HISTORICISM IN BACKA

Conferences
9th and 10th December 2021
Municipal Museum of Subotica

Subotica

Programs and abstracts

  

Location: Municipal Museum of Subotica
Trg sinagoge 3, 24000 Subotica, Srbija

Professional coordinator: Olga K. Ninkov
Organizers: Mihájlovity Anikó, Olga K. Ninkov, Korhecz Papp Zsuzsanna, Ljubica Vuković Dulić
Technical support: Lality Csaba
Simultaneous translation: Mácsai Tibor
Photographer: Kolović Svetlana
Staff: Bajári Eszter, Bába Rózsa, Aleksandar Cvijin, Franciskovity Laura, Hicsik Dóra, Horváth Eleonóra, Horváth Ferenc,
Kajdocsi Lovász Gabriella, Sonja Korponaić, Branka Pavlov, Mirjana Rodić, Tóth Alex

Editor: Kajdocsi Lovász Gabriella
Translation of abstracts: Kristina Vlahović
Design: Lality Csaba

In cooperation with the Municipal Museum of Subotica and the Türr István Museum from Baja, within the IPA
cross-border cooperation project called Historicism in Backa (HUSRB/1903/33/0040), on 9th and 10th December,
2021, conferences are organized by the Municipal Museum of Subotica, of which programs and abstracts are
presented here. Simultaneous translation is provided by the organizers. The accompanying program of the
conferences is a photo exhibition. Admission is free.

HISTORICISM IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS AND ITS MUSEALIZATION

9th December 2021

10.30–10.45 Registration
10.45–11.00 Opening of the scientific conference. Welcome addresses: Anikó Mihájlovity, acting director of
the Municipal Museum of Subotica, Zita N. Kovács, director of the Türr István Museum in Baja
and Olga K. Ninkov, PhD, professional coordinator of the project
Chair: Gabriella Kajdocsi Lovász, PhD, editor of the conference proceedings and Olga K. Ninkov, PhD
11.00–14.00 Lectures

11.00–11.15 N. Kovács, Zita, art historian, senior curator, museum director, Türr István Museum, Baja

Historicist or Modern? Memories of Historicism in Baja

11.15–11.30 Lazić, Ljiljana, art historian, museum counsellor, City Museum of Novi Sad, Novi Sad

The Legacy of the Art Workshop of Mihalj Blašković Bátori in the City Museum of Novi Sad

11.30–11.45 Vuković Dulić, Ljubica, art historian, senior curator, Municipal Museum of Subotica, Subotica

Photography as a Source for Research on Clothing in the Age of Historicism in Subotica

11.45–12.00 Kothencz, Kelemen, ethnographer, senior curator, Türr István Museum, Baja

The Memory of the Kattarinka Shoemaker Dynasty of Baja

12.00–12.15 Kordé, Nóra, historian, museologist, Türr István Museum, Baja

The Millennium in Baja – And Its Parallels in Subotica in 1896

12.15–12.30 Coffee break

12.30–12.45 Cs. Andrási, Réka, archaeologist, museologist – Pap, Evelin, archaeologist, museologist, Türr István Museum, Baja

The Precursors of Historicism. Late Medieval–Early Modern Archaeological Research in the City
Centre of Bajan

12.45–13.00 Radványi, Diána, art historian, museologist, head of Ceramics Department, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

Two Historicizing Zsolnay Stoves – Examples from the Collection of the Museum of Applied Arts
and the Subotica City Hall

13.00–13.15 Vorgić, Dejan, art historian, museologist, National Museum Zrenjanin, Zrenjanin

Products of the Company "The Widow of Jakob Guttmann and Sons" in the Fund of the National
Museum in Zrenjanin and Subotica Example

13.15–13.30 Ninkov K., Olga, PhD, art historian, museum counsellor, Municipal Museum of Subotica, Subotica

The Green Man and the Envious Head – Contribution to the Research of the Iconography of
Historicism in Subotica

13.30–13.45 Milić, Miomir, art historian, Belgrade–Subotica

About the "Isolde – Subotica Neo-Gothic as a Fashion Inspiration" Project

13.45–14.00 Discussion
15.00 Accompanying program: Walking Through the City on the Paths of Historicism. Gathering in front of the Municipal Museum of Subotica.

