Adam Varnus Memorial Hall in Mezőlak

After the death of his brother, Adam Varnus, in 2022, Xaver Varnus bought the abandoned Lutheran Old Church in Mezőlak, Transdanubia, to turn it into a concert hall in memory of his late brother and to organise a permanent spring arts festival. The neo-Gothic stone building dates back to the 19th century. It was originally built as a forge, then after a major extension it became a school, and after a third and final extension it was consecrated as a church, which it remained until 2007. After the congregation could no longer afford to maintain the building, it was unoccupied for many years. The restoration work in 2022-23 was carried out by the Kovácsi Fal Ltd., under the leadership of director Szabolcs Nagy and the Mayor of Mezőlak, Gábor Nagy, with the help of the residents of the village. The neo-Baroque organ, built in 1958 by the Friedrich Weigle Organ Factory in Stuttgart, was purchased by Xaver Varnus Varnus from the St. James' Church in Göppingen in 2022 and was installed in the nave after a complete renovation of the hall. The inaugural Bach concert of the Adam Varnus Memorial Hall was held in May 2023 in the presence of Péter Gáncs, the President-Bishop of the Lutheran Church. From spring 2024, Xaver Varnus plans to hold an annual Bach-Shakespeare festival in the ancient building.