The architect and art historian Károly Csányi (1873–1955) was a department head of the Museum of Applied Arts and most importantly a professor at the technical university, amongst his other positions. While still a young professional he took part in the surveying of many significant historic properties alongside Imre Steindl. He later performed survey and reconstruction work on numerous old buildings, both on his own and with his students. He travelled to Szentbenedek in 1907, where he made a detailed survey and took numerous photographs of the castle.
Szentbenedek (Mănăstirea, Romania) is in the northwestern section of the Transylvanian Plain on the right bank of the Kis-Szamos (Someşul Mic) River in the Szamosmellék Hills. The enormous castle standing here was one of Transylvania’s most interesting and most beautiful building complexes for centuries. It came into the estates of Boldizsár Kornis in 1602 when he married into the Keresztúri family that had owned it up until then. During the 17th century, it was decorated on the exterior and interior in a manner worthy of an aristocratic residence, including a stairway with carved columns and the grand hall with a painted coffered ceiling. These painted wooden doors may also have come from this period.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Neo-Classical “new palace”, which was created through the remodeling of a building that had previously served as a granary, was also given a new function as a residence.
Following the Second World War, the castle and its estates were nationalized, the “old castle” was used as a silo and the small palace was used as a school, and then a few years later it was abandoned. The furnishings of the castle and its valuable library were completely destroyed. Today, only the ruins of Kornis Castle can be seen despite initiatives to save it.
Several series of photographs of the building complex from various years can be found in our photographic collection. These include the photographs of Albert Petrik from 1894, Károly Csányi from 1907 and Kálmán Szöllősy from 1944, through which it is possible to follow its gradual deterioration.
Mercédes Köntzey
