Historical Architecture (Self Guided), Pecs

The Building of the Europe House is an eclectically-styled building constructed in 1895 for the Danube Steamshipping Company. The design of the House was created by a Viennese architect and was planned to accentuate the mining and shipping orientation of the company. The Building has two memorial tablets dedicated to mining engineer Dr. Jaroslav Jicinskythis, who worked here as the director, planner and executor of the First Danube Steamshipping Company.

The City Court is another eclectically-styled building that is by Imre Schlauch. It was built in 1891. In times of Turkish rule, the site of the City Court building hosted the bath of pasha Gazi Kaseem, but the location became a prison in 1722. Later, when Civic Casino shareholders bought the site, there was a theatre here. The City Court was constructed only after the theatre's building was demolished.

The County Hall is probably the most beautifully decorated building on Széchenyi Square. Some of the decorations were made by the Zsolnay factory foremen. It was built in 1897. In 1954 part of the building burned down, but later it was reconstructed with a new roof that was simpler than previously. Notably, the front space of the building from the side of the street was constructed by Jesuits between 1716 and 1726. They took some tombstones from the Turkish cemetery. Curious visitors may notice wonderful frescos made by Ernő Gebauer, above the stairs, which describe the foundation of the first university of Pécs. There is also a small park in front of the building where you can see a marble bust of Leonardo da Vinci.

The City Hall is a fine example of Neobaroque style with a hint of eclectic design. It was built in 1907. If you stand on Széchenyi Square you can hear City Hall's bell that has rung every hour since 1871! The building has a great history. It was demolished and restored several times: in 1695, and then in 1834 when it was presented as a Classicist-styled building designed by József Piatsek. By the year 1895 the city required a new larger building for its needs and the city assembly decided to built the current City Hall.

The Postal Palace is a magnificent building that adorns the centre of ancient Sopianae, a city of the Roman Empire division called Valeria, which we call Pecs today. The construction is in eclectic style with some inclusions of French Renaissance ornaments. Some of the building's decorations were made at the Zsolnay Factory, and elements like reliefs and the coat of arms reflect the postal orientation of the palace.

At first, the Building Complex of the Elephant House was constructed to be a restaurant, called the White Elephant, at the beginning of the 1800s. But at the same time another Elephant, The Black Elephant, was also opened, selling spices, tools and colonial goods. The silhouette of a metal elephant still stands on a console of the building complex. The building was reconstructed in 1820s, when the built-up northern area served as an apartment house.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the building that was located here was torn down. Plans were drawn for a new construction that would be typical for the contemporary architecture. However, the design was changed for some reason and the current building was constructed; it is a copy of a building in Zagreb. To this day no one knows why the owner wanted his building to be similar to Zagreb's "Holy Trinity" pharmacy.

The Klára Leőwey Grammar School building was designed by the famous architect Feigler in 1851, but its construction was delayed for many years. First it bore the name of Saint Elizabeth and functioned as a school for girls. Then in 1950, it was renamed after Klára Leőwey, the famous female hero of the Independence War of 1848-1849. Later, in 1956 the German Ethnic Department was founded in the Klára Leőwey Grammar School, but after that the departments of English and French were added.

The House of Civil Communities was constructed in the beginning of the 19th century and used to serve as an apartment house for rich families in Pecs. However, the building was nationalized in 1952 to become the so-called Pioneer House, then it operated as a Teacher's House. The place has a very nice interior architecture; for example, the fountain in the garden with only one spring remaining was built by the Rihmer family. But the Grosz family of Üszög gave a new design to the entire house; it was changed to be a Neo-Baroque building. And of course, the new facilities including the hot air heating were installed. Today the House of Civil Communities serves as a home for more than 50 non-governmental organisations and art groups.

The construction of the Bishop's Palace dates back to the twelfth century. Frankish Bishop Bonipert was the first owner of the Palace, but the second resident was Hungarian Bishop Mór. Then, the building was remodeled in Renaissance style, but in the period of Bishop György Klimó, the Palace gained a completely new look. Later, in the nineteenth century, it received some modifications: the second story, the new ornamented facade, the balcony and the statue of Imre Varga were added. The Bishop's Palace is open for visitors in the summer every Thursday.