Faurest, Kristin: Ten spaces - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2010)

Klauzál tér

all sides by the dense urban fabric of Erzsébetváros, a part of the city that seems to be perpetually reinventing itself, frequently to the detriment of its historical value as a whole.

It isn't immediately apparent now, but earlier in the last century the surrounding neighbourhood of Holló—Dob—Síp—Kazinczy—Wesselényi—Nyár utca was among the richest in the city, full of gold- and silversmiths. A careful appraisal of the splendid-but-battered architecture surrounding the square offers incontrovertible evidence, though, that this was, once upon a time, a much more affluent place. Look for example at Klauzál tér 16, where an earlier house was torn down for a new one to be constructed in 1906—07, by architect Adolf Stobb. The fagade on the Kisdiófa utca side was designed by Jenő Schwartz and Antal Horváth. The portals were arched with Secessionist details. There were ground floor shops in the building from 1908, and an elevator added in 1910. There was once a turret on its corner, no longer extant. Two female figures ornamented the fagade and the entrance gate was wrought iron and carved wood, with two female figures above it.

The square was laid out after the great flood of 1838. Its first recorded name was Stefans Platz, then from 1874 István tér. ln 1907 it took the name of

■ Klauzál tér open air market, circa 1890 (György Klöiz)

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