Dávid Sebestyén, one of Cluj’s most important entrepreneurs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, played a crucial role in transforming the city from a provincial center into a modern example. Through his vision, hard work and innovative spirit, Sebestyén left a lasting legacy, still visible today in Cluj’s architecture, infrastructure and cultural history.

Dávid Sebestyén was born in 1855 into a poor Jewish family in the village of Cuzdrioara (near Dej). Dávid initially worked as a stonemason. Due to being serious and skilled, qualities that helped him to become a foreman, he later got to manage stone quarries and became a successful building entrepreneur.

In the second half of the 19th century, Cluj was going through a period of major transformation. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the city, although it had lost some of its former splendour, benefited from significant investment in infrastructure. Water and sewage networks were built, electricity was introduced, and railways were developed connecting Cluj with other major cities such as Budapest and Brasov.

These changes made the city fertile ground for visionary entrepreneurs. Cluj, nicknamed the “Treasure City,” became an ideal place for those who wanted to contribute to its progress. Dávid Sebestyén, a young Jew with big ambitions, was one of these people.

Born into a modest family, Sebestyén grew up in an environment where religious upbringing and work values were fundamental. After studying in traditional Jewish schools, he moved to Cluj, where he started as a stonemason. This profession, although rare among Jews, gave him his first opportunities to get involved in construction.

Gifted with an outstanding work ethic and a great sense of entrepreneurship, Sebestyén quickly moved from laborer to stone supplier and entrepreneur. His motto, inspired by the Talmud, “Merits of labor take you where merits of birth can never take you,” perfectly reflects his social and professional rise.

Dávid Sebestyén was one of the most prolific building contractors during the modernisation of Cluj. Between 1890 and 1914, he and his partners realised an impressive number of buildings that defined the city’s urban landscape and remain relevant today.

Public and administrative buildings

Sebestyén was involved as an investor in the construction of emblematic buildings, which served as headquarters for public and administrative institutions. These include:

The Palace of Justice (today the Cluj Court of Justice, Tribunal and Court of Appeal), a monumental building that was a symbol of judicial power in the city. (today the Court of Justice, the District Court and the Court of Appeal Cluj) – Calea Dorobanților, no. 2-4, Piața Ștefan cel Mare, no. 4. It is a representative building of the Belle Époque architecture, according to the plans of the design association Epitőtársaság, Kotsis, Smiel, Fodor and Reisinger. The building was designed by architect Gyula Wagner. The contractor was Dávid Sebestyén. The building is a historical monument. Several courts, including the Court of Appeal of Cluj, operate in it.

The Babeș-Bolyai University, more specifically the central wing, which continues to be a first-rate educational landmark. The main building of the Babeș-Bolyai University, is located on Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, known in the Middle Ages as Platea Luporum and later as Farkas Utca, meaning Wolves’ Street. The building was founded in 1872, and was built in several stages, as a result of the efforts of the Hungarian authorities to provide a suitable space for the Cluj university, which had courses taught in Hungarian. The inauguration itself took place only in 1902, together with the inauguration of the statuary group dedicated to King Matthias Corvinus in Unirii Square. The university was built on the site of an older Jesuit college, according to the plans of the Jewish architect Károly Meixner, and at the time of its inauguration it was the largest building in Cluj.

The university became the centre of the intellectual life of the city, where leading Hungarian intellectuals taught and trained. After the unification of Transylvania with Romania on December 1, 1918, the ‘Franz Josef’ University in Cluj had to move to Hungary because of the refusal of Hungarian professors to swear an oath to the Romanian state and to be integrated into the newly established university called the University of ‘Upper Dacia’, with courses taught in Romanian. The building was taken over by the Romanian university until September 1940, when it was reoccupied by the ‘Franz Josef’ University of Seghedin. In 1945, it was returned to the Romanian university, which this time was renamed after the scientist Victor Babeș.

Since September 1959, the building has been the headquarters of the University “Babeș-Bolyai”, the new name given to the former Franz Josef University, as a result of the efforts of the communist leadership of Romania to create a strong element of reconciliation between Romanians and Hungarians. The two names come from Victor Babeș who was a renowned Romanian physician and biologist, one of the founders of modern microbiology, professor at the Franz Josef University. The name “Bolyai” is derived from a famous family of Hungarian mathematicians from Transylvania, namely János and Farkas Bolyai.

