63 Slovak Post Office (EN) — Žilina Gallery

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63 Slovak Post Office (EN)

premietanie (slideshow)
63 Slovak Post Office (EN)

63 – Slovak Post Office, Žilina Branch 1, Sládkovičova Street 14

Turistická informačná tabuľka č. 63 s QR kódom na Pošte 1 na Kuzmámyho ulici
(Foto: 1. 5. 2017)

Building number 14 on Sládkovičova Street (originally called Dolná Street - Platea inferior, but also Sečéniho Street and since 1919 Sládkovičova Street), is known as Post Office 1 Žilina. In 1779, with the help of the town, the Franciscans built a two-storey building nearby, which was home to a basic grammar school. It was run by members of the Order of the Minor Franciscan Friars. They took over tuition at the grammar school from the Jesuits, who were expelled from Žilina three years after their order was disbanded by Pope Clement XIV (21 July 1773). Once secondary schools had been nationalised in Hungary in 1895, the grammar school became state property and from 1856 on the Žilina Industry and Vocational school was based here.
In 1907 a two-storey building was built for the Royal Hungarian Post Office, which was ceremoniously opened in 1908. Above the main entrance, there is a large Hungarian national symbol, which was removed after World War I, when the building fell under the jurisdiction of the town. The town owned the building until 1936, when it was sold to Czecho-Slovakia. Under the first Czecho-Slovak Republic, a new post office was built starting in 1938 and was completed in 1941. The new building was designed by one of Slovakia’s most important architects, Juraj Tvarožek (1887-1966), born in Brezová pod Bradlom, who is generally known as a master of Functionalism.
Tvarožek was first in Slovakia to use a concrete framework with a light, hanging glass wall in his design for the Town Savings Bank in Bratislava. He did not study higher education, but attended drawing classes and took civil engineering exams. He was born into a family of blacksmiths and since childhood had always wanted to become a painter. In 1898 to 1903 he studied at high school in Bratislava, but coming from a poor family he was forced to study bricklaying. Later between 1904 and 1907 he studied at the State Industrial School in Budapest. After completing his studies he was employed by the Prague architect Alois Dryák, who was then working on the memorial of František Palacký and St. Václav. Tvarožek also attended evening classes in drawing with professor Beneš. In 1911 to 1914 he worked at the studio of Milan Michal Harminec and Robert Flesch in Budapest. He was paid for his design of the Calvinist church. In 1914 he enlisted in the army and was captured. He designed a new mining town. Later, as a member of the Czecho-Slovak Legion he lived in the USA for a short time and after returning to his homeland he passed his architectural exams in Prague. From 1920 on, he worked in Bratislava, where he settled permanently and began working independently. In 1944 he fought in the Slovak National Uprising, but in the 1950s was arrested along with many others who had fought against fascism. Following his discharge from prison he suffered poor health and died in his home village of Brezová pod Bradlom on 12 January 1966, where he is buried. As a designer, Juraj Tvarožek was greatly inspired by the folk architecture and art of Myjava.
He was one of the most important Slovak architects of the interwar period, and his work contributed to the development of modern architecture in Slovakia. After 1920 he mainly designed family houses and villas. His first project was in Bratislava on a villa belonging to his brother Tomáš begun in 1921. In 1927 he won the design competition for the municipal savings bank on Stone Square in Bratislava, a masterpiece in Czecho-Slovak Functionalist architecture, mainly due to the non-traditional way in which the facade is divided up. From the period of 1927-1928, his most important work includes a house with a cinema and a café, the Metropol in Bratislava. In 1929 he won first prize along with A Dryák and K Chlumecký in a Bratislava town planning competition.He designed many elementary schools and the Slávia sports complex in Petržalka in 1932 and in 1941 the Slovak cereal company building – now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Juraj Tvarožek’s architecture - Post Office 1 in Žilina – still serves the needs of the townspeople and is an important landmark standing at the junction of Sládkovičova Street and Hurbanova Street. There is a plaque on the post office wall dedicated to a communications employee - Eduard Gajdoš - who died in October 1944 fighting the German occupiers. Post Office 1 in Žilina has a rich history, but it is worth mentioning an event that occurred during the early days of the Slovak National Uprising, when four LT – 38 tanks and a self-propelled armoured vehicle from the assault regiment came from Turčiansky St. Martin to assist Žilina. On the morning of 30 August 1944 they carried out reconnaissance of the town centre, arriving at the Post office. It had by then been occupied by German soldiers from the liaison unit who had dug in. The tanks approached the post office opening fire into the windows. One of the tanks went up close alongside the building and the Germans tossed an explosive onto the tank. The tank was put out of action, and the lieutenant – Pätoprstý from Lietavská Lúčka was wounded, although he had only joined the uprising the day before.
The Post Office 1 building has stood there for over 70 years and 105 years have passed since the very first post office was built here. Every day post-office delivery staff pass through the doors just to bring the people of Žilina their mail, newspapers, pensions and other items. They lack only the trumpet, which along with the envelope, has become the symbol of the post office. It is reminiscent of an animal’s horn and originally they really were animals’ horns, used by butchers to herald their arrival. Then the postmen adopted the horn, but that was long ago and now they use other means of communication. On the outskirts of the town, other post offices have gradually appeared, the largest of them is on the Vlčince housing estate near the Church of the Virgin Mary. It is also a telecommunications hub of international importance, where all connections come together from throughout the town.

Source: Mgr. Jozef Moravčík. Text prevzatý z webovej stránky TIK Žilina (kliknite): www.tikzilina.eu.



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