For the rescue of the 800 varieties of the Márk heritage:

The “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd The Goal

To save the at least 800 rose varieties created by the late Hungarian rose breeder Gergely Márk (1923-2012) from extinction.

Why?

Because, in the absence of a successor, the days of the rose garden after the death of Mr. Márk in Törökbálint were numbered.

How?

“Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. in Acsád wishes to establish a rose garden to place the entire work of Mr. Gergely Márk, with all Márk rose varieties to be found, in a single collection. Although the number of Márk rose gardens is happily increasing in several countries, there have been no efforts yet to save the entire collection.

Human and material resources of the Acsád project

Our material resources show the following advantages: The geographic location of Acsád (the village lies close to Hungary’s border with Austria (25 km), (130 km from Vienna) and is easily accessible from either the city of Szombathely (Hungary) or of Sopron (Hungary); there are medicinal spas and botanical gardens in the vicinity, among others); satisfactory public safety; an availability of real estate suited for our purpose, which made it possible for us to acquire an area of approximately 3 hectares (4 acres)

through private funding for the purpose of creating the collection. The area provides favourable climatic and soil conditions for creating a rose garden.

The following capabilities characterise our human resources:

The two founding members of the “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. (incorporated in October 2013), Dr. Éva Kigyóssy-Schmidt, General Manager of the company, and Margit Pócs, Manager, have been working on setting the ground for creating the collection since February 2013. We are in debted to Margit Pócs, who lives in Acsád, for helping to find real estate suited for the creation of the rose park. Margit Pócs, who has been growing roses for years, is not only proficient in caring for and propagating roses, but also knows about the theoretical and practical issues of growing roses and documenting their cultivation. Furthermore, her decisions are original and productive, she is a tireless and circumspect associate and co-organiser.

Since 2004, Dr. Éva Kigyóssy-Schmidt has been a close friend of the Márks. She regularly documented the work of the rose breeder for nearly 13 years (for instance, she created image records of the stock by taking several thousand photographs of the roses and also of Mr. Márk working and she made in-depth interviews with him) and is doing her best to raise awareness of the Márk roses’ cause (for example, through publications, by holding lectures, or furthering relations with international rose societies). She has donated Gergely Márk’s gold medalist rose, ‘Saint Elisabeth of Hungary’, to many well known rose collections throughout the world. For years, she has aimed her efforts at helping the survival of Márk rose varieties. The situation ensuing upon the death of the breeder prompted her to act without delay, when she set the ground for creating a collection of every Márk variety in Acsád from her own resources.

Organisational structure

To make the launch and survival of a Márk rose garden in Acsád realistic, it was necessary to establish a suitable organisational structure. This is why the above mentioned “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. was created in the fall of 2013. The principal place of business of this registered company is at: H-9746 Acsád, Béke u. 42. Hungary, incorporation number:

18-09-111927, VAT number: 24746689-1-18. Founding members: Dr. Éva Kigyóssy-Schmidt and Margit Pócs. A change in the official status of “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. to a non-profit company is under way.

The company’s primary goal is to ensure the survival of Gergely Márk’s rose varieties and candidates. The secondary goal is to save the breeding stock (rose varieties that played the role of parents in creating Márk varieties) also threatened with extinction.

The “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. not only promotes its rose collection, but must carry out other tasks as well. Saving the rose varieties of Gergely Márk as a collection means safeguarding the Márk heritage in its botanical form. The evaluation and management of the rose breeding legacy left by Gergely Márk in an intellectual sense is closely linked to this. Having won the confidence of Gergely Márk and his wife, the management was granted far reaching authorisation to proceed with performing the tasks outlined. Among other things, this fact lays an obligation on the company. However, carrying out these tasks in the long run requires not only time and effort, but also the establishment of a solid financial base. Part of the company’s concept is to create a unique show garden, which would contribute to financing the project based on revenue earned from visitors. It is also possible to contribute by symbolically donating specific components used to build the garden, please see the website. We would be grateful for any further suggestions that may advance the cause of finding sufficient funds for the accomplishment of our set objectives.

If you consider the conservation of a priceless universal treasure to be a worthy cause, there are ways to support the project, too. How?

Among other possibilities:

— in Hungary by offering 1% of your annual income tax;

— by supporting the care of saved Márk rose varieties (Approximately ten stocks of any single rose variety need to be kept. The cost of maintaining one rose variety is HUF 3000 or EUR 10 per month);

— by making contributions towards the construction costs of the rose wall of the show garden: We accept “rose brick” donations for building the ”Wall of Roses”( HUF 500 or EUR 2.00 or USD 2.5 for registering 1 rose brick).

— by making a money transfer (To cover other costs of maintaining the roses; at request we will gladly advise on how the money is used.).

Any kind of support counts!

We thank you for your contributions on behalf of the Márk roses:

“Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd.; 9746 Acsád, Béke u. 42;

VAT number: 24746689-1-18; email: markrozsakert@markrozsakert.hu Our details for accepting donations are as follows:

Account number (HUF)

Márk Örökség Rózsakert Nonprofit Kft.,

OTP Bank 11747006 – 20229670. (We would be grateful, if you could indicate what the support is for, and your name and address, if it’s not too much too ask.)

Bank account (EUR):

Márk Örökség Rózsakert Nonprofit Kft.

OTP Branch 4700, Hungary

IBAN: HU38 1176 3471 3301 7888 0000 0000 BIC: OTPVHUHB

We wish to thank you for your attention in the hope that by joining our efforts, together we will be able to help Márk rose varieties to survive in the future and that as a result Gergely Márk’s work of over fifty years as a rose breeder in the shape of his roses will continue to make the world more beautiful for the joy of all people.

www.markrozsakert.hu www.mark-rosen.de Basic statistical data on the costs of saving roses

The aim of the “Márk Memorial Rose Garden” Non-profit Ltd. is on the one hand to save the Márk varieties by planting them on approximately 3 hectares of land (presently 20 thousand stock are under cultivation) and on the other hand to make the Márk roses known as much as possible by establishing a visiting rose garden (“The Wall of Roses” will serve this goal, among others).

To demonstrate the dimensions of the Acsád project:

resources used so far (2013 – 2015 May)

Bricks – total of 25 000 pc (built into the Wall: 14 000 pc) Roof tiles – total of 6000 pc

Ready mix concrete – total of 35m³ (built into the Wall: 24m³) Stone – 10m³ built into the Wall so far from the 90m³ purchased Building materials – total (ready-mix concrete, stone, gravel, sand, lime hydrate, cement): 95m³ + 170q, (built into the Wall: 45q lime hydrate and 25q cement)

Reinforcing iron – total (Wall, pergola): 700m

Lumber – total (planks, wooden beems, wood strips): 8m³ Excavator – many working hours

Last but not least – many helping man hours

Appendix

Photos unless otherwise indicated, by Dr. Éva Kigyóssy-Schmidt, all rights reserved

A1. Images from the Márk documentary entitled “The Rose Man”

Camera and direction: Sándor Mohi; Producer: Dr. Éva Kigyóssy-Scmidt;

Dunatáj Alapítvány (Danube Area Foundation) 2011

A2. Gergely Márk’s message to the ‘World Rose Society’ in 2009

“My message to the World Rose Society:

Join forces all over the world and do with love all that is in your power so roses can find their way into every garden, every house, and on every dining table, giving happiness and joy to everybody.”

Gergely Márk’s videotaped message to the members of the World Federation of Rose Societies on the occasion of the World Rose Convention, Vancouver, June 23, 2009, recorded by Éva Kigyóssy-Schmidt.

B. “Gergely Márk‘s former rose Garden in Törökbálint lives on in the