WAX MUSEUM KOSICE
Evliya Czelebi
Traveller of the 17th century described Kosice in his book as one of the most beautiful towns of the world. Streets paved with marble, water basins and fountains in the gardens and cheerful and beautiful people walking here. Out of seventz churches the Kasa Bana (presumably he meant the St.Elizabeth ´s Cathedral) had the roof made of plates of gold. In the interior, there are master works decorated with gold, silver, precious stones (ruby, topaz, amber, pearl rosaries). Smell of aloe and ambra is present everywhere. Sad to say, Czelebi has in all likelihood never been in Kosice. Who knows if this is the reason he described Kosice so or to inspire Turkish armies controlling a great part of Hungary at the time to attack the town.
Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia
The Patron of Kosice was the daughter of Queen Gertrude and Hungarian King Ondrej II. When she was four, she was betrothed to the son of the Count Hermann Ludwig and they were together brought up on the castle Wartburg. From her early childhood, Elizabeth attended the poor and ill. She was charitable and generous. When the emperor Friedrich II visited the castle Wartburg, she was not able to appear as she had given her valuables and clothing to the poor. Angels should have brought her a dress decorated with stars in which she greeted the emperor. God called her in 1231. Already in the year 1235, the pope Gregor IX canonized her.
Simplicissimus
Traveller and adventurer visited Kosice in 17th century and spent some time hehe. he served as a drummer in the army. In his travelogue, he mentions not only punishments of delinquents but also reeve election or lovely dances. Among others, he wrote about the town: Houses are big and nice, mostly built as summer-houses, without roofs. Also the parish church (the present Cathedral of St. Elizabeth) a highly admirable building, is built without a roof as a summer-house, of block stones connected with iron fasteners connected sealed with lead. One can see there many many stone sculptures and snail-formed figures discharging rain-water. The steeple is covered with copper; the belfry is plastered with pure lime mixed with wine. Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists have exquisite, well accomplished schools in the town. Also the semi-canonry is here as the bishop of Eger having the seat in Koksov comes here for sanctification on important feast days. Also, the generality is stationed here with well equipped imperial arsenal; also many imperila officers and clerks stay here.
Master Stefan (Stephan Lapicidus, Stephan Steymetz)
The builder of the St. Elizabeth´s Cathedral lived in Kosice from the year 1463 to 1490. He finished the construction of the Dome. There are several legends on him. His wife was a "wine drinker" and he showed her in an undignified position on the southern St. Matthew´s tower. He designed and built important parts of the cathedral so that if one stone is taken out, the whole structure will collapse. He is the creator of pastoforium, an exceptional work of the late Gothic architecture.
Zigmund of Luxemburg with Herold (1368-1437)
Emperor of the Saint Roman Empire (of its German parts) and Hungarian king. He deserves credit for building the St. Elizabeth´s Cathedral and the development of Kosice ( the all Hungarian manufacture of barchant was concentrated here at his command). He granted Kosice as the first European town coat-of-arms. Though his expeditions against Turks jeopardizing the empire fell through and, at the end, he made a mistake when he had the reformer Jan Hus burnt to death an thus he supported the development of reform movement in the church, he is evaluated as a successful monarch by historians.
Matthias Corvinus (1443-1490)
Hungarian king from 1458. He made order with "bratriks" (rest of Hussite troops) and brought peace to the kingdom. He supported the construction of the St. Elizabeth´s Cathedral. For ten years, he donates the New Year presents given to him by the town of Kosice toe used for finishing the Cathedral. He enabled Kosice to mint. He was an enlightened sovereign inviting many artists and scholars to Hungary. He was very airy (obviously popular also among common people).
Pilgrim
In the middle ages, he wandered to Christian sacred places disregarding hardship and danger. He believed that in these places he is able deeper to feel the presence, grandeur and glory of God who saves his soul and expurgates him from all sins. In 14th century, a miracle of Christ blood (bleeding altar bread) happened in Kosice and the visit of the town had for him the same meaning as the visit of the St. Mark´s Cathedral in Venice and Porcinkuli in Assissi.
