasts, while a screening room and stage were installed on the ground floor. In the courtyard, a bowling alley was built, and the area in front of the building was transformed into a playground. Gymnastics were practiced, and volleyball, Czech handball, and bowling were played. Practitioners were divided into groups by age and gender. Training was mandatory twice a week and voluntary on Sundays. From 1933, the playground was converted into an ice rink during the winter.

The Sokol Hall hosted a variety of social and cultural events, including carnivals, balls, and dances. Sokol members organized theatrical performances and even had their own puppet theater. The building also housed a library and one of Senica's two cinemas during the First Czechoslovak Republic—Cinema Sokol—which screened films every Wednesday and on weekends.

As part of the flag unveiling ceremony on September 18, 1921, a public exercise was held at the Senica marketplace. The participants marched to the exercise grounds in a festive procession from the town’s secondary school on today’s Štefánikova Street. Leading the procession were Sokol members and citizens in folk costumes on horseback. The exercise area was specially prepared and decorated with greenery, flowers, and flags in Slovak national colors. A total of 160 men and women, along with 140 boys and girls, took part in the performance.

From the overview of events held towards the end of Sokol’s existence, we can get a picture of the diversity of its activities. In March 1937, a celebration took place to mark the birthday of President T. G. Masaryk, and in September, a memorial was held to honor his passing. In April 1937, the theater play The Straw Widow was performed. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Sokol Hall, amateur actors staged the play Our Only Son, followed in October 1937 by the operetta Madam, I Will Pay for Everything. Throughout 1937, the Chamber Theater of the Slovak National Theater from Bratislava performed several times. Under the patronage of the District Educational Board in Senica, theatrical competitions took place from April 8 to 10, 1937, and at the end of September, the Slovak Teachers' Choir gave a concert.

Správa o otvorení senickej Sokolovne – Lidové noviny 14. septembra 1927.

TJ Sokol Senica was not the only sports organization in Senica during the interwar period. Shortly after its founding, in 1922, TJ Orol Senica was established. Unlike Sokol, which was pro-Czechoslovak and pro-government, Orol leaned towards the Slovak autonomist political movement and was religiously linked to the Catholic Church. Orol promoted Christian and national ideals. Its first center was located in the headquarters of the Catholic Circle Society. Later, Orol purchased an older house on Štefánikova Street, known as the Stanácky House, and adapted it into the Orol Hall. However, this purchase left the organization in debt, which was eventually covered thanks to the help of the new Catholic parish priest Ferdinand Mondok and members from the village of Sotina, who formed part of Orol's membership base. The rear section of the building was used by Orol, while in the front part Michal Krutý opened a tavern. Among the long-term officials of Orol Senica were Viliam and Žigmund Bílík, Štefan Mach, Štefan Závodský, and parish priest Jozef Závodský.

The summer residence, built by István Vagyon in the early 1880s, was designed in a historicist romantic style featuring a distinctive northern façade and a small tower. The plot with an older building, likely dating back to 1838, was purchased from Michal Zsarnócsay. The entrance to the summer residence was located on Kunovská Street (now Štefánikova Street) through a park. The summer residence consisted of seven rooms, while the basement housed a three-room caretaker’s apartment, a shared kitchen, service rooms for the staff, and five additional rooms.

Another physical education association in Senica was the Workers’ Gymnastics Association (RTJ), founded in 1923, which primarily brought together workers. The following year, in 1924 (according to some sources, during the economic crisis), it merged with the Sokol organization. The RTJ held its activities at Tomša's inn on the town square and in the gym of the state secondary school. The group was led by Pavol Šipkovský and Mikuláš Tomeš.

The Jewish Gymnastics Association operated under the name Makkabi Senica, documented from 1926. It had over 100 members. Gymnastics associations (units) typically combined several sports disciplines or sections and were not limited to sports alone. During the interwar period, these organizations were mainly structured along class and religious lines.

