Landmarks of the city
Moldava nad Bodvou

The local government in Moldava

In the case of Moldava, the origins of local self-government date back to 1317. At that time, the town was governed by a town council composed of sworn members and headed by a mayor (richter). Its competences included the judiciary, administration, and the management of the town's economy. To perform its functions, the town council essentially needed premises. Initially, council rooms often located in the mayor's house served this purpose. Many towns only began constructing town halls, which served multiple purposes, during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Fig. 1. Postcard from 1905 – 1910 (view of Main Street with the town hall)

Building

In Moldava, a two-story building in the town center (today the Municipal Cultural Centre) served as the town hall from at least the end of the 18th century. The town hall building certainly existed by 1833, when it was listed in the inventory of town property. In addition to its primary function, it served other purposes as well; the building was simultaneously the seat of several offices. It housed the notary office and, for a time, the post office and the district administrator's office (slúžnovský úrad), which did not have their own buildings.

Fig. 2. Postcard from the 1920s

On the second floor of the town hall, in addition to city council meetings, auctions, exhibitions, and lectures were organized; members of the reading club and the casino met here, theatrical and singing performances took place, and various dances were held. For a time, there was an inn on the ground floor that provided accommodation for more prominent visitors.

Fig. 3. Old Town Hall with an inn on the ground floor (postcard)

Conversion

After the collapse of the monarchy (in 1918), the town coat of arms in the form of a dove disappeared from the gable of the facade above the crown cornice, and the second passageway – the size of a horse-drawn carriage – was walled up (today the entrance to the Info Center).

Fig. 4. Originally the second passageway, today the entrance to the Info Center (interior view)

In 1931, a town cinema building was constructed on the site of the stables in the courtyard. Its presence was signaled by a metal sign placed on the old town hall building above the entrance to the courtyard. Today, the aforementioned cinema building has been renovated and houses the Multifunctional Center for Children and Youth of the town of Moldava nad Bodvou. The old town hall building currently houses the Municipal Cultural Centre.

The Old Town Hall through the eyes of AI

Listen to a song about the old town hall:

Watch a video animation created from a postcard of the old town hall: