Herendești (Herés) – Timiș County
What is it like to have an abandoned manor right in the middle of the village? The residents of a settlement near the city of Lugoj, who pass by it every day, could tell us. Abandoned for many decades, the Herglotz Manor of Herendești could collapse at any moment.
Herglotz Manor of Herendești — a ruin in the center of the village
Herendești, Victor Vlad Delamarina commune, Timiș County. In the center, across from the Orthodox church and behind an abandoned kiosk, a manor stands on the verge of collapse. Little is known about its story; it was likely built toward the end of the 19th century by the Piacsek de Herés family, the former owners of the estate.
The current name of the manor is likely linked to Herglotz-Friedman Edmund, a landowner from the interwar period. After nationalization, like many castles and mansions, the Herglotz Manor became the headquarters of the agricultural collective. The decline during the communist period — and especially after the Revolution — proved irreversible. The furniture was stolen and the valuables disappeared.
Herglotz Manor of Herendești — the manor of no one?
According to a summary by the Association for the Promotion and Development of Timiș Tourism, the Herglotz Manor „belongs to the Hidu family from Lugoj, currently living abroad.” In reality, the building has long been left to its fate. The ceiling has collapsed, and of the two „twin” towers, one has fallen. In the other, the unique sheet-metal roofing still faintly recalls better times.
Once having a big, charming park, the Herglotz Manor is now „swallowed” by dense vegetation. Moreover, locals have turned both the manor and the park into a dumping ground. I silently observe the last remaining decorations on the main façade. All that remains is to imagine how this building must have looked more than a century ago.
The former beauty of the Herglotz Manor has been lost, and the chances of a miraculous rebirth are almost nonexistent.