Ferenc Vigyázó (Vienna, 5 April 1874 - Vienna, 31 July 1928.), a descendant of the Podmaniczky family that owned Rákoskeresztúr from the beginning of the 18th century through his mother, received his title count in 1895. In 1905 he became a MP. He was also the deputy-lieutenant for Pest County for a short period of time. Until 1918 he was member of the upper house. In 1919 he retired from politics.

His puritan lifestyle was well known. Ferenc Vigyázó kept his castle locked. When he stayed in Rákoskeresztúr, he dwelled in the steward’s house. He claimed that he turned to hating the building during the era of the commune where the Soviet House and the bloody assizes used to operate. 80 years ago, he was buried in the family crypt in Rákoskeresztúr following his tragic death.

The mortal remains of the Podmaniczky and Vigyázó families disappeared during WWII when armies marched through the area and the chaotic times afterwards. The mausoleum built in 1906 was taken down in 1965. The site was excavated following local initiation and a memorial was set up recently.

In 2008 The Hungarian Academy of Science and the XVIIth District of Budapest, the Rákosmente self-government remembers Ferenc Vigyázó and Sándor Vigyázó, the man who establishing the collection, with conferences, festivities and exhibitions. The same year, the former Dózsa cultural centre was named for Sándor Vigyázó. The last event of the memorial programmes is held at the Erdős Renée House on 22 November where a showing of the Podmaniczky-Vigyázó heritage takes place.

Ferenc Vigyázó, just like his father, was a well-known collector of artefacts in his era. His contemporaries highly esteemed his collection that can be paralleled with those of Miklós Jankovich and Sándor Apponyi. In his will, following the suggestion of his deceased parents, Sándor Vigyázó left most of his assets for the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He asked for all his personal effects be located in the large, connecting and small castle in a museum-like fashion. The Count Vigyázó and Baron Podmaniczky Family Museum owned by the MTA opened on 24 May 1935. The count's watch, chalice, weapon and painting collection are placed in the rooms surrounded by original furnishing.

In 1944, learning of the nearing of fights, most of the material was relocated in cellars of the MTA. Many of these are still held by the collection of the institution, the rest were moved over to the Museum of Applied Arts and the National Gallery. Those pieces that remained in Rákoskeresztúr were destroyed during the war.

A library counting over 1700 volumes were also part of the heritage. It included 73 Latin and Italian codices, as well as 400 ancient imprints, too. (eg. The Thuróczy Chronicles)

Ever since István Széchényi, Ferenc Vigyázó bestowed the greatest number of artefacts to the institution. The assets given solved the financial difficulties existing ever since WWI.

A selection from the Erdős Renée House exhibition, the Library of the MTA and the Museum of Applied Arts is presented at our exhibition. Nearly seventy years ago, this showing was open in the Podmaniczky-Vigyázó castle.