The university building reflects a neo-Renaissance architectural trend, the walls of the building being clad with klinker bricks. It has two large, rectangular inner courtyards and a monumental entrance, marked by three doors and an inner staircase leading to the top floor, the staircase separating the two courtyards of the building. The central part of the building is taller than its wings. In the tympanum of the building, where the name of the university is inscribed, there was originally an allegorical statuary by the Hungarian artist Mayer Ede with Emperor Franz Josef I in the centre, holding the founding act of the Hungarian University. The statues were removed in 1920, some of them ending up in the ‘Alexandru Borza’ Botanical Garden. Above the decorated windows on the second floor, the windows of the Aula Magna, allegorical figures symbolising the natural sciences, letters, mathematics and law can still be seen today. In front of the building, on the right, is the group of statues of the representatives of the Transylvanian School.

The Custody House and Credit Bank (today the National Bank), located in Unirii Square, an imposing building that combines functionality with architectural aesthetics. The building was erected in 1913-1914 according to the architectural plans of Ede Dvorák from Budapest, to serve as the headquarters of the Savings Bank and the Credit Bank of Cluj. For the last 50 years, the building has been and still is the headquarters of the NBR (National Bank of Romania), Cluj Branch. In the 1920s, the Erdély Szépmíves Céh (Transylvanian Craftsmen’s Guild) literary publishing house also operated in this building.

It is built in the Secession style. The façade of the building is divided into three axes framing light windows on each floor, with the second and third floors each having a balcony in the middle.

On today’s Iuliu Maniu Street were erected the two mirrored palaces, designed by Ignác Alpár and realised under the direction of Sebestyén in 1899.

The mirrored buildings that mark the beginning of Iuliu Maniu Street from Unirii Square are also known as the Houses of the Roman-Catholic Status. At the request of the city’s inhabitants, the houses and shops around the Church of St Michael in Cluj, which existed until the end of the 19th century, were demolished and the authorities compensated the Catholic Church with land on the eastern side of Unirii Square, where four older houses stood. At the suggestion of university professor and curator Gusztáv Groisz, the Roman Catholic Church built two new buildings, designed by the architect Alpár Ignác and built by Haussmann. Baron Haussmann (1809 – 1891) was a French town planner whose contributions are associated with the restructuring of Paris. The work was completed at the end of the 19th century. Inaugurated in 1899, these buildings were considered the most modern housing in Cluj at the time. On their ground floor, the city’s most glamorous row of shops was built. The alley between the two buildings became, with the new architectural ensemble, the Street of the Holy Church or, as it was popularly known, the mirror street, due to the identical character of the architecture of the two corner buildings. Before the demolition of the old buildings, this eastern side was known as Little Legged House Street.

The mirrored buildings, built in an eclectic, neo-baroque style, have symmetrical main facades, consist of two blocks of huge rectangular buildings, placed with long fronts parallel to the alignment of Iuliu Maniu Street, with three entrance gates. The two blocks are almost entirely symmetrical, except for the east and west facades, the south block being much wider, with elegant courtyards with arcades supported by pillars and slender columns. The corners of the buildings at the intersection of Iuliu Maniu Street and the central square are rounded and accented by a spire covered with richly decorated hoods. The facades of the neo-baroque buildings are decorated with grotesque masks, garlands of flowers and leaves.

Cultural and educational buildings

Sebestyén has contributed to the development of Cluj’s cultural and educational infrastructure. Notable projects include:

The Franz Joseph Museum of Industry and Technology (today’s Technical University), which was a symbol of the technological progress of the era. At the end of the 19th century, the building housed the Museum of Industry (Ferenc József Iparmúzeum). It was built under the guidance of Lajos Pákey, the main architect of Cluj.

The Higher School for Girls (today UBB’s Faculty of Chemistry), a key institution for the modern education of women. The De Gerando High School for Girls, named after the first headmistress, Antonina De Gerando, was given a new building near the Central Park in 1900. The building was designed by the architect Ignác Alpár (he also designed the two “twin” palaces – the Mirror Buildings and the present Town Hall Palace on Moților Street). After 1918, the institution was taken over by the Romanian state, becoming the Regina Maria High School, the first school for girls taught in Romanian in Transylvania, the forerunner of today’s George Coșbuc National College.  Later the building became the seat of the Bolyai University in Cluj. It currently houses the Faculty of Chemistry of the Babeș-Bolyai University.

Mensa Academica (today UBB Faculty of Law), a building dedicated to higher education, which became an important center for the training of future community leaders. Designed by Budapest architect Károly Nagy, it was built in 1909-1910 as a dormitory for university students. Today it is used as the main building of the Faculty of Law of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj. The building is in the Art Nouveau style.

Another building to be mentioned, associated with Sebestyén’s name, is the Teachers’ Normal School (today’s Avram Iancu High School).

Commercial and residential buildings

Sebestyén also had a significant impact on Cluj’s commercial and residential architecture. One of the most representative works is:

The Sebestyén Palace, located on University