The Executioner's Bastion is a
bastion
A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
situated at Stará baštová Street in the historic center of
Košice
Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
.
Its name is derived from the fact that the bastion was situated near a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
executioner
An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who effects a sentence of capital punishment on a condemned person.
Scope and job
The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorizing or ordering him to ...
's house. It is semicircular building with eight cannon chambers erected around the year 1500, build for defense purposes. The bastion was converted in the years 1920–1930 to the needs of the
East Slovak Museum.
The Memorial House of
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...
is a part of the Executioner's Bastion. It is a
replica
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
of his
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
in the
Turkish exile
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
in
Tekirdağ
Tekirdağ () is a city in northwestern Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. The city forms the urban part of the Süleymanpaşa district, with a population of 186,421 in 2022.
Tekirdağ ...
. The exhibition in the memorial house presents relics reminding the life of the last leader of the anti-
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
uprising
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
, the history of the replica of his house in Rodosto and the funeral of Rákóczi and his brothers-in-arms in Košice in 1906.
The bronze
sculpture of Francis II Rákóczi was unveiled on April 3, 2006 in front of the house.
References
{{Coords, 48, 43, 22.47, N, 21, 15, 38.38, E, display=title
Buildings and structures in Košice
Rákóczi family
Fortifications in Slovakia
Tourist attractions in Košice