Jakab Palace - Košice
Jakab Family decided to construct a remarkable building. The respective suppositions were available. The family had in posssession local Košice brick-yard, so the essential material, the bricks, were used for such construction. The project was effected by Arpad and Geisa, Peter´s sons. It is an interesting matter: several building elements, decorating the palace, were applicated according to model from St. Elizabeth Cathedral, which were eliminated as useless. The building was terminated in 1899. At that time period, so called Mlýnský náhon (Mill Race), artificially made flow, was to be found nearby. However, it was closed in 1968, and the place was changed to four-line vehicle road.
Jakab Palace was built in Neo-Gothic style, and the family owned it till 1908, when they decided to leave Košice. Anyway, before they left, they sold the building to Hugo Barkanyi. In 1945, the building served as temporary seat to Eduard Beneš, Czechoslovak President. After 1989, the time period came, the dispute, regarding ownership, was open again, this time among Barkanyi´s daughter and town´s representatives. It is obvious, that the court made several times its decision (point of view) in this matter. Once, for the benefit of Barkanyi´s daugther, for the second time acknowledge the benefit for town´s representatives. Nevertheles, even in 2005, the court brought and fixed synonymous point of view, and the palace was appounted to a town. However, the dispute was not finished, as the inheritor appealed from the judgement. On the other hand, the roof reconstruction proved to be very actuel, and so, the town decided to effect necessary investments. Anyway, total reconstruction could be effected after definitive consent of the owner. Whereas in past, the palace was, except owner´s and President seat ,also a place for wedding ceremonies or British Council´ s field of activity, at present, its internal spaces are being used for important social events. So, now, the building belongs to first-class National Cultural Monuments, and, with its architecture, put into actual millieu, draws attention not only local inhabitants, but also tourists, visiting Košice.
Building activity of Jakab Family was aimed at another important Košice buildings, as as, for instance, Theatre - and Museum - buildings or Andrassy Palace, placed in Main Street.
Text/photo: Karin Bogschová
Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš
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