Debrecen4U April 9, 2026

Petőfi Terrace Opens at Méliusz Library on Víztorony Street

The inauguration of the Petőfi Terrace began on Tuesday morning in Víztorony Street with a performance of the song Fényév távolság, well known from the musical Padlás. This part of the library, which has been operating since 1976, had remained unused until now.

Erzsébet Farkasné Gellért attended the ceremony as a retired librarian and was very pleased with the development. “I’m delighted, because I know it has long been a dream within the profession to renovate this terrace properly. In this way, a community terrace has been created that local residents and those with an interest in culture will gladly use in the future,” she said.

The library on Víztorony Street was refurbished a year ago: it underwent energy modernisation and was fitted with new furniture. At the opening of the new section, Director Béla Lóránt Kovács said that the aim of the development was to create a meeting point for residents of the Dobozi housing estate. “We don’t simply want readers to make use of it, but also those who are not our readers—people who might wish to hold, for example, a language class here, or those who simply want to sit and chat. It is for those who would like to spend time in a green environment in the heart of the estate, overlooked by a beautiful Brutalist building,” he said.

According to Deputy Mayor Diána Széles, every district of Debrecen has its own identity. They wanted to strengthen this by creating a new community space at the Méliusz Petőfi Memorial Library. “The Fényesudvar area is continuously developing and improving, and many young families have moved here in recent years. It clearly has the infrastructure needed to ensure families feel secure. That is why we wanted to create a community space here in the library that is open to almost everyone,” she said.

Following the opening, visitors immediately made use of the terrace: young children competed in an Easter egg hunt, while adults were able to test their knowledge with a quiz game.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu