The Municipality of Debrecen, the Debrecen-Nagytemplom Reformed Church Congregation and the Debrecen Charitable Board opened an exhibition titled The Memorial Garden Tells a Story – About a Magical Collaboration in the Memorial Garden behind the Great Reformed Church on August 17, 2026.
In her introduction, Edit Bódor, president of the Debrecen Charitable Board, highlighted that several exhibitions are being presented under the umbrella title The Memorial Garden Tells a Story – About a Magical Collaboration. They follow an exhibition titled The Memorial Garden Tells a Story – About Acceptance: Meet Elmer, the Checkered Elephant!, organised by the Hajdú-Bihar County Association of Parents of Children with Multiple Disabilities, which opened on August 14. The works from that exhibition can be seen along the section of the Memorial Garden’s fence facing the bishop’s office.
It has become a tradition for member organisations of the Debrecen Charitable Board to surprise the people of Debrecen with something special in the Memorial Garden – for example, the Soul Garden during Advent. This time, as part of the Flower Carnival celebrations, the August 17 exhibition not only presents the work of the board and its partner organisations, but also features creations by a team from Gávavencsellő in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, led by Katalin Kőpájerné Tóth, head of the Gávavencsellő Cultural Centre and Library. The exhibition also includes works by the Immánuel Home and School, Primary School, School for Developmental Education and Training, and Skills Development School of the Debrecen-Nagytemplom Reformed Church Congregation. Meanwhile, the Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café is hosting a presentation of a private doll collection belonging to Ágnes Kenderné Türk, also from Gávavencsellő.
Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, emphasised in her speech that the main message of the Debrecen Flower Carnival is to convey a sense of belonging and love. The carnival welcomes guests every year, including representatives of the city’s twin towns. Through its participation in the exhibitions of the Memorial Garden, Gávavencsellő has effectively joined this group of guests.
As the deputy mayor explained, it was Edit Bódor who noticed Gávavencsellő’s summer “fairy garden”, which resembles Debrecen’s own garden, and this inspired the invitation to the village.
According to Diána Széles, Debrecen can be characterised in many ways – as an economic, industrial, commercial, transport and cultural centre – but perhaps more importantly, the city has a community with foundations and a heritage capable of conveying spiritual values to all Hungarians. Debrecen can remain a spiritual centre if the people who live here are willing to work for their community and preserve and pass on the values inherited from previous generations.
The Flower Carnival also sends the message that people should pay attention to what their predecessors and parents did, continue to represent their values and pass them on to their children. This, she said, can help make Hungary a country where people are happy to live and where people “speak the language of love” – a country where others matter, where people accept and care for one another.
János Berecz, mayor of Gávavencsellő, said the exhibition presents the diligence and creativity of a community with Swabian roots whose members are capable of making their mark anywhere in the world. Gávavencsellő once had a population of 10,000, while around 3,300 people live there today. The decline in population may, however, be bringing the town’s religious, ethnic and institutional communities closer together.
The exhibition presented in Debrecen is the result of this collaboration and was originally created as an installation for the Gávavencsellő Castle Garden Theatre Evenings, which this year reached its sixth season. The mayor thanked Debrecen for the opportunity to present their creations in the spirit of the love that connects people.
István Oláh, senior pastor of the Debrecen-Nagytemplom Reformed Church Congregation, highlighted the exhibition by the Immánuel Home and School, which is now the third exhibition presented at this location. The organisers want to showcase the talent, values and work of the young people who belong to the institution. For more than 30 years, the institution has been dedicated to the development and education of young people with multiple disabilities.
The young people’s latest creations depict faces reflecting positive energy, emotions, joy and optimism – qualities that are also present in the everyday life of the institution. Oláh said the Immánuel Home and School is filled with joy, gratitude, hope and faith, including the belief that these young people have a rightful place in the world and that everyone should have the opportunity to see their values and the sincerity, joy and love they can offer.
He expressed hope that visitors who see the works will have a better day as a result and may even be inspired to become involved in the lives of these young people, join their community and support them.
Zsófia Juhász, director-general of the Immánuel Home and School and its associated educational institutions, also stressed that the young people who took part in creating the exhibition are value-creating members of society. The smiling, carnival-themed faces depicted in the installation carry several layers of meaning. Another important message is that every element was made from natural or recycled materials – because people must not only take care of one another, but also of the world they have been given.
The installations also feature photographs from the life of the Immánuel Home and School, as well as spiritual messages considered important by the institution. Nearly 700 flowers were made from recycled materials, along with 300 petals, while approximately 1,200 metres of yarn were used. Twenty members of staff and 40 young people worked on the faces for five months.
As part of the celebrations, the new bread was blessed by Father Richárd Ferenczi, the current parish priest of Nyíradony and former parish priest of Gávavencsellő, and Father Csaba Nagy, the current parish priest of Gávavencsellő. The gathering then enjoyed a flute performance by Martin Gergő Túróczi from Gávavencsellő.
The The Memorial Garden Tells a Story exhibition series can be visited in the Memorial Garden behind the Great Reformed Church until August 24, 2026. Thanks to the light installation, it can also be viewed in the evening.
(debrecen.hu)
Photo: debrecen.hu