THE PRECURSORS OF HISTORICISM. LATE MEDIEVAL–EARLY MODERN ARCHAEOLOGICAL
RESEARCH IN THE CITY CENTRE OF BAJA

CS. ANDRÁSI, Réka, archaeologist, museologist

andrasireka90@gmail.com
PAP, Evelin, archaeologist, museologist
pap.evelin.95@gmail.com

Türr István Museum, Baja

Until recently, there were few opportunities for archaeological research in Baja's city centre, in the area of
the former core city. Over the past few years, the late medieval and early modern history of Baja has been
enriched by a number of new findings during major excavation works. In 2018, the work at the
intersection of Attila and Batthyány streets revealed, in addition to pottery and animal bones, several
impressive finds, such as the upper part of a late medieval pocket-sundial carved from bone, a medieval
fishnet weight, a fragment of a bell, plant remains and coins.
At the beginning of 2020, several excavations were carried out, as a result of which the archaeological
finds of the Türr István Museum offer the opportunity to examine the sources of historicism, such as the
archaeological remains of the Ottoman city, the Muslim quarter, and to examine the predecessors and
analogies of the artistic, applied art and architectural remains of the historicist townscape.

THE MILLENNIUM IN BAJA – AND ITS PARALLELS IN SUBOTICA IN 1896
KORDÉ, Nóra, historian, museologist
konori1987@gmail.com
Türr István Museum, Baja
The study aims to present the accession of the town of Baja to the series of national millennium
celebrations and its preparations, as well as references to these events in literature and contemporary
press reports. In addition, the festivities of Subotica, another very important town in Backa flourishing at
the time, are also used as an example, showing their crucial role in the life of the region.
The millennium celebrations were magnificent and special all over the country, yet unique from one
municipality to another, since part of the aim was to give the municipalities of rural Hungary a chance to
represent themselves in the capital through their marching bands.
By this time, the town of Baja, as a town with jurisdiction rights, was also represented in Budapest in the
national parade and thus the town's millennium flag was created, which later served as the flag of the
town. The aim of the study is also to present the natural, material and cultural resources of Baja and
Subotica at the end of the 19th century and the resources they chose to present country-wide.

THE MEMORY OF THE KATTARINKA SHOEMAKER DYNASTY OF BAJA
KOTHENCZ, Kelemen, ethnographer, senior curator
kothenczkelemen@gmail.com
Türr István Museum, Baja
The study summarises the memory of a cobbler dynasty from Budapest that settled in Baja, using oral
traditions, manuscript sources, registers, printed publications and press products. The German-born
master shoemaker, originally called Gatteringer, founded his manufacture in Baja in 1861. In his family,
this craft was passed down from father to son over several generations. In addition to making footwear,
members of the family were also involved in the sale of products they made. Until the mid-20th century,
the shoe store Kattarinka József & Son operated in the busy pedestrian street of Baja, in the house at
2 Eötvös Street. The first renovation of the shop was carried out by Lajos Korányi, a descendant of the
Hungarianized Kattarinka, who built an imposing Art Nouveau portal around 1924. Ten years later, the
owner started another renovation, following modernisation patterns from Budapest. The nationalisation
of the Kattarinka manufacture in the mid-20th century interrupted the history of the long-established
artisan dynasty.

