The Palace of Culture in Târgu Mureș is one of the most outstanding examples of the unique Hungarian Art Nouveau style. However, the turbulent history of the 20th century meant that this stunning building, in the Hungarian national style, came to lie within Romania’s borders. The leading architects of Hungarian Art Nouveau, Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab, designed a building that constantly emphasises the history and identity of a nation with which only 40 per cent of the city’s inhabitants now identify.
‘Happy times of peace’
The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was a ‘happy time of peace’ for the Hungarians. The transformation of the Habsburg Monarchy into Austria-Hungary in 1867 meant that Budapest became the country’s second capital, and the Hungarians were able to develop their national identity strongly. Of course, this very often took place at the expense of other nations living within the multi-ethnic state.
At that time, Transylvania was inhabited mainly by Romanians, with Hungarians constituting the largest minority group (around 30 per cent). However, in towns such as Marosvásárhely (now Targu Mures) and Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca) 80–90 per cent of the population were Hungarians. For this reason, the Hungarian elite and the government in Budapest invested substantial resources in the large and medium-sized towns of Transylvania and strengthened national identity in those areas.
The Palace of Culture in Targu Mures is therefore not merely an ordinary – albeit, of course, beautiful – building, but a symbol of national identity on the Hungarian borderlands. The building was constructed on the initiative of the town’s mayor at the time — György Bernády — who wanted his provincial town to become a significant point on the map of the monarchy. With government support, Bernády persuaded the town council to approve the construction plan, and the competition was won by the renowned architects Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab. The architectural duo had many outstanding buildings in their portfolio, such as the OTI headquarters in Budapest, but it was the Palace of Culture that was to become their finest work.
The Szekler Fortress
The heavy, monumental structure of the Palace of Culture and the equally stunning Administrative Palace standing beside it form the most imposing part of the city’s built environment. The Palace of Culture is intended to resemble the nearby fortresses, whose towers protrude from the façade for defensive purposes. However, on closer inspection, this mighty fortress is in fact an incredibly ornate work of art. The base of the building is adorned with rustication, a reminder of the region’s medieval history, but just a short distance further along the wall, one can see gentle Art Nouveau arches and vibrant colours. Both the red, rough-textured walls and the light-coloured, smooth sections of the façade served as a backdrop for the works of Hungarian artists.
Medieval bay windows with large reliefs and decorative dentils project from the building’s façade. However, the main motif of the façade is not medieval art, but the ornamentation of the Hungarian-speaking Székely people inhabiting what is now Transylvania. Over the centuries, this people played the role of ‘guardians of the borderlands’ and, on this basis, developed their own mountain culture. Their characteristic ornamentation, imitating the flora of the Carpathians, covers the walls of the Palace of Culture. Both the building’s architects and the artists who came to Marosvásárhely were fascinated by the distant culture of the Székely people. The artist Sándor Nagy, together with Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch, even established their own Gödöllő colony for Hungarian Art Nouveau artists. Folk motifs of the Székelys and other groups were the colony’s main source of inspiration.
It was Kriesch who was responsible for the large golden mosaic on the façade. The work depicts merchants, musicians, soldiers and other representatives of the town paying homage to the embodiment of Hungary – Hungaria. Meanwhile, the bronze reliefs feature scenes from the works of Franz Liszt and Ferenc Erkel, as well as portraits of eminent figures such as mathematicians and philosophers. Particularly impressive are the golden mosaics featuring the female figures so characteristic of Art Nouveau and the distinctive Székely dentil moulding. It is also worth noting that the roof tiles with floral motifs were produced by the historic Hungarian porcelain factory, Zsolnay.
The Nation’s Fortress
The interior of the building conceals even greater riches than the façade. The 45-metre-long corridor is lined with Carrara marble, whilst its walls and ceiling are adorned with spectacular frescoes. Shades of green and gold dance in time with the floral ornamentation. The room embodies the foundations of Hungarian Art Nouveau: Oriental art, Byzantine gold and vaults, and floral motifs. Of course, Székely accents are also present in the form of metal fittings on the doorheads and mountain-inspired decorations. The corridor of the Palace of Culture in Târgu Mureș alone is one of the most beautiful rooms in this part of Europe. Interestingly, another outstanding example of Hungarian Art Nouveau can be found in the Fisher Building skyscraper in Detroit, which you can read about HERE.
The concert hall is the largest room in the building, and its multi-level balconies are a delight to behold with their ornate decorations. Here, Szekler highland motifs blend with Arabic art to create stunning ornamentation. It is worth noting the richly decorated chandeliers and ceiling. The serrated circles are reminiscent of the cave-like motifs (mukarnas) typical of Arabic art, whilst the bright lamps illuminate the golden details.
In the mirrored hall, which serves as a foyer, one can admire somewhat simpler Art Nouveau decorations. However, the real gems of this room are the stained-glass windows created by masters of Hungarian art. Sándor Nagy, Miksa Róth and many other artists created stained-glass windows depicting scenes from Székely ballads and folklore. What’s more, the building also features stained-glass windows depicting Hungarian thinkers and kings, including Francis II Rákóczi. It is no coincidence that this monarch is featured here, as in the 18th century he was King of Transylvania and led an anti-Austrian uprising in Hungary.
The Remnant
Construction began in 1911 and lasted until 1913. A year later, the First World War broke out, bringing an end to Hungary’s ‘happy times of peace’. The Treaty of Trianon, signed in 1920, partitioned the Kingdom of Hungary, and the country lost 72 per cent of its territory. As Hungarians constituted a majority only in the towns of Transylvania, the region was assigned to the largest ethnic group – the Romanians. The break-up of Hungary brought an end to the Art Nouveau movement in the country, and the spirit of the nation was irrevocably broken. The unjust post-World War I order fostered resentment and fuelled extreme nationalism, leading Hungary to support Germany in the Second World War.
The situation of Hungarians and Székelys in Romania remained difficult after the war. On the one hand, Hungarians still constituted the majority in the cities of Transylvania, whilst on the other, they felt marginalised by the new authorities. During the despotic rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu, Hungarians in Târgu Mureș and many other towns were subjected to repression, whilst the president sought to ‘Romanianise’ the entire country. However, the architecture survived the wars and totalitarian regimes and remains to this day a symbol of the beautiful, lost Art Nouveau style of Hungary. After years of conflict, and even civil war, Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania are striving to preserve their shared heritage, although their turbulent history continues to divide them.
Source: Hungary Today
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