Royal Oaks of Vének

IN HUNGARIAN

The Csallóköz (Žitný ostrov) is typically referred to as the Golden Garden in the Hungarian literature. Exactly why this is so, perhaps because of the gold panning, will probably never be known, but it is certain that a piece of the "Golden Garden" can be found on the opposite side of the Danube, the Szigetköz, near the village of Vének. Twelve oaks form this Golden Garden, each are older than a hundred years.  

Royal oaks of queen consort Elisabeth

It's not a big garden, with just a dozen oak trees, plus the meadows underneath. It looks like an extension of the village built on a narrow river bank. Along the huge flood protection embankment that runs alongside it, trees have been felled, but at this point the rule seems to be broken. Less noticeable on the site, but the trees are planted in regular order, assessing from their size a long time ago. Unfortunately, one of them, judging by the withered leaves on one of its branches, has dried up this year. The information plaques under the oaks date their age to at least 125-127 years, since the saplings were planted in two phases; in 1896 and 1898, first to commemorate the Hungarian Millennium and then two years later to commemorate the death of queen consort Elizabeth (10 September 1898), Franz Josef's wife. The former group forms a hexagon, with the famous Árpád oak in the middle, underneath which the villagers hid a time capsule. The south-eastern part of this group of trees dried up this year, breaking the geometric shape. Five of the Elizabeth trees form the letter "X", west of the Millennium group. These shapes can be seen really well from above in the leafless season. The conservation value of this group of trees is that the saplings are said to have originated from the now deforested hardwood groves of the Szigetköz.

The golden garden in gray scale. (fentrol.hu) 1969. november 12.

It didn't take much for the Hungarian Water Authority to cut these oaks down for flood protection reasons. According to press reports of the time, the oak grove was saved thanks to József Pados, the last school principal in Vének, who "formed a human chain around the grove with his primary school pupils, which made the people with chainsaws and their bosses, who were marching to the storage area, back off": 

We escape the heartbreaking silence of the school. József Pados knows an interesting story about every house in Vének. We go from gate to gate, and old stories and mischiefs warm up in his memory. At the end of the village we stop in front of the Golden Garden. Beautiful oaks sway their branches in the warm wind. 

- This is the tree of the seven chiefs. They were planted at the Millennium. According to the writings that have come down to us, the names of the people of the village at the time were placed in a jar at the base of the Árpád tree, and one of each of the coins of the time was also placed at the base of the tree. 

- These were the trees you even called me to save? 

- Yes. They were going to be cut down years ago because there is a regulation that there can be nothing on the ground within sixty metres of the side of the embankment. Fortunately, they were rescued. I did a lot of research, but my efforts were not in vain. Now, not only the inhabitants of Vének, but also the people of Győr can enjoy it, because more and more small weekend houses are being built on the banks of the Danube. Kolerasziget, Tordasziget, Angliakert, Szélkert, Ficsor-dűlő, Rókadomb, Ciglés, Ökörmező - you know the history of all of them and you know the area like the back of your hand.

The trees of the Golden Garden have been saved and have been protected since 1982. The school was not so fortunate, the children from Vének are now taken to school in Kisbajcs.

Resting St John of Nepomuk

Despite the fact that one of the millennium oaks has withered, there are still a dozen trees defying water regulations, as an old black poplar tree stands on the side of the embankment north of the oaks, sheltering the statue of St John of Nepomuk, who rests beneath it. It watches the traffic of at least three dusty roads, while the Danube flows behind it, beyond the embankment.