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THE KÓSPALLAG OLD HOUSE PROJECT AS PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH... 251
localism, see Norberg-Hodges 1999; Curtis 2003). Getting to know the past of
the settlement also serves the attachment to the place and the strengthening of
local identity, and may provide the bases for a self-governing community of people
characterized by tight and deep interpersonal relationships. Real attachment to
one another and to the natural environment is the foundation of ecological behavior
and the basis of ecological philosophy. A considerable part of our case study also
discusses the dimension of community development as an essential part of the
ecolocalist approach.
About the village
The venue of research, Kóspallag, is situated in a picturesgue landscape at the gate
of the higher Börzsöny mountains. Up to the mid-20" century, the inhabitants
of the relatively isolated settlement commuted to Vác or Budapest, or foraged for
mushrooms and forest fruits to sell at the market. The village was fairly poor
because of limited fields and soil that was hard to till. During the socialist period,
an upswing in raspberry growing owing to organized buying-up and processing
brought considerable income to the villagers. Another source of living was and
still is forestry and many inhabitants work in Mérianosztras mine and prison.
Providing accommodation for hikers and tourists is also part of life, and the wellness
hotel close by employs several inhabitants. These days, more people commute to
the Danube bend and Budapest for work, as public transport makes them
increasingly accessible.
Monument conservation, building camps
The starting point for our local work is the renovation of a house in the heart of
the village. The oldest building material dates from around 1860, when part of it
was certainly already standing. The owner has consciously made only minor
alterations to the building, preserving its inter-war appearance and much of its
former furnishings. Over the decades, the building has not only been home to its
owners, the Czapäk family and their relatives, but our interviews suggest that its
size and central location have also meant that it has often been used as a venue for
community events in the past. Because of this, we often feel that our work is not
adding a new function to the building, but rather restoring an old one that once
existed. The more recent building on the site has served as a pub, so a significant
proportion of the village population have a story of the Old House building.
The building is currently undergoing a phase of renovation. It has been the
team’s strong stance from the outset that we want to do everything we can ona
voluntary basis, as a hands-on job, and only use grant funding for what is absolutely
necessary. We have done so: since 2019, we have been running several construction
camps every summer. From the architectural side, this was led by Otilia Gyiire,
and from 2022 onwards by Barnabas Ferdics, with Balazs Vajas also contributing
on several occasions. On two occasions, we successfully competed in the Folk
Architecture Programme, which helped us carry out the renovation plans, as well
as the wood preservation work and the renovation of the windows and doors.