Korzo — Subotica in Miniature

The history of Korzo is inextricably linked with the rapid development of Subotica in the 19th century, especially after the city received the status of a “free royal city” in 1779. Once upon a time, on the site of present-day Korzo, there was a road that connected the old part of the city (the area around the Franciscan monastery) with new territories, which were developed as the population grew. The name “Corzo” (from Italian corso - “main street”, “place for walking”) comes from the general European urban tradition. This was the name of the main promenades in the cities of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This name perfectly reflected the function of the street: it was a place where townspeople went for an evening stroll (korzózás in Hungarian) to see others and show themselves off, discuss news, and conclude business agreements. It was a social ritual of the upper and middle classes. After World War I, Subotica became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. At the same time, Korzo’s social and commercial role remained the same. The street continued to be the center of city life. Elements of neoclassicism and art deco appeared in the architecture, but they harmoniously fit into the existing ensemble. And the cafes on Korzo remained the main meeting places for intellectuals, artists, politicians... After 1945, private property was nationalized in socialist Yugoslavia. Many luxury apartments and shops on Korzo have been converted into communal housing and state-owned commercial enterprises. Despite this, Korzo has not lost its role as the main public space. It remained a “showcase of the city”, a place where festive processions and folk festivals took place and where meetings were still scheduled.The lack of private investment then led to the gradual physical decline of many buildings. The unique Art Nouveau facades have not been restored for decades and have gradually degraded. After Serbian independence and especially in the 21st century, there has been a new awareness of the value of Korzo Street as an architectural heritage, while also becoming an excellent pedestrian area. Its appearance was positively affected by the beginning of the restoration of historical buildings, often with the support of international foundations (for example, Hungarian) and the European Union. Today Korzo is a tourist mecca and the pride of Subotica; it is a unique urban ensemble. There are still cafes, restaurants, boutiques here, and the daily walks of the townspeople along Korzo (šetnja Korzom) remain a wonderful living tradition. The history of Korzo Street is a micromodel of the history of the city of Subotica itself: from a modest road to a luxurious promenade of Austria-Hungary, then through the transformations of the 20th century to its rebirth as the pearl of European Art Nouveau. Its stone facades and paving stones preserve the memory of economic ups and downs, changing eras and the constant need of people for beauty and communication.

After the disastrous defeat of Hungary at the Battle of Mohács in August 1526, a period of anarchy ensued in the southern Hungarian lands (in the territory of modern Vojvodina). The Hungarian kingdom collapsed, and the Ottoman Empire had not yet had time to assert its power. As a result, the region plunged into chaos as crowds of refugees and dispossessed people—mostly Serbs, but also Magyars (Hungarians) and Vlachs (Romanians)—moved through the villages, plundering and pillaging. It was at this moment that Jovan Nenad appeared on the historical stage, nicknamed Crnim (Black) because of the unusual black mark on his body, which many considered a sign of fate. He managed to rally these crowds of disadvantaged people around himself, forming an army numbering, according to various estimates, from 10 to 15 thousand people. Aiming to protect the Christian population from the Turks and Magyar nobility, he conquered vast territories in Bačka and parts of Banat and Srem. Nenad proclaimed himself king (emperor), and made the city of Subotica (Sabadka) his capital. He began distributing the captured lands and property to his comrades, establishing military and administrative control. His short-lived state actually became the first Serbian state formation on the territory of Vojvodina after the Ottoman conquest of medieval Serbia. In Hungary at that time, there was virtually dual power: Ferdinand I of Habsburg was strengthened on the throne, while the local nobility elected Janos Zapolyai as king. Nenad, seeking to legitimize his status, entered into negotiations with the Habsburgs (who, apparently, promised him recognition in exchange for support). And he became an ally of Ferdinand in his fight against Zapolya.Nenad fought fiercely, but his reign was short-lived. In June 1527, his troops suffered a heavy defeat from the army of Zapolya. While retreating, Jovan Nenad was mortally wounded in an assassination attempt in the village of Tornos. After his death, his army disintegrated and the kingdom ceased to exist. The territory of Nenad briefly came under the control of the Zápolya and then the Habsburgs, before being finally conquered by the Ottoman Empire. In the historiography of Serbia, the short-term existence of the kingdom of Nenad is considered a symbol of the first independent Serbian state entity in the region and an important stage in the formation of the idea of ​​Vojvodina as a territory with Serbian self-government.

