Historical building of the Slovak National Museum in Martin - an architectural pearl against the background of everyday hustle and bustle
If the inhabitants of Martin were to stop for a moment and look around, they would surely notice one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - perhaps even the most beautiful - the historic building of the Slovak National Museum. This architectural gem, although now somewhat dilapidated at a busy intersection, stands out for its monumental style and meticulous decoration. The best view of it is from the main staircase of the post office, from where you can fully enjoy its beauty.
At first glance, the building impresses with its paradox: although it is relatively small, it looks monumental and representative. It was built in 1906-1907 according to the design of the young Budapest architect Milan Michal Harminc for the needs of the Slovene National Museum, and it stands close to its "older brother" - the National House, where the Slovak intelligentsia met at the end of the 19th century. It was in this environment that they sought to maintain cultural life and national awareness. The first collections preserved by the museum were created by the Slovak Museum Society, founded in 1893. The initiator of the establishment of the museum was the priest and nationalist Andrej Kmet, who unfortunately died before the opening of the new building in 1908.
The investor was the Slovak Museum Society, which voted in August 1905, evaluated the situation as follows: "...seeing the necessity of adequate rooms, although the entire necessary building capital is not yet in hand, accepts the proposal and, relying on God's help and counting on the generous devotion of the Slovak public, authorizes the administration and the committee to start the construction of the museum building in the coming spring." Amazingly, the building was constructed in just two years, a testament to the hard-working and determined spirit of previous generations.
The building tries to match the impression of other great European national museums, so it uses classical methods with strong elements reminiscent of antiquity. It is also exceptional in that its exterior and interior have undergone almost no changes in over a century, thus retaining its authentic character.
At the time of its creation, it was built in an undeveloped area of the city – the new streets of Turčiansky St Martin were just beginning to take shape so the main south facade of the building stood out well. Currently, the western facade with harmoniously distributed symmetrical surfaces is more dominant. The exterior of the building is literally full of decorative elements and visitors will be pleasantly surprised by rich decorations in the interior of the building as well. The atmosphere of the whole interior is determined by a representative entrance hall and staircase. Even though the building looks ancient, the architect applied new modern construction methods – for example, a reinforced concrete structure was used in the ceilings.
In his ceremonial speech on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the museum, Andrej Kmeť remarked that the space in the building would probably quickly become insufficient for the needs of the National Museum. He was right – a new museum building was built in Martin in 1938.
During its history, the building (especially after the Second World War), was rented by various tenants: for example, it was temporarily used by the army, it was the seat of the regional house of enlightenment, and was also used by the regional library and the local basic art school for children. Nevertheless, it is currently used as a museum again.
At the moment, it houses the permanent exhibitions Kmetianum, an exhibition reflecting Andrej Kmeť’s work, and Nature of Turiec. It is a branch of the Slovak National Museum in Martin and it houses the seat of the Department of Natural History Collections of Museums in Martin.
Text: PhDr. Milan Gonda
Actual photos of monuments donated by Mgr. Ján Farský
Historical photos provided by Ing. Vladimír Bullo
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