History
The Kossuth Hall is part of the city of Cambridge and it is situated at the crossing of Kossuth Road and Shantz Station Road. In the 19th century the settlement of Kossuth was established here. The name of the settlement was given by the Pennsylvanian Dutch immigrants as a tribute to the Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth, who was one of the leaders of the 1848 Hungarian revolution. A log school was established in 1842, replaced with a stone structure in the 1870s (also known as Reist’s School and Waterloo Township S.S. no.16). The school closed in the 1960s.
Fittingly, the building was purchased by 100 Hungarian families on the 15th of May, 1962. October 17th of the same year the club was registered as the Hungarian Home Club. They elected the first board of directors and constructed a memorandum of understanding regarding the operation of the club. This included preserving and nurturing Hungarian culture. Later, on September 22nd, 1972 the club changed its name to the Hungarian Canadian Club of Waterloo-Wellington.
Throughout the years the building went through numerous renovations. In 1964 the club was expanded to almost double its size. The Hungarian community again joined together and with the donations of 100 families they collected enough resources to complete the work.
Later, in 1987, a committee formed to organize another big project to do more renewals and remodeling. With the help of the community, they raised enough money to qualify the club for the Wintario grant in order to complete the work and update the facilities. With these renovations completed, the hall was ready to be rented out for different venues. Most of the work was completed voluntarily by the members.
In 1973, a significant event took place in the history of the club when, at the request of the Hungarian community, the road passing in the front of the hall (County Road 13) was renamed Kossuth Road, hereby recognizing the active presence of the Hungarian community.
In 2001, with the help of the Welland Hungarian group, a bust of Lajos Kossuth, sculpted by the renowned Zsigmond Kisfaludi-Stróbl, was added to the club. The statue that was situated at the entrance of the house was stolen in 2011, thereby depriving the Hungarian community of its valuable treasure.
More recently, in the summer of 2013, an intricate wooden gate was erected that graces the entrance to the club. The gate was the vision of longtime club member Jenő Ankucza and the product of donations from generous members eager to honour the club's 50th anniversary in 2012. It was hand carved in a tradition passed down through generations. The massive five-ton ornamental gate was carved out of oak, using traditional techniques that require almost no hardware. A connecting fence was built out of oak and pine. The style of gate is known as a Székely gate, named for — and familiar in — a region in present day Transylvania, inhabited largely by Hungarian people. Carvings on the gate and fence include a map of Historical Hungary with a coat of arms held by two angels, celestial symbols like the sun, moon and stars, rosettes and tulips. The words of the Hungarian poet Daniel Berzsenyi are written along the top of the gate. Translated, they read "It is not by numbers but by soul and freedom that we can accomplish great things." In addition to the gate and fence, a wooden monument to a pivotal Hungarian battle victory, the battle of Pozsony, in the year 907 was also erected in front of the club. The project was funded by private donations from club members.
The club is still active and it plays an important role in the cohesion of the Hungarian community. Every year we organize dinner and dance parties, picnics, concerts and other activities. The club can also be rented for weddings, anniversaries and other types of events.