The People's Theater in Subotica (Naroszínház / National Theatre) is not only the central cultural institution of the city, but also one of the most significant and, at the same time, most controversial architectural objects in its history. The history of the building, built in the mid-19th century, vividly reflects the cultural and political vicissitudes of the region. Construction of the theater began in 1845 and was completed in 1854. It marked an important stage in the development of Subotica (then part of the Austrian Empire), since it was the city's first monumental public building, built not for religious or administrative purposes, but for cultural purposes. The initial project was made in the style of classicism. The architectural appearance of the building was strict and representative, which corresponded to the spirit of the era. The main facade was decorated with columns supporting the tympanum, which gave the building the appearance of an ancient temple, symbolizing the greatness of art. The theater was located in the very heart of the city, forming its central square. Over the decades, the theater has undergone slight changes, but its classicist basis has remained unchanged. Between 1904 and 1910, when Subotica experienced the heyday of the Secession style under the influence of architects such as Komor and Jacob, the architectural ensemble of the central square changed greatly. However, the theater building, although it was among the new buildings in the Art Nouveau style, remained a key element reflecting an earlier era. In 1983, realizing the historical and cultural value of the building as evidence of early urban planning activities, the theater building was declared a cultural monument under state protection.By the beginning of the 21st century, the building had become dilapidated and required major repairs. The city authorities decided on its large-scale reconstruction, the purpose of which was to expand the premises, modernize the stage and technical equipment. In 2007, a controversial decision was made to demolish most of the historic building. Despite its protected status, all parts were destroyed except the end part. The public, historians and architectural heritage defenders strongly criticized this move, considering it the loss of one of Subotica's most valuable architectural sites. Instead of restoring the historical appearance, construction of a new, modern complex began in its place. The project of the new People's Theater included a combination of modern architectural solutions with the recreation, or rather stylization, of part of the historical facade, which should be reminiscent of the classicist original. The design and construction epic, which began in 2007, dragged on for many years, becoming, as they say, the longest and most expensive construction story in modern Serbia. And now, when the formation of the new appearance of the theater is almost completed, it represents an architectural hybrid: a modern, technically equipped building, on the one hand, and a complex symbol of lost heritage and contradictory urban planning decisions, on the other.

