the Esterházy treasury

The most significant aristocratic treasury developed progressively since the seventeenth century, and including, through the marriages of the Esterházys, the treasures of many older aristocratic families as well (such as the Forgách and Thurzó families). The collection was greatly enlarged in the time of Duke Pál Esterházy, when exceptionally high quality pieces were acquired. The duke paid special attention to his treasury, personally preparing its inventory, as he knew the collection to be more than a kind of "depository of precious metals;" he regarded it as an important means for the representation of his family. The fabulously rich collection was first reduced at the end of the nineteenth century when much jewellery was sold from it, and during the final days of World War II it was almost completely destroyed. During the siege of Budapest, the Esterházy palace in Tárnok street was hit by a bomb, and the treasures, including the tapestries, lay under the ruins for three years. A large number of pieces were destroyed, and many of the surviving ones are still in a ruinous condition awaiting restoration. There are also masterpieces by European standards among the restored works. The surviving part of the collection is kept in the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest.

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