In addition to these, there were also sports clubs focused on specific sports. In 1921, a football club named Iron Union was founded by students in Senica. Its successor became the Sports Club Senica, which officially adopted the name FC Senica in 1933 and joined the Czechoslovak Football Association.

During this period, employees of the local artificial fiber factory also formed their own football club. The tradition of tennis, already present before the war, continued in 1925 with the establishment of the Lawn Tennis Club Senica. Athletics enthusiasts gathered in the Athletics Club, renamed AC Senica in 1928, which also became a member of the Czechoslovak Athletics Federation that same year.

Posviacka orolskej zástavy v Senici 1. júl 1923

1938–2017
Sokol and the Sokol Hall

Plagát na koncert v Sokolovni z roku 1928

Pozvánka na sokolský maškarný ples z roku 1935

In 1945, the Sokol Physical Education Unit (TJ Sokol) resumed its activities in several sections and regained possession of the Sokol Hall. However, this period lasted only briefly until 1948, when the regime merged all physical education organizations into one. TJ Sokol Senica was dissolved, and the Sokol Hall was taken over by the District National Committee (ONV) of Senica.

In 1948, a factory-based Sokol unit called "Slovenský hodváb" was established at the Slovenský hodváb factory, but it soon changed its name to TJ Iskra Senica, already reflecting the new people's democratic spirit. In the 1950s, TJ Dukla Senica was established at the local military unit.

After the opening of the new cultural center in 1954, the ONV transferred the Sokol Hall to TJ Iskra Senica. In 1958, TJ Iskra Senica was renamed TJ Slovan Senica, and by the mid-1960s, it was further renamed TJ Záhoran Senica. The club brought together several sports divisions: football, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, and handball.

Senickí sokolskí dorastenci na okrskovom cvičení

With the opening of the cultural center, the Sokol Hall became primarily a sports venue, although it continued to be used by various organizations. It housed the Svazarm (Union for Cooperation with the Army), a music school, and for some time, the town library. The factory band of ČSAD rehearsed there, and the district committee of the Czechoslovak Union of Physical Education operated in the building. Temporarily, it also served as a girls' apprentice dormitory for the Slovenský hodváb factory in Senica.

Additionally, several schools in Senica used the hall for physical education classes. During the winter months, it was almost continuously in use from 8 a.m. until late in the evening. The situation slightly improved after the opening of the sports stadium in 1965. However, with the completion of school gymnasiums and the municipal sports hall in the 1980s, the importance of the Sokol Hall gradually declined.

Sokolské slávnosti na dvore sokolovne 29. mája 1938

Virtually no investments were made in repairing the Sokol Hall after the war until the mid-1960s, when the District Construction Company of Senica carried out a major renovation. After the war, Jan Provazník and his wife moved back into the building as caretakers. His duties included cleaning the hall and maintaining the heating system, tasks he performed until the mid-1960s.

Senickí sokoli ako účastníci prvomájového sprievodu rok 1948?

From the town's chronicle, we learn that from the 1970s, several sports organizations coordinated sporting activities in Senica. The largest membership base belonged to TJ Slovenský hodváb Senica, which had six divisions (football, tennis, volleyball, hockey, chess, and hiking) with more than 600 members. About half the size was TJ Záhoran Senica, which included divisions for handball, table tennis, karate, bodybuilding, and hiking. TJ Turista Senica, with almost 350 members, focused specifically on promoting and developing mass tourism. In the summer of 1979, TJ Šport was founded at the local military unit with football and hiking divisions. At the end of 1980, TJ Červená hviezda Senica was established, bringing together members of the National Security Corps with football and shooting divisions. The last sports club in Senica was TJ District Construction Company Senica, with divisions for bodybuilding, cycling, and hiking. After 1989, the Sokol Hall served as a sports venue for TJ Záhoran Senica. In 2017, it was purchased by the town of Senica.

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