ed the best for his family and his country, which is why the plains of Vojvodina still possess signs of his desires today, in the form of mansions that transport us back to bygone times. The mansion in Čelarevo was the sum- mer home of Lazar Dunđerski’s family. La- zar bought the property in 1882, renovat- ed it and made it into the residence where his family spent most of their time. From there they managed estates and industri- al plants in their spirit factory, brickyard, brewery etc. - The greatest importance of the man- sion in Čelarevo is that it provides us with in- sights into what the Pannonian dynasty of the great Dunđerski landowners looked like. It was precisely through them that European culture flourished in our country - says Slav- ica Vujović, conservational architect and ad- viser to the Petrovaradin Provincial Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. This mansion is surrounded by a five-hectare park that was landscaped to resemble the parks of England, making it perfect for the memorable balls that were hosted by Dunđerski. As material beauty wasn’t enough for Lazar, he wanted to en- rich the mansion and grounds, which is why he opened his doors to the most prominent
artists of the time, such as poet Laza Kostić, Lazar Dunđerski’s best man. Another regular resident there was painter Uroš Predić, who was joined by famous painter Paja Jovano- vić who did portraits of all members of the family and is said to have painted his on- ly ever landscape right there, in Čelarevo. This palace was loved by artists, but also the king. Aleksandar Karađorđević spent hot summer days here, enjoying – as was spo- ken about for years – removing his glasses and conversing with locals while dressed in civilian clothing. Everyone loved this man- sion on the plain, but none more than La- zar Dunđerski himself. - Even today you will hear the story of how Lazar, seeing the splendour of the courts of Vienna and Budapest, decided to cover the floor of his residence with ducat coins, instead of the classic parquet floor- ing. He sought permission from the author- ities, who denied him, with a very reason- able explanation. On one side of the coins was the face of the emperor, while on the other was the imperial crown. Whichever way they were laid, people would end up trampling either the emperor or the empire. Lazar solved the problem by overlaying the floor with gold coins that he lied straight along their edges – according to a mono-
graph about the Dunđerski mansion that was supported by Carlsberg, as the Čelare- vo estate today forms part of this compa- ny. After Lazar’s death, the mansion was in- herited by his son Gideon. The other Dunđerski mansion, which is even more luxurious than the one in Čelare�- vo, is located in Kulpin. Having once be- longed to the Stratimirović family, Lazar Dunđerski bought it for his son Đorđe in 1889. Đorđe’s wife was related to the Karađorđević royal family, so one of their regular guests was Queen Marija with princ- es Petar, Andrej and Tomislav. This mansion was forgotten for years, until it again came into the limelight following the shooting of the TV series “All those plains”. Unlike Lazar’s children, his nephew Bog- dan decided not to buy an estate, but rather to build one for himself. He chose a location close to Bečej and completed his magni - cent work in 1925. It was named the Fantast Castle after Bogdan’s famous racehorse, and even today the estate still boasts a stud farm that is worthy of attention. Bogdan was con- sidered the greatest bohemian among the Dunđerski clan, which is why today there are many legends about this wealthy man who filled the large swimming pool in the court with milk for the women he loved to bathe.
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