HISTORICIST OR MODERN? MEMORIES OF HISTORICISM IN BAJA
N. KOVÁCS, Zita, art historian, senior curator
nkovacszita@gmail.com
Türr István Museum, Baja
For a variety of complex historical and social reasons, we can speak of the so-called official art of the
second half of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century, the period of historicism.
The industrial revolution of the 19th century had major consequences for art and everyday life, both in
terms of urbanisation and material culture. In Baja, a society that was becoming more diverse found in
the bourgeoisie an enterprising and dynamic community capable of responding to the demands of the
Church, the wealthy bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. In the new society, linked to industrialisation and
the resulting urban development, a new aesthetic sensibility emerged, that was attentive to the values of
sophisticated decorativism and gradually expanded its base. Historicism also had a significant impact on
the Backa region in terms of social science, architecture, urbanisation and applied arts, and especially on
the image and cultural heritage of its two largest, highly urbanised cities, Subotica and Baja.
The collection of the Türr István Museum of Fine Arts and Applied Arts holds a number of historici zing
artefacts, scientific data and sources that are still to be processed, published and presented.

THE LEGACY OF THE DECORATION WORKSHOP OF MIHALJ BLAŠKOVIĆ (BÁTORI) IN THE
COLLECTION OF THE CITY MUSEUM OF NOVI SAD
LAZIĆ, Ljiljana, art historian, museum counsellor
lazicljiljans@gmail.com
City Museum of Novi Sad, Novi Sad
In the City Museum of Novi Sad, there is a unique legacy that belonged to the Novi Sad painter Pavle
Ružički, part of which comes from the workshop of Mihalj Blašković Bátori, a famous late-19th-century
painter-decorator in Subotica. Their mutual connection has not yet been determined and we do not know
how Ružička took over the templates for making wall paintings. The collection consists of several
hundred drawings, sketches, templates and graphics that shaped the inventory and work tools in the
studios of the two artists who left a significant mark in the field of decorative painting in the area of Backa. The most valuable part of this collection consists of about 140 cardboards with laminated, hand-drawn and coloured templates for ornamental decoration of church interiors. Moreover, there are 64 templates with biblical and historical figural compositions, also used for decorating temples. Finally, the most interesting part of the legacy are the lithographs-backdrops for manufacturing paper theatres, which painters gladly used when making wall compositions for the interiors of profane buildings.

ABOUT THE "ISOLDE – SUBOTICA NEO-GOTHIC AS A FASHION INSPIRATION" PROJECT

MILIĆ, Miomir, art historian
miomirmilich@gmail.com
Belgrade–Subotica

The exhibition of photographs "Isolde – Neo-Gothic as Inspiration" was created as an idea to draw the
public ́s attention to the Neo-Gothic heritage in Subotica. The architecture of Subotica is, except in
scientific circles, mostly viewed in the context of Art Nouveau, therefore the complete Neo-Gothic opus
in Subotica was mostly neglected. Guided by the idea that architecture can inspire fashion and that
certain elements on clothing mimic architectural forms expressed through materials, embroidery and
cuts, I drew parallels between the works of three Subotica designers, Nina Rajak, Marko Marosiuk and
Tamara Santrač, and Neo-Gothic architecture; through fashion photography I placed their works in the
context of contemporary Isolde – the heroine of the tragic love love-story that marked the period of
Romanticism, when Neo-Gothic as an architectural style developed.

THE GREEN MAN AND THE ENVIOUS HEAD – CONTRIBUTION TO THE RESEARCH OF THE
ICONOGRAPHY OF HISTORICISM IN SUBOTICA

NINKOV K., Olga, PhD, art historian, museum counsellor
olga.k.ninkov@gmail.com
Municipal Museum of Subotica, Subotica

