The Kelecsény Castle in Barsbaracska

The Kelecsényi family originates from Nyitra County. Its first known ancestor is K. Tamás, a royal person in 1367. The family lineage can be traced back to Matthias, who lived in 1585. Over time, it spread to the counties of Trenčín, Bratislava and Bars. Among its members, Zsigmond (1768-1816) was the chief clerk of Trenčín, his son Gáspár (1787 † 1858), whose son Rafael (born 1825) was the honorary sub-notary of Nyitra County in 1847, and owned land in Bessé, Nagy- and Kis-Fajkürtő, Baracská, and Mező-Kis-Salló. His brother József (born 1815), who was known as an enthusiastic patron of literature in the middle of the 19th century. Coat of arms: in blue, a golden shield turned to the left, an armored arm holding a curved sword, above which three hexagonal golden stars and a silver crescent shine. Helmet decoration: shield arms. Blankets: blue gold and vermilion silver. ; The Kelecsényi family built their seat in Barsbaracska, originally presumably a Baroque mansion, which was transformed in the early 19th century in the classicist style into an L-shaped one with a characteristic columned portico on the western side of the main facade wing. ; In the second half of the 19th century, a significant figure in the social and political life of Bars County was Rafael Kelecsényi, who in 1888 expanded the mansion with the northern part and the eastern wing, uniting the facades in the neo-baroque style. The castle has remained in this state to this day. Until 1944, Rafael's daughter Irén (wife of Count Emil Mirbach, owner of the Mirbach Palace in Bratislava) lived in the building. The count was shot by Soviet soldiers near Szombathely in 1944, Irén remained in the village, initially seeking refuge in the castle's cellar, then taking refuge with the Rózsa family. After the end of World War II, she moved to Pécel, Hungary. ; The castle was home to a German command until 1994, when it was later looted by Soviet soldiers and turned into a hospital. After the war, a school was set up here, which opened on November 21, 1947. Between 1978 and 1981, the school was gradually dismantled and then closed. The abandoned building gradually fell into ruin. ; The renovation work of the building began in 1991 and was completed in 2004. The renovated castle consists of 2 main parts, the main hall opening from the entrance hall, and the two wings opening from the entrance hall. One wing houses a café, while the other wing has housed a small museum about the village's past and the Kelecsényi, Mirbach and Ambró families since March 2015. The main hall can be used for weddings, family celebrations, balls and other events. ; Since 2007, the village has been organizing the Castle Day every year on the first weekend of August, with a craft fair, performers, exhibitions and a street ball that lasts until dawn.