<--- back to main page The history The first one who took the initiative to establich the institution that could take care of the saving the sights of Košice and the neighbourhood, was Imrich Henszlmann. This Košice native, primal with medicine university degree, the founder of an artistic history in Ugria, has specified this requirement on a travelling conference of the doctors in Ugria, that took place in Košice and Prešov in a year 1846. His idea has come true in a year 1872, when thanks to the initiative of the brothers Klimkovič's and V. Myszkovsky the Upper-Ugrian Museum Association was successfully established. The honorary member I. Henszlmann has reached the support for the Museum Association among his friends and colleagues in Budapest, prominent representatives of the science from that period, as well as he personaly was the active member of the Association until his death. I. Henszlmann has died in a year 1888 and he left for the Museum his collections - over 3000 pcs of works of art, a library, the correspondence and manuscripts, as well as next inheritance. The first custodians of the collections, that came from the donations of approximately 200 members of the Association, became V. Myskovszky, who was responsible for the collections of art and archeological character, V. Klimkovič took care of numismatics and history and J. Forgács was responsible for the collections of natural scientific character. Within the first 2 year the Upper-Ugrian Museum Association had in its custody 14 016 pcs of collections. The town Košice has assigned the building of "The Golden Star" on Main Street (today the Old Town Theatre is located on its place) for the needs of the Association, where these works of art have been collected. The important landmark was the approval of the Statute in a year 1874, that has defined the main course of the development of the institution. According to the Statute, activity of the first degree importance was the collecting of the testimony of the past, mainly nature scientific, archeological, historical and art material, industrial products and ethnographical collections and to treat, keep and expose them. Therefore, according to the Statute, "it's needed to look for such the things of a heritage, to acquire, keep and register them". This way the homeland-scientific character of the Museum was defined. In a year 1876 the first museum exposition was opened in 11 rooms of the Golden Star, in the same year the Museum presented its collections at the World Exhibition in Vienna. Already by the end of the eighties it was evident that the space capacities of the Golden Star are unfit concerning the spreading of the collections and the increasing number of the visitors. In a year 1899 the Museum passed under the custody of the city Košice and thereby the institution lost its character of a museum association. Its new name was Kassai Museum, i.e. Museum of Košice. The construction of a new building was approved by the town in a year 1892, in a year 1895 was established a new base needed for the financing of the construction of building, that was completely finished according to the plans of the brothers Jakab's in the beginning of 20th century. A ceremonial inauguration of the Museum took place on June 21st, 1901. By the end of the first decade of 20th century the name of museum changed into Upper-Ugrian Rákoczi's Museum and it passed under the state custody. The change of the name of museum was executed in coherence with the placing the bones of František Rákoczi II. in Košice Cathedral in a year 1906, as well as with the assignment of museum to collect the Rákoczi's souvenirs and relics. Next problems regarding the space capacity should have been solved by allocation of the objects - Mikluš's prison and Executioner's bastion, that from beginning used to serve as depositories. The activities of the Museum were dupmed by the World War I. The war end and the formation of Czechoslovakia have moved on the activities of the Museum into the new dimensions. In addition to others, its name was changed into East Slovakian Museum. In a year 1918 Museum had to face up to the decrease of the collections' material, because in a year 1918 the most valuable collections had to be removed to Budapest. Already in April 1919 Museum appealled to the people with a leaflet to collect the memories of the concurrent dramatic events. Museum also began to communicate closely with the regional edifying clerks, the officers of local governments, attorneys, clerical officers and the associations' members. Indisputable active was a deal of East Slovakian Museum on the develoment of the creative arts on the territory of Eastern Slovakia, on its documentation and promotion of its creative expression in both, present and past. Providing the space capacities for the drawing education, the efforts to establish own lithographical workshop, support for the pure and persecuted artists, a deal in the mediation of the sale of their creation… By the decision of the Viennese arbitrage on November 2nd, 1938 Košice has fallen to the share of the Horty's Hungaria. Even two days after, on November 4th, 1938, all the inventory of East Slovakian Museum should have been blocked and except the own property its director was not allowed to dispone with anything. In spite of this the director has ensured and evacuated a part of the collections to the museum in Martin, where from they have been returned back to Košice after the war end. Museum reverted to the name Felsömagyarországi Rákóczi museum (Upper-Ugrian Rákoczi's Museum), that was used until the year 1945. Also during the time when Museum was detached from Slovakia, its management strived to preserve the original