Karoly Kos, Kosch

(16 December 1883, Timisoara/Temesvár-25 August 1977, Cluj Napoca/Kolozsvár)

architect, writer, graphic designer, publisher

He began his university studies in 1902 at the Civil Engineering Faculty of the Technical University in Budapest, but after two years he switched to study architecture. After graduating in 1907, he started to work as an architect.

During this period he designed, among others, the Zebegény  Roman Catholic church (Római katolikus templom) (1908-09), the buildings of the Budapest Zoo (Budapesti Állatkert), 1909-1910) together with Dezső Zrumeczky, the Székely National Museum (Székely Nemzeti Múzeum) (1911-1912) in Sfîntu Gheorge/Sepsiszentgyörgy, and the Reformed church (Református templom) in Cluj Napoca/Kolozsvár (1912-1913). 

In his designs he used motives of Transylvanian (Erdély) folk art, mainly the folk architecture of Kalotaszeg (a region of Transylvania). His book, 'The Architecture of the People of Transylvania (Erdély népének építőművészete)', was born as a result of his research. At the end of 1916 he was commissioned to design and build the settings for the coronation of King Charles IV (Károly, Karl). Following this, between 1917 and 1918, he received a state grant for a study tour to Istanbul. On his return, he moved back to Transylvania although he had been offered a job in Budapest. There he supported himself from his occasional graphic designs and the income of his estate. He was also interested in literature; the themes for his novels and short stories were mainly drawn from the history of Transylvania. His most important novel, 'The State Founder (Az Országépítő)', is about the life of King Stephen I (1934).  He took part in the organisation of the Hungarian political and artistic life of Transylvania. In 1924 he founded the Transylvanian Guild for Fine Workmanship (Erdélyi Szépmíves Céh), an independent publishing company for Transylvanian writers. He remained the director of the Guild until it was disbanded in 1944.  From 1940 he taught agricultural architecture at the Agricultural College (Mezőgazdasági Főiskola) of Cluj Napoca. He continued to work as an architect, designing churches, houses, and holiday homes, and restoring medieval buildings. In the autumn of 1944 he sought refuge in Cluj Napoca as his home had been looted and his manuscripts had been destroyed. Following this he once again became active in the political and social scene. After his retirement in 1953 he mainly occupied himself with literature.

He made his mark as equally an architect, a graphic designer, and a writer.