Janko Borodac (1892-1964)
Slovak stage director, actor, educationalist, national artist. He belongs to the founders and architects of the Slovak professional stage-craft. In the years 1945-1953, he was the director of the State Theatre in Kosice where he established drama, opera and ballet ensembles. The best staging by Janko Borodac in Kosice is considered the drama Three sisters by A.P.Czechov. In 1953, he became the boss of the drama ensemble of the Slovak National Theatre. The best pre-war staging by Borodac in the Slovak National Theatre are considered "Lands - confusions" and "Women´s law" by Tajovsky and "Adventure at harvest festival" by Palarik and "Herodes and Herodias" by Hviezdoslav. After 1945, it is "St.Barbara" by Kralik and "At the bottom" by Gorkij. He is the founder of the theory and practice of the Slovak stage pronunciation. He was an ardent supporter of Stanislavskij´s view and tried to apply them in his work.
Abebe Bikila (1932-1973)
He was 29 when he won the International Marathon in Kosice in 1961. He was a definite favourite with the starting number one. A year before, he triumphed on the 17th Olympic Games in Rome. He wrote his name in golden letters in the awareness and hearts of spectators not only by the victory in the Marathon race but also by running the whole track barefoot. He repeated the triumph from Rome on the Olympic Games in Tokio in 1964. A slim, modest and charismatic athlete, the officer of the life-guard of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie II. His next career was, however, a sad one. Performing his service, he was badly injured in an auto-crash, got lamed and left on a wheel-chair. He did not give up, pursued archery. In the age of 43, he died of after-effects of his injuries.
Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
America painter and film maker. In 1913, his parents came from the village Mikova in Eastern Slovakia to the United States. In 1949, he graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh where he studies Pictoral Design, and starts working as graphic designer for modern magazines and various companies in New York. He became a leading representative of pop-art in visual arts. Above all, he is good in the placard creation. He used various techniques. He was able to reproduce obvious banal pictures of the over-technologized environment very attractively. His studio had become known as an "art factory" and is decorated with silver foils. A silver wig became a feature characterizing his person. In October 1991, the Museum of Andy Warhol was opened in Medzilaborce for which the Warhol foundation donated twelve Warhol´s pictures.
Frantisek Rakoczi II (1676-1735)
Duke of Transylvania was the leader of the anti-Hapsburg riots. In 1703, rebelling peasants asked him to be their commander. Also a part of the Transylvanian and Hungarian aristocracy joined them. Rebels managed to get hold of a majority of the territory of present Slovakia. In spite of diplomatic effort. Rakocsi failed to obtain the support of European monarch for his fight. After the defeat by Hapsburgs in the battle at Trencin, the hatchet was buried and the uprising finished despite the disagreement of Rakoczi II in 1711. He is buried in Kosice.
Stefan B. Roman (1921-1988)
The "Uranium king" was born in the village Velky Ruskov in Eastern Slovakia. In 1937, he migrated to Canada. Uranium ores were found on the land he owned. He founded several important industrial companies and became a successful businessman. Chairman of the World Congress of Slovaks for many years. He supported Slovak immigrants, above all from Catholic circles. A deep worshipper - Catholic, he has been striving for independent free Slovakia for all his life.
Jonas Zaborsky (1812-1876)
The portrait of Zaborsky has a grim, grievous and embittered expression as if in reflection of his life full of disappointments. In spite of it, he lastly worked on the development of the Slovak literature. In the years 1843-1850 he lived in Kosice. Due to his "realistic" attitude, he, however, came to loggerheads with "romanticism" of Ludovit Stur, the father of the Standard Slovak. The most impressive works of the extensive creation of Jonas Zaborsky as to the art an ideas are "Two days in Chujava", "Pan-Slavistic Vicar", satiric short stories and Faustiada, and the drama "The foundling". He proved to be the sharpest critic of this time. He revealed weaknesses, vice and hypocrisy not only in dominating circles but also in his folk, in the national intelligentsia and among common people.
Jan Bocatius (1569-1621)
He came from the German town Vetschau. He lived in Kosice from 1599. He was the rector of the grammar school, reeve, historiographer and librarian of Gabriel Bethlen. He belonged to the most established Hungarian poets. He also was an excellent teacher and theologian. In 1614, he published the Lord´s prayer (Oratio Dominica polyglotta) in twenty five languages. His remarkable poetic creation was known also outside of Hungary and the emperor granted him the title Poet Laureatus. In 1599, he had his collection Five books of Hungarian poems (Hungaridos libri poematum) - a proof of the high level of his poetic culture and great talent - printed in the printing plant in Bardejov. Jan Bocatius as the reeve is recorded in golden letters among outstanding historical personalities of Kosice. He has served as an ideal for many of his successors in this position. As the reeve he has served as an ideal not only in defending inhabitants and the town of Kosice but also as a man, father of the family, teacher, poet or worshipper having preferred the death to betrayal of his town, family or faith. The writer Rudolf Schuster, President of the Slovak republic, interpreted the dramatic life story of Jan Bocatius (he was also jailed in Prague) in his work.
