The Jankovich Birtok is a family estate of diverse landscapes in South-West Hungary, owned and operated by the Jankovich de Jeszenice family. Since 1996 it has been managed by Westerheide Kft., an organization with the team and know-how to perform state-of-the-art integrated and regenerative farming. The estate currently consists of:
- arable land, with its own drying and storage facilities
- forests
- fruit orchards
- pedigree Hereford cattle
We celebrate and share our connection with nature and the local community, and aim to inspire family, friends and visitors by building a family estate for generations to come.
History
The Jankovich Birtok was founded by József Jankovich de Jeszenice in 1996, in line with his family’s tradition of landownership ever since the 17th century in Hungary. In 1956 József fled Hungary and married Alexandra van Voerst van Lynden, then became a successful entrepreneur based in the Netherlands. After the change of regime in Hungary in the early 1990s, he seized the opportunity to establish the Jankovich Birtok.
The estate functions as a family foundation. It is governed by a family board, and is managed on a daily basis by one of József’s four children, Béla Jankovich de Jeszenice. Its strategy is focused on the long term, with sound finances as a basis. The operations are managed by Westerheide Kft, which aims to further develop the estate into a best practice of rural development, based on long-term sustainable relationships with partners, the local community and authorities, and biodiversity.