Peter I Karadjordjevic (1844 - 1921), the first Serbian king of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, who became the first king of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, who spent most of his reign under the regency of his son Alexander. His democratic reforms were the main reason for the popularity and good memory of his descendants. He received his education in France at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy. Served in the French Foreign Legion. Participated in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Uprising (1875). Peter's participation as a volunteer in the Serbian-Turkish and Russian-Turkish war of 1876-1878. was overshadowed by a conflict with King Milan, who suspected him of wanting to use the situation to gain power in the country. After the uprising in the Toplić district in southern Serbia, Milan openly accused Peter of high treason and collaboration with the Turks, after which Peter had to flee to Austria-Hungary, where he was interned until the end of the war, after which he returned to France. In 1894, he and his children went to Geneva, where he remained until 1903. At the age of 59, Peter Karageorgievich returned from exile and was enthroned after the assassination of King Alexander Obrenovic by Serbian officers led by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrievich (Apis). Peter Karageorgievich was very popular among the people, was considered a liberal, a Francophile, was related to the Montenegrin ruling house, and had a reputation as a friend of Russia. The Western-educated king attempted to introduce a series of liberal reforms in Serbia with the goal of creating a Western-style constitutional monarchy limited by parliament.King Peter I relied on Russia and France, which caused growing hostility among Austria-Hungary. As King of Serbia, Peter made two ceremonial visits to St. Petersburg and Paris in 1910 and 1911 respectively, in which he was hailed as a hero of democracy and national independence in the then impoverished Balkans. The reign of Peter I from 1903 to 1914 is remembered as the "Golden Age of Serbia" due to significant political freedoms, a free press, and dramatically increased cultural influence among the South Slavs. King Peter I supported culture and higher education, seeing the rapid development of the country as his priority. Peter gained enormous popularity after the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, which were a great success, marked by spectacular military victories over the Ottomans, followed by the liberation of “Old Serbia” (Kosovo Vilayet). Serbia's territory doubled and its prestige among the South Slavs increased significantly, and Peter was perceived as the main symbol of this political and cultural success. After a conflict between the military and civil authorities in the spring of 1914, King Peter decided to “retire” due to poor health, assigning royal prerogatives to his son Alexander on June 25 (July 8), 1914.The king, spending much of his time in various Serbian resorts, remained relatively inactive during the First World War, although occasionally, when the military situation was close to critical, he visited positions on the front line to boost the morale of his troops. His visit to the line of fire before the Battle of Kolubara in late 1914 so boosted the morale of the retreating Serbian forces that he turned the counter-offensive into a victory against the numerically superior Austro-Hungarian forces. During another such visit in 1915, the 71-year-old king took a rifle and shot at enemy soldiers. Following the invasion of Serbia by a joint force of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria in October 1915, King Peter I led his army and tens of thousands of civilian refugees through Albania's high mountains to the Adriatic Sea. After a rapid retreat during the harsh winter, the king and his army, exhausted by cold and hunger, were eventually brought to Corfu by the Allies in early 1916. For the remainder of World War I, King Peter I, already very ill, remained on the Greek island of Corfu, which became the seat of the Serbian government in exile until December 1918. At the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on December 1, 1918, 74-year-old Peter appeared in public for the last time. He died two and a half years later, on August 16, 1921, from pneumonia in Belgrade and was solemnly buried in a monastery near Topola in central Serbia, where his grandfather, the founder of the dynasty, rebelled against the Ottomans in 1804.

Ferenc Reichl... He lived a great life, seeing different eras: from 1869 to 1960. Having received an architectural education in Budapest, he visited a number of the largest cities in Europe, studying the achievements of contemporary architects, and subsequently lived and worked in Subotica (from 1896 to 1908). At the beginning, he met the tastes of his clients, which is why his early works were not in the Secession style. He built many private and public buildings, and each of them is wonderful in its own way. But this palace is something special, which is understandable - Reichl built it for himself in 1904. Ferenc Reichl chose a very attractive location for its construction, opposite the railway station and a recently landscaped park. He quickly designed a unique building in the Art Nouveau style with functional space and original forms. He built both buildings at the same time: his own residential building and a rental building next to it. Construction took less than two years. The latest quality materials were used, and the best craftsmen were brought in to work wood and wrought iron, mosaics, stained glass, glass prisms and plaster reliefs. Reichl put all his knowledge and creativity into decorating his home. He embodied the motifs of Hungarian folk art in every detail. On December 28, 1904, Reichl requested permission to enter. The rooms and salons of the palace were furnished with expensive furniture and objects of art brought by him from long journeys. Income from the rental building and shops on the ground floor should have provided the architect with additional funds for a comfortable life. However, the Reichl family lived in the palace for only four years. Bankruptcy caused by a combination of circumstances forced the family to leave home.The palace was purchased by a bank, which put it up for sale and sold all the property at auction. The palace was purchased by industrialist Teresa Hartmann, who rented it out to tenants. One of the tenants, pharmacist Emil Schösberger, bought the building from the Hartmann family, but he, his wife Anna and two sons, Petar and Andrija, were evicted from the building at the beginning of World War II. After World War II, the palace was nationalized. In 1948 it was transferred to the Subotica City Museum, which adapted the premises for its permanent exhibition, and since 1969 it has housed the Subotica Gallery of Contemporary Art.