For the first time, the paper draws attention to two typical anthropomorphic iconographic motifs in
architecture and applied art from the period of Historicism in Subotica: the motif of the Green Man or
Foliate Head and the "Envious Head". The Green Man, as a motif or symbol, appears from Antiquity
during several historical epochs in various variants around the world, most often in Britain, France,
Germany and Italy, mainly from the 11th to the 16th century. The male face, which is surrounded by leaves
or made of them, most often appears in wood or stone in medieval sacral architecture, and is usually
interpreted as a symbol of rebirth or a growth cycle. The motif, which largely disappeared during the
neoclassical period and the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, became popular again
during the Gothic Revival and the revival of crafts in 19th century Britain, and spread later as an integral
part of Historicism. The second motif, the Envious Head or face in a grimace, is a motif with an
apotropaic function and also a long tradition. It appears in certain places in architecture, for example,
above the main entrance, and according to tradition, it should deter misfortune and evil. The aim of this
paper is to point out specific examples of these motives in Subotica – such as the rental house of Josip
Piuković (Matka Vukovića 4), the family house of Petar Dulić (Trg žrtava fašizma 9), the family house of
Titus Mačković (Braće Radića 4), the rental palace of Lazar Mamužić – and integrate them into a broader
context, as well as to point to further existence of these motives in the Art Nouveau of Subotica.

TWO HISTORICIZING ZSOLNAY STOVES – EXAMPLES FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND THE SUBOTICA CITY HALL

RADVÁNYI, Diána, art historian, museologist
radvanyi.diana@imm.hu
Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

Both the so-called Yellow Hall of the Town Hall in Subotica and the Museum of Applied Arts in
Budapest have a copy of the same Neo-Renaissance stove. The richly decorated heaters are typical, but
also representative of late 19th century tiled stoves.
The Zsolnay factory started regular stove production in 1885 and soon became the only serious domestic
competitor for the imported goods of the time, mainly from the Czech factories of Hardtmuth and
Meissen-Teischert. The stoves could be selected from printed catalogues through resellers, and by then it
was a common practice to think in terms of stoves that matched in style but could be varied and
assembled in different ways, so that the customer could create a stove that met his needs and the
requirements of the room to be heated.
The Budapest stove, which once stood in the headquarters of the Hungarian Journalists' Retirement
Institute, and its counterpart in Subotica differ slightly, but they were built according to the same plans
and are typical of the historicist stove type, which does not seek to copy Renaissance stoves exactly, but
rather emphasise their stylistic elements.

PRODUCTS OF THE COMPANY "THE WIDOW OF JAKOB GUTTMANN AND SONS" IN THE
FUND OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN ZRENJANIN AND SUBOTICA EXAMPLE

VORGIĆ, Dejan, art historian, museologist
dejanborkic@gmail.com

National Museum Zrenjanin, Zrenjanin

The company "The Widow of Jakob Guttmann and Sons" was founded in 1896 in Veliki Bečkerek as a
cement and artificial stone factory. It originally produced castings for facades, decorative tiles, marble
toys, whetstones and other artifacts based on cement and concrete. During the first decade of the 20th
century, the company was awarded for its products at multiple exhibitions in Bečkerek, Vršac and
Pančevo. In the interwar period, the factory grew into a modern company with more than 40 employees.
During World War II, the company was robbed, devastated and degraded. After the war and
nationalization, the factory was reduced to a small craft workshop, which operated until the mid-1970s.
On the remains of the factory, the curator of the National Museum Zrenjanin, Vukica Popović, during
fieldwork in the spring of 1968, collected unused plaster castings that were once intended for the
decoration of city facades. These castings decorated the wall niches of the hallways of the museum in the
early 1970s. In recent years, the interest of the curators of the Collection of Applied Arts for the Gutman's
factory and its products has been growing. Some of the found material and items from this factory were
inventoried and published. The latest research has led the curator of the National Museum in Zrenjanin
to the Mór Szilasi Palace in Subotica, where tiles with motifs identical to those produced in the Bečkerek's
factory have been found and identified.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A SOURCE FOR RESEARCH ON CLOTHING IN THE AGE OF HISTORICISM
IN SUBOTICA

VUKOVIĆ DULIĆ, Ljubica, art historian, senior curator
ljubvukovic@gmail.com
Municipal Museum of Subotica, Subotica

