The National Theatre of Miskolc is the main theatre of

Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...

, and the oldest theatre company of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. Its current

Classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

and Neo-baroque building built between 1847 and 1857, is in the city centre, in Széchenyi street and is home to not only theatrical plays, but also to events like the International Opera Festival of Miskolc.

History

The first theatre in Miskolc was built between 1819 and 1823, the second fully stone theatre in the country (the first one being in

Kolozsvár ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , l ...

) was premiering with ''A tatárok Magyarországban'' on 24 August. This structure was destroyed in fire on 19 July 1843. With money from the insurance company and public contributions, construction of a new building has started on 3 September 1847, with a design of József Cassano, but was slowed by the 1848 Revolution and lack of funds. Serious construction speeded up again in the early 1850s, partly with the upcoming visit of

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

(the emperor eventually did not take part in the opening ceremony). After a decade of construction, the theatre opened on 3 September 1857 with the play ''Marót bán'' by

Mihály Vörösmarty Mihály Vörösmarty (archaically English: Michael Vorosmarthy 1 December 180019 November 1855) was an important Hungarian poet and dramatist. Biography He was born at Puszta-Nyék (now Kápolnásnyék), of a noble Roman Catholic family. H ...

. Its first director was Endre Latabár, the first member of the illustrious Latabár actor-dynasty. For several years, the lower levels of the building were occupied by shops (their rent partly funded the theatre), and the upper levels were home to the National Casino. The theatre was often home to the guest performances of Déryné Széppataki Róza, the most known actress of the era. The building was reconstructed in 1880, and extending with a fire-watch tower. The theatre, formerly belonging to a joint stock company, became the property of the municipality of Miskolc in 1914. 1990 saw a further extension, enlarging the theatre to twice of its former floor space, 16 000 square meters, including five separate stage halls. The complex is also home to a museum dedicated to the theatrical history of Miskolc.

Sources

*Gyarmati, Béla: Legendák, anekdoták, emlékek a miskolci színjátszás történetéből. Budapest: Nazar Bt., 2007.

Early theatre of Miskolc and National Theatre of Miskolc in the Hungarian Theatrical Lexicon (György, Székely. Magyar Színházmuvészeti Lexikon. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994. ), freely available on mek.oszk.hu

External links

National Theatre of Miskolc website

Official site of the Opera Festival
(in Hungarian, English and German) {{Authority control Culture in Miskolc Buildings and structures in Miskolc Tourist attractions in Miskolc Theatres in Miskolc 1857 establishments in the Austrian Empire