Monument to the first Hungarian royal orphanage

The first Hungarian state orphanage was opened in the Tallós Castle in 1763. The founding charter of the “royal orphanage” was issued by Maria Theresa on July 18, 1763 in Vienna, after Chancellor Ferenc Esterházy offered his castle in Tallós with the associated buildings as a perpetual foundation for this purpose. The Chancellor also donated 10,000 forints to the orphanage.  Shortly afterwards, he also had the manorial mill on the lower branch of the Feketevíz, at the southeastern end of the park, written down in favor of the institution. ; The orphanage was equipped for 75 boys and 25 girls. At first, only orphaned children of nobles and commoners were accepted into the institution, but later it became available to orphans from poorer classes as well. ; The management of the orphanage consisted of the following persons: a spiritual director - his task was to manage the school, a housekeeper, 2 teachers and 1 teacher, 4 room supervisors and room supervisors, 1 doctor, 1 washerwoman. The director and the housekeeper were appointed by the queen. ; The institution had a 4-grade school, which the queen initially entrusted to the leadership of the Piarist fathers. The father of the famous composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel also assisted in the creation of the students' church choir and brass band. ; According to oral tradition, the second, artificial branch of the Feketevíz River in the castle park was dug by the Piarists and the orphanage managers and used as a fish pond. ; In 1780, this orphanage was moved to Szenc, where it found a new home in a building called Nagy-Stift. The director of the orphanage at the time of the relocation was Captain Ernő Geramb.