Károly Kós

Károly Kós (, born Károly Kosch; 16 December 1883 – 25 August 1977) was a Hungarian architect, writer, illustrator, ethnologist and politician of Hungary and Romania.

Biography Born as Károly Kosch in Temesvár, Austria-Hungary (now Timișoara, Romania). His great-grandfather, Koos, was a Magyar peasant who assimilated into the Saxon community. He studied engineering at the Royal University of Technology József, and only afterwards turned towards architecture (graduating from the Budapest Architecture School in 1907). Already during his studies and at the start of his career, he had a special interest for the historical and traditional folk architecture, and made study trips to Kalotaszeg and the Székely Land. Alongside Lajos Albrecht and others, he was one of the founders of the Transylvanian People's Party in 1921 — the group later formed the Magyar Party. Kós also edited its illustrated political journal Vasárnap.

In 1924, he and several of his friends founded a publishing house under the name Erdélyi Szépmíves Céh ("Transylvanian Guild of Fine Arts"). From 1931, he was editor of the Erdélyi Helikon, and manager of the Miklós Barabás Guild (an independent interest group of Hungarian artists in Romania).

In 1944 his house in Sztána (part of Northern Transylvania) was plundered, and he fled to Kolozsvár, where he rejoined his family. He was director of the Transylvanian Hungarian Economic Association. As a politician, he was the president of the Hungarian People's Union (Magyar Népi Szövetség, MNSz), and afterwards member of the Assembly of Deputies (1946–48).

Kós taught at the College for Agriculture in Cluj until 1953, filling the post of the dean in 1945, and contributed to the journal Világosság between 1948 and 1949. He died in Cluj.

Buildings designed

1908-1910 Reformed Parish Church, Óbuda Roman Catholic Church, Zebegény; with Béla Jánszky Zoo buildings, Budapest; with Dezső Zrumeczky the Varjuvar, Kós' house in Sztana 1910-1913 Városmajor Street, Budapest; with Dénes Györgyi Wekerle estate, Budapest Székely National Museum, Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy) Church with the Rooster, Cluj 1930s and 1940s Kós' house in Miskolc Exhibition Hall, Cluj King Matthias House restoration, Cluj Milk hall, Mera village, Baciu

Novels Varjú nemzetség ("The Varjú Kin", 1925) A Gálok ("The Gál Family", 1930) Országépítő ("The Country Founder", 1934)