Fabó Beáta - Gall, Anthony: I came from the East to a City of Great Palaces. Károly Kós, the early years 1907-1914 (Budapest, 2013)
Kós Károly - The early years, 1907-1914
♦I*9*I*2* ‘The winter of 1911-12 was joyous, cheerful and light-hearted for us; kos mi us. Winter to spring: publishing a journal called Kalotaszeg. £Q Kós wins the competition for planning the main square of the Wekerle Estate, a new housing estate for public administration staff; construction work begins Construction of the Székely National Museum in Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfântu Gheorghe) continues (completed by spring) Construction of the two museum staff homes continues Another study trip in Transylvania with Dezső Zrumeczky His first child is born (Balázs) Moves back to Budapest to oversee the Wekerle Main Square construction site, his family follows Plans for a Calvinist Church in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) started in autumn Preparing for a study trip to Russia supported by the Ministry of Finance Due to the illness of their child the family moves back to Türe in Kalotaszeg/Tara Cälatei. The construction of the museum staff homes and the house of the Keresztes brothers both continue The Calvinist church in Cluj is completed (July-December) Kós hands over the task of overseeing the Wekerle Main Square construction works to Zoltán Tornallyai In autumn the family moves home to Sztána/Stana A one-month study trip by carriage in Transylvania with Zrumeczky in September Plans for the County Hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfântu Gheorghe) Károly Kós and Ida Balázs, 1912 private collection ♦■♦9^I^4^ Sketch designs of the County Hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfântu Gheorghe) Organises a Protestant Ball in Sztána/Stana with brother-in-law Balázs Balázs, Dezső Zrumeczky and celebrated writer Zsigmond Móricz among the invitees Final plans for the Hospital completed (starting in spring) The Ministry of Finance decides to support his study trip to Russia, but Kós is refused a visa He leaves for a study trip in Northern Italy with his wife, but receives news of the war and returns to Sztána (Stana) Franz Ferdinand is killed, World War One breaks out ♦ THE DECISION 7 returned home from Turkey in the autumn of 1918 to find my appointment to teach at the Faculty of Architecture of the Hungarian High School of Applied Art waiting for me. I was supposed to take my position in 1919.1 was here at home in Sztána, already a father of three, when 1 received news of the collapse of the country, the revolution of October and the annex of Transylvania to Romania. I was facing a choice. The beautiful stability of a professor's life and hopes of continuing my architect's career over in Budapest, versus the complete uncertainty of my career and sharing the unknown future fate of the Hungarian population of Transylvania, but here at home. It was a tough choice. Finally I wrote this to István Gróh, then director of the High School of Applied Art in Budapest,... I firmly believe that 1 will be needed in Transylvania more than in Budapest. So I remain here at home!K0S 1991:226 21 Károly Kós and Dr. Antal Hekler, Director, of the Hungarian Institute of Sciences in Constantinople, 1917 private collection