The paper explores and considers the possibility of reconstructing clothing in the era of Historicism in
Subotica, based on a selection of photographs by Subotica photographers from the collections of the
Municipal Museum of Subotica. The paper takes photography as an actual historical source, whose
observation and analysis can lead to specific conclusions related to the research topic. The emphasis lies
on noticing the transformations fashion went through during the second half of the 19th century in
relation to the previous and subsequent period. The analysis of portrait photographs and their
comparison with contemporary foreign fashion magazines, but also works of art such as portraits, points
to deeper changes in style that manifested in tailoring shapes and proportions, and which ultimately
formed the shape and meaning of women ́s, men ́s and children's clothing. Fashion details such as muffs,
gloves, parasols, fans, hats, shoes and jewelry followed this style transformation. By analysing portrait
photographs taken in the studios of Subotica, one can follow the changes in the way of shaping women's
hair into specific hairstyles, compare them and determine their place in relation to women's hairstyles in
foreign fashion magazines of the second half of the 19th century.

ARCHITECTURE AND PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES OF HISTORICISM

10th December 2021

10.30–10.45 Registration
10.45–11.00 Opening of the scientific conference. Welcome addresses: Anikó Mihájlovity, acting director
of the Municipal Museum of Subotica, and Zsuzsanna Korhecz Papp, DLA, fine art restorer
Chair: Ljubica Vuković Dulić and Zsuzsanna Korhecz Papp, DLA, members of the project team
11.00–13.10 Lectures

11.00–11.15 Janjušević, Bogdan, PhD, art historian, conservator, Provincial Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Petrovaradin

Historicism in the Architecture of Sombor

11.15–11.30 Prčić Vujnović, Gordana, Mr., architect, conservator counsellor, Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Subotica

Historicism of the Architect Titus Mačković from Subotica

11.30–11.45 Džamić, Neda, MA, art historian, conservator, Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Subotica

Rental Palaces in Subotica in the Period of Historicism

11.45–12.00 Fábián, Borbála, PhD, historian, Délvidék Research Center, Szeged

Street Lighting with Gas Lamps in the Towns of Backa in the Age of Historicism

12.00–12.15 Coffee break

12.15–12.30 Korhecz Papp, Zsuzsanna, DLA, fine art restorer, museum counsellor, Municipal Museum of Subotica

Restoration of Kratzmann Ede’s Stained Glass Windows

12.30–12.45 Terdik, Szilveszter, PhD, art historian, senior curator, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

The Relationship Between the Rétay and Benedek Institute of Applied Art and the Serbian
Orthodox Church

12.45–13.00 Lakatos, Adél, historian, Archives of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa

Neo-Gothic Church Architecture in the Backa Region – Presentation of the Churches of St.
Anna in Kelebia, St. George and St. Roch in Subotica in the Light of Archival Documents

13. 00–13.10 Discussion, closing words
13.10–13.25 Accompanying program: presentation of the short film The Neo-Gothic Architecture of
Subotica by Katarina Ivanković Radaković, Mirela Vereš and Mario Bošnjak, students of the
Secondary School of Music in Subotica. Mentor: Tünde Tselios, a history teacher, and
Marijan Kujundžić, a sociology teacher; musical accompaniment on organ: Ivana Mačković.

RENTAL PALACES IN SUBOTICA IN THE PERIOD OF HISTORICISM

DŽAMIĆ, Neda, MA, art historian, conservator
neda.dzamic@gmail.com
Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Subotica

The paper deals with the architectural history of rented palaces (built for residential and business
purposes) in Subotica, including the period of Historicism. In Subotica, the last two decades of the 19th
century and the very beginning of the 20th century are considered to be the age of great prosperity, which,
among other things, was made possible by the construction of the railway in 1869, at the time when
Subotica and Szeged were interconnected. That is when the accelerated urbanization of the city and the
construction of monumental profane buildings for private and public purposes began. Rental palaces put
a special stamp on the city construction, and today they represent an important segment of the
architectural heritage. This paper provides an overview of some of the most important palaces of this
period, such as the rental palaces of Mate Vojnić Jr., Jovan Dimitrijvić, Adolf Halbror, Samko
Manojlović, Mihály Prokesch, Lazar Mamužić, Lajos Vermes, Karl Lichtnekert, Petar Radišić, Luka
Aradski and others that are located within the protected city center. Emphasis is put on their history and
architectural and stylistic characteristics.

