Károly Kós

Károly Kós (December 16, 1883 – August 25, 1977) was a Hungarian architect, writer, illustrator, ethnologist and politician of Austria-Hungary and Romania.

Biography

Born in Temesvár ("Timişoara"), he studied engineering at the University of Budapest, and only afterwards turned towards architecture (graduating from the Budapest Architecture School in 1907). [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"] Already during his studies and at the start of his career, he had a special interest for the historical and traditional folk architecture, and made study trips to Kalotaszeg and the Székely Land. [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"]

In 1909, his project for the Roman Catholic church in Zebegény, in 1909 the Óbuda Reformed parochial building, and in 1910 the Budapest Zoo complex (with Dezső Zrumeczky), were carried out. [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"] During the 1910s, he completed the Reformed Cock Church in Kolozsvár (a city later known as "Cluj" or "Cluj-Napoca") and the hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy ("Sfântu Gheorghe"). [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"] At the time, his style was influenced by the Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau.

In 1914, at the start of World War I, Kós moved to Stana ("Sztána"). He was drafted the following year, but soon discharged on request from the Ministry of Culture. Between 1917 and 1918, he was sent on a study trip to Istanbul. [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"] In 1918, Kós was asked to be a professor of the College for Applied Arts of Budapest, but he declined, wishing to return to Transylvania.

He lived out of commissions and started his political career, choosing, unlike many in the Hungarian community, to accept the Romanian Kingdom's administration in the region as a given, while engaging in active opposition inside its legal framework (and authoring a manifesto calling on others to do the same). [Salat, introductory study to "Maghiarii din România..."] Alongside Lajos Albrecht and others, he was one of the founders of the Transylvanian People's Party in 1921 — the group later formed the Magyar Party. [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"] Kós also edited its illustrated political journal "Vasárnap". [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"]

In 1924, he and several of his friends founded a publishing house under the name "Erdélyi Szépmíves Céh" ("Transylvanian Guild of Fine Arts"). From 1931, he was editor of the "Erdélyi Helikon", and manager of the Miklós Barabás Guild (an independent interest group of Hungarian artists in Romania).

In 1944 his house in Stana (part of Northern Transylvania) was plundered, and he fled to Cluj, where he rejoined his family. He was director of the Transylvanian Hungarian Economic Association. As a politician, he was the president of the Hungarian People's Union ("Magyar Népi Szövetség", MNSz), and afterwards member of the Parliament of Romania (1946-48). [Biographical note to "Glasul care strigă"]

Kós taught at the College for Agriculture in Cluj until 1953, filling the post of the dean in 1945, and contributed to the journal "Világosság" between 1948-49. He died in Cluj.

Buildings designed

*1908-1910
**Reformed Parish Church, Obuda
**Roman Catholic Church, Zebegeny; with Bela Janszky
**Zoo buildings, Budapest; with Dezső Zrumeczky
**the "Varjuvar", Kós' house in Sztana

*1910-1913
**Városmajor Street, Budapest; with Dénes Györgyi
**Wekerle housing estate, Budapest
**Székely National Museum, Sepsiszentgyörgy
**Cock Church, Cluj

*1930s and 1940s
**Kós' house in Miskolc
**Exhibition Hall, Cluj
**King Matthias House restoration, Cluj
**Milk hall, Mera village, Baciu

Novels

*"Varjú nemzetség" ("The Varjú Kin", 1925)
*"A Gálok" ("The Gál Family", 1930)
*"Országépítő" ("The Country Founder")

Notes

References

*ro icon Lucian Nastasă, Levente Salat (eds.), [http://www.edrc.ro/docs/docs/eticaminoritara/IntregVolumul.pdf "Maghiarii din România şi etica minoritară (1920-1940)"] , at the [http://www.edrc.ro/ Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center. Open Society Foundation Romania] ; retrieved October 23, 2007:
** [http://www.edrc.ro/docs/docs/eticaminoritara/00Introducere.pdf Introductory studies by Lucian Nastasă and Levente Salat]
** [http://www.edrc.ro/docs/docs/eticaminoritara/01Kos.pdf Károly Kós, "Glasul care strigă"]

External links