Market Hall (Bratislava)

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The Old Market Hall in Pressburg (now Bratislava) was built in 1910 and is now the city's cultural center.

Old market hall after renovation

history

A bastion from the 15th century, which was part of the city's fortifications in the Middle Ages , once stood on the site of today's Old Market Hall . When the old city fortifications were torn down at Maria Theresa's behest in the 1770s, a huge open space was created between the old town and the monastery of the Brothers of Mercy, where markets had been held since 1461. In 1879 these squares were united by a resolution of the city administration and have been called " Marktplatz " ever since .

The old market hall was built on this area from 1908. The picture was probably taken around 1900. Numerous old houses were demolished, as the rubble on the right shows, or had to be propped up (left). In the background you can see the tower of the old Pressburg town hall .

The markets held in this square caused problems for the city, as the rubbish left there was on the one hand unsanitary and on the other hand the markets, which took place in the open air, were very dependent on the weather. A solution was sought through which the sale of sensitive foods (such as meat and dairy products) should take place in closed rooms for reasons of hygiene. The city officials also wanted to get rid of this dirty place at the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, in 1903 an anonymous architects' competition was announced in which architects from all over Hungary could take part. The construction of a modern, closed and weather-independent market hall was required.

On this old postcard from 1900 you can see the market before the construction of the market hall.

The competition was won by the Budapest architect Endre Makay (* 1847, † 1905), and second place was also won by a Budapest architect Adolf Láng. And in third place came the well-known architecture firm Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab (* 1864, † 1932). The city magistrate of Bratislava decided to have the design submitted by Endre Makay implemented, but he died in 1905. After the death of Endre Makay, the Bratislava city engineer Gyula Laubner took on the design, improved it and made it ready for implementation. The construction was carried out between 1908 and 1910 by the master builder Ludwig Gratzl with the well-known Pressburg construction company Pittel and Brausewetter . The building was completed on October 31, 1910 and opened to the public the next day.

The following note appeared in the Preßburger Zeitung on October 30, 1910 in the "Daily News" section:

The market hall during the construction period, 1910. In the foreground you can see the one-story house with a triangular gable in which the inn "Escape from Egypt" was housed. The house was demolished in 1912 because a breakthrough was to be made from the old city center from the Primate's Palace to the main square. Three towers can be seen in the background (from right to left): Ursulinerkirche, Michaelerturm , Franziskanerkirche .

Market hall opening. The Pozsony Market Hall opens on November 1st. From this day on, all meat products, sponges, milk and dairy products, bread and pastries that were previously sold on open markets may only be sold in the market hall. In the current open markets there are still: the live poultry, greens, all those agricultural and garden products that are sold directly from wagons , as well as those fruit and food that cannot be stored in the market hall due to lack of space. The market hall is provided with cellars, storage rooms and cold storage rooms for the storage and safekeeping of stocks of goods. An official agency business is organized in the market hall to sell food that is sent by producers to the market hall or to the official intermediary. The beginning of this business is announced separately at the time. Further information can be obtained from the Market Office of the Royal Free City of Pozsony (Pozsony, Market Hall). Pozsony, October 25, 1910. - The M agistra t.

The market hall was built in an eclectic style and met the most modern technical requirements of the time. Steel was used for the construction - an architectural novelty at the time. The building was connected to power lines and had a water supply, central heating, elevators and cooling systems. It offered space for 900 sellers on an area of ​​1000 m². The market hall was the first covered market place in Pressburg.

The building served its purpose for 50 years even after the collapse of the Danube Monarchy and the establishment of Czecho-Slovakia . During the time of communist rule , the market hall was closed in 1960. Slovak TV studios have been set up in their premises . When the Slovak television in 1982 gave up their studios in the market hall, the empty building was visibly neglected. The communists considered demolishing it. Only after the political change after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 did the market hall return to the ownership of the city. The building has been completely renovated in its original architectural form.

In 2012 the old market hall was subject to a citizens' association, which turned it into a cultural center. The square in front of the market hall was renovated and equipped with seating, where archaeological excavations took place. Remnants of the wall of the 11th century St. Jacob's Chapel were found. These remains were preserved and placed under a glass protective roof and can be viewed. Cultural events such as concerts and exhibitions are currently being held in the market hall.

literature

Theodor Ortvay : Pozsony város utcai és terei, Pozsony 1905, p. 592ff, ( Hungarian )

Home page of the Karpatendeutschen Landsmannschaft in Austria , vol. 70, episode 9/10, September / October 2019, p. 18f

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The upper part of the square has been known as "Bread Marckht" since 1461. In the lower part of the square, the "Getreyd Marck" mentioned in 1729 was created.
  2. ↑ This architect couple planned and built numerous important buildings throughout Hungary . In Pressburg they planned and carried out the redoubt .
  3. ↑ means horse-drawn vehicles
  4. ^ Preßburger Zeitung (vol. 147, no. 297) of Sunday, October 30, 1910, p. 5
  5. ↑ According to old documents, the St. Lorenz Church in front of the Lorenz Gate was mentioned for the first time in 1311. Around the church was an old cemetery (St. Laurentius cemetery) with a chapel dedicated to St. Jacob. The cemetery existed until 1774 and was also removed after the city wall was removed. (Ortvay, p. 599)

Coordinates: 48 ° 8 ′ 41 ″  N , 17 ° 6 ′ 41.5 ″  E