STREET LIGHTING WITH GAS LAMPS IN THE TOWNS OF BACKA IN THE AGE OF HISTORICISM

FÁBIÁN, Borbála, PhD, historian
fabianborbal@yahoo.com
Délvidék Research Center, Szeged

19th-century Hungary had 25 municipal gasworks, three of which were in Bács-Bodrog county. The first
gasworks in Backa was the one in Baja, which was in operation from 1887, followed by the one in Novi Sad
(1888) and the one in Subotica (1890). Street lighting was probably first introduced in Baja, while Subotica was
the first town in Backa and Hungary (from 1856) to have mineral oil lighting (photogenic). In both cities gas
street lighting was installed in the streets of the city centres. Four-armed lamp-posts also link the towns in
Backa. Two of these can still be seen today at the entrance to the town hall in Subotica. One of the interesting
exhibits of the Türr István Museum in Baja is the gas lamp-post, the likes of which have lit the streets of
Subotica almost up to the present day. The similarity of the gas lamps is no coincidence, as the gasworks in
both places were built and operated by the United Gasworks in Augsburg. In the 19th century, citizens paid
more attention not only to lighting their own homes, but also to street lighting. Municipal authorities were
careful in their choice of beautiful lamp-posts and wall lights, and an attentive stroll through the streets of the
Backa region reveals some of them even today. The features of Historicism are particularly evident on the
lamp-posts. The construction of gas works – and indirectly gas street lighting – contributed to the
construction of modern homes and houses, tenements and palaces with the stylistic characteristics of
historicism, because gas (known as 'air spirit' at the time) provided better lighting and heating in these
buildings.

HISTORICISM IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF SOMBOR

JANJUŠEVIĆ, Bogdan, PhD, art historian, conservator
argonautns@gmail.com
Provincial Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Petrovaradin

Historicism in 19th century architecture is a way of building by imitating historical styles or creating new
creations, applying traditional constructive and decorative elements, which are difficult to find in the
periods of origin and development of various styles.
During the dominance of Historicism, Sombor was one of the most developed cities in Vojvodina, given
that since 1749 it had had the status of a Free Royal City; in 1786 it became the seat of Backa, and was by
1802 already the seat of the united Bač-Bodrog County. At that time, a significant number of residential
and business palaces, family houses, representative public buildings such as school buildings
(Preparandija, Gymnasium, etc.) were being built in the city, and the county building was being extended
and reconstructed according to the project of the famous Gyula Partos. One of the prominent architects
who left their mark in Sombor is Vladimir Nikolić. The St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church was also
built in this period. Historicism left a very significant architectural heritage in Sombor and, as in most of
Backa, lasted from the middle of the 19th to the first decades of the 20th century.

RESTORATION OF KRATZMANN EDE’S STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

KORHECZ PAPP, Zsuzsanna, DLA, fine art restorer, museum counsellor
korhecz.zsuzsi@gmail.com
Municipal Museum of Subotica

In 2008, with the participation of the fine art restorer Zsuzsanna Korhecz Papp and under the
professional supervision of the glass restorer Éva Mester, the Tiffany company (József Kovács and Rudolf
Mészáros) in Subotica restored the stained glass windows in the grand staircase of the Savings Bank
Palace (People ́s Bank, Hungarian Royal Main Post Office), designed by the architect Titus Mačković
(1851–1919) from Subotica. From 2012, three stained glass windows made in 1891 depicting the kings of
St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus, as well as St. Teresa of Avila, which were found in the former catholic
church in Kljajićevo, were also restored. These stained glass windows were made by the glass artist Ede
Kratzmann (1847–1922) from Budapest. The windows of both sites have survived the last century in poor
condition, with many defects. The compositions from Subotica, decorated with Neo-Renaissance motifs
(leaf and floral ornamentation and gorgon heads), are set in blue and red borders and are mosaic in
composition. The missing window quarrels have been reconstructed by the restorers using the original
stained glass techniques and materials. The restored stained glass windows are an integral part of this
significant historic building of Subotica and enhance its artistic and historical value. The stained glass
windows from Kljajićevo are still waiting to be revived in the ecclesiastical art collection of the Diocese of
Subotica.