worthwhilenesses within the mapping of the regions and much meritorious acts were done. A lot of important historical buildings of the city were renovated, Urban's tower was repaired and the gravestones from Košice dated since 14th to 18th century were put into its arcadian corridor. By restoring Mikluš's Prison many memorial articles from medieval pottery workshop have been found. After finishing the restoration works the Museum has opened here the exposition of the town history. The most important archeological research in that period took place by Mill's Ditch (Mlynský jarok). The unique collection of the medieval smithy workshop was uncovered here. Also the Executioner's Bastion was restored, with the extension of a constructional copy of the František Rákoczi II.'s house from Turkey. However the extension was not completely finished and was opened for public only 50 years later in a year 1991. Within these years the Museum had under its custody also the Mausoleum of Andrassys' in Krásnohorské Podhradie. During the period of years 1942 - 1944 the magazine "Új magyar múzeum" (The New Hungarian Museum) was issued by the Museum of Košice. Also in that time the Museum has struggled with the chronical problems with a space capacities. The solution should be the commitment of the Museum Library with over the 80 000 pcs of specimens to the Town Library by remaining strictly technical literature for the purposes of the Museum. Concerning the war happenings in a year 1943 over 86 pcs of boxes were hidden in the rock wine-cellars of Košice episcopacy in Hejce. They were returned back to Košice after the finishing of war operations in the surroundings, however 10 boxes have lost and also certain part of other collections have been returned damaged. By uprising of a new situation due to the war end in a year 1947 two new departments were established - ethnological and archeological. In a year 1955 a zoological department was established by the Museum and it participated in the rescue archeological research in a period of the years 1951 - 1954 and in the enlargement of the ethnological collections about the farm economy, folk-craft production and a folk furniture in the year 1956. After the political coup in a year 1948 the group of zealots arranged the exposition of the labour movement tributary to the ruling group. In a year 1951 the decision about the establishment of the separate gallery was approved and the Museum passed for the purposes of this gallery a part of its collections. In a year 1952 the State Scientific Library was established, what has quite much reduced the library funds of the Museum. Evently in 1954 the establishment of a separate museum of a labour movement and the history of Comunist Party of Czechoslovakia and the assignment of several collections was seriously considered. Only in the sixties the Museum undertook the function of a technical-methodical centre for the museas of Eastern Slovakia. In a year 1960 the Museum began to issue the natural-scientific year-book, that was in a year 1969 followed by a historical-scientific year-book "Historica Carpatica". In a year 1965 the Museum has undertaken the responsibility for the caves of Eastern Slovakia and in a year 1969 the statute of a national cultural heritage of the Spiš Castle has specified the part of the Museum on the reconstruction of the castle as well as its perspective taking under the custody of the Museum. The Museum has established a special detached exposition in Červený Kláštor, installed the exposition of the Golden Treasure of Košice and undertook the guide-service for the "clenodium" and the crypt of František Rákoczi II. in St. Elizabeth's Cathedral. In the period of so called political consolidation in seventies next department of the latest history has uprised and gave to the Museum a political-ideological dimension. It responded to the nomenclature of the leading cadres, which politics was deforming the main functions of the Museum. In the years 1974 - 1975 the reconstruction of the District House as the House of Košice Government Programme took place and it was declared to be a national cultural heritage. A wide exposition of a labour movement and a building up the socialism was installed there. In a year 1984 the Museum has intalled a special exposition on Spiš Castle. After finishing the renovation works of a monor-house in Šaca and after the extension of the depositary capacities as well as the establishment of the depositories in a former canonical house, the Museum was able to leave far-away depositories in Borša, Fričovce and Stará Ľubovňa. By the end of the year 1989 the Museum endorsed to a homeland-scientific conception that should have liberated the path for the rising efforts. The ideological division for "the latest history" was cancelled and the historical department has got back its place in the Museum structure and mission. However because of the restitutional demands of the church the Museum has lost the Urban's Tower and its collection was removed to Pottery Street. Museum was also deprived of the custody of the crypt of František Rákoczi II.

The building of the Golden Star, where the Upper-Ugrian Association, the precursor of today's East Slovakian Museum, has located its collections. Picture is dated to the year 1876. Imrich Henszlamann - one of the founders of the Upper-Ugrian Museum Association. František Klimkovič - one of the founders of the Upper-Ugrian Museum Association. Vojtech Klimkovič - one of the founders of the Upper-Ugrian Museum Association. The regard of the World exhibition in Paris from the year 1900 granted to the Upper-Ugrian Association (the precursor of today's East Slovakian Museum) for the historical exposition.