Julius Jakoby (1903-1984)
He learned visual arts in Kosice from Kron and, parially, from Halasz-Hradil. In the years 1927-1928, he studies at the College of Visual Arts in Budapest but he returned to Kosice. At the beginning of 30-ies of 20th century, Kosice thanks to the private schools of painting and graphic of E. Kron and E Halasz-Hradil and the director of the East Slovakian Museum Jozef Polak, Kosice became a centre of of modern Central European painting. In his younger years, Jakoby was addicted to drawing, material graphics and crayon-drawing. A shade of irony and grotesque is to be found in his dynamic works. Colors almost pulling into the action of the work, artist´s expression, are a very special characteristics of his art.
Ondrej Szabo (1738-1819)
The first bishop came from a very good noble family. His parents died when he was a child, he was raised up by his relatives.After the study at the grammar school, he became a clergyman in Esztergom and started to study philosophy and theology at the university in Trnava. He was the vice-rector of the Seminar of St. Stephan in Esztergom, canon in Bratislava and Esztergom, rector of the General Seminar in Trnava and of Pazmanium in Vienna, titular provost and rector of the university in Trnava and after its relocation to Buda at command by Maria Theresia also the provost and rector of the College of Theology of Buda. In 1783, he was appointed the first rector of the General Seminar in Bratislava, in 1800 the archbishop´s vicar of Buda and four years later, the first bishop of Kosice. He was strict and pedantic to himself, freehanded and kind-hearted to the others. He furnished the bishop´s residence, provided flats for canons and suitable spaces for the seminar. In 1809, he accommodated theologians in the first year there, two years later all years. Gradually, he visited all parishes of the diocese. He gave consideration to poor students and enabled them to continue their studies. The clergy of the diocese chose St. Ondrej Apostel for the patron in deference to the first bishop.
Janka Guzova-Beckova (1917-1993)
The well-known and popular singer of East Slovakian folk songs was born in Zakarovce. Until April 1969 when she emigrated with her husband and the daughter Margita first to Vienna, then to the United States, she had many concerts home and abroad and recorded more than 150 songs in the radio studio in Bratislava. She be herself collected more than 500 folk songs. She loved songs from Spis, the country of her birth, which in her interpretation sound amazing. There are many gramophone records made both home and in the States. She died in New York in the age of 76 years. Her remains are entombed in the National Cemetery in Martin.
Gabriel Bethlen (1580-1629) and Catherine of Brandenburg
Commnader and politician of European format. In 1619 Ferdinand II Hapsburg came to the Hungarian throne. Troops of the anti-Hapsburg revolt headed by Gabriel Bethlen moved to Kosice. The town concluded an agreement with rebels according to which the town privileges and the rights of its citizens will be saved. Since it´s conclusion on 5 September 1619, only 200 mercenaries were allowed to enter the town limits. Bethlen in person entered the town by at the end of September and stayed here for eight days. From here he organized the expedition to Bratislava where he captured the Hungarian royal St. Stephan crown and brought to Kosice. Before returning to Kosice, he had himself have declared the king, nevertheless, he had never been crowned. He built a military fortress - a citadel - in front of the town walls where a garrison should have been housed and should protect the town. It was, however, used only once. At the beginning of the year 1622 he made peace with the emperor in Mikulov, he relinquished the title of the king and was granted the title of the Duke with the possession of seven East Slovakian counties; the Hungarian corporations were promised that all their rights and privileges would be observed. In March 1622, there was the wedding ceremony of Gabriel Bethlen with the sister-in-law of the Swedish king, Catherine of Brandenburg, in the Levoca´s House in Kosice. The bride came to Kosice from Berlin in a festive procession consisting of 39 coaches and 225 persons. She was welcomed by six thousand riders. In 1629, the protector of Kosice an leader of the anti-Hapsburg rebellions Gabriel Bethlen dies and the town again got under the direct control of the emperor Ferdinand II Hapsburg.