NEO-GOTHIC CHURCH ARCHITECTURE IN THE BACKA REGION – PRESENTATION OF THE
CHURCHES OF ST. ANNA IN KELEBIA, ST. GEORGE AND ST. ROCH IN SUBOTICA IN THE
LIGHT OF ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS

LAKATOS, Adél, historian
tamingadel@gmail.com
Archives of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa

The imposing Neo-Gothic churches of St. George, St. Roch and St. Anna in Kelebia are an integral part of
the rich architectural heritage of historicism in Backa. Their construction was well suited to the changes
in the church organisation in the archdiocese that started in the mid-19th century. During this period, the
quality of pastoral care in the considerably grown Roman Catholic community in the diocese was to be
improved by the establishment of several new parishes and pastorates. This process involved the
enlargement of churches that had become cramped and the building of new ones. These sacral buildings
were designed in Neo-Gothic style, the perfect style for the Church, a variant that appeared on the bridge
between Gothic-, Romantic style and Historicism.
The churches of St. Roch and St. George in Subotica were built in this style between 1893 and 1896.
The former was designed by Antal Hofhauser, the latter by Guido Hoepfner and István Keresztes.
The Neo-Gothic style was also the inspiration to Károly Wágner, the designer of the St. Anne Church,
built between 1893 and 1905 next to Baron Béla Rédl's manor house in Kelebia.

HISTORICISM OF THE ARCHITECT TITUS MAČKOVIĆ FROM SUBOTICA

PRČIĆ VUJNOVIĆ, Gordana, Mr, architect, conservator counsellor
gocapv@gmail.com
Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Subotica

The economic and cultural prosperity of Subotica was characterized by great urban planning that marked
the last two decades of the 19th century, creating a city by European standards in the spirit of Historicism. The long-neglected and undervalued architecture of historical styles (Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic) defined the urban character and identity of the city.

The key figure for the architectural and urban transformation of Subotica was the local architect Titus Mačković. He studied in Zürich as a student of Gottfried Semper, the most important theorist of Historicism, then in Aachen and Vienna. His design work is complex; additionally he was engaged in the production of bricks, construction works, theoretical work and the fight for his ideals. During his long career and numerous projects for various types of buildings, he experimented with all current stylistic directions of Historicism and Art Nouveau; nevertheless, what characterizes his work is Neo-Renaissance. He accepted novelties, new constructions and materials. Respecting proportions, he rose above the established patterns of the majority, introduced the dynamics of buildings, pulled out pillars, porches, terraces and bay windows outside the facade planes, moved the wall, accentuated the corner, carried out a synthesis of art, sculpture on the facade and symbolism.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RÉTAY AND BENEDEK INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ART AND
THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

TERDIK, Szilveszter, PhD, art historian, senior curator
terdik.szilveszter@gmail.com
Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

Between 1894 and 1920, the Rétay and Benedek Institute of Applied Art in Budapest produced and sold a
large number of church furnishings and equipment to the Roman and Greek Catholic parishes in
Hungary, as well as to the communities of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The history of the company's
artistic and commercial relations with the Serbian Orthodox communities in Hungary is not well known,
although traces of this cooperation (mainly iconostases) still exist (e.g. in Subotica, Novi Sad, Mohács,
etc.). According to the advertising material of the time, this Serbian connection also played a prominent role in shaping the company's image. The furniture produced by the firm, which is essentially Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic in style, represents a different style of historicism from that produced for Serbian Orthodox customers, that is often also of higher quality. In this presentation I will explore the relationship between this company, the Serbian communities and the artists involved, also looking at why a Catholic company could have such success in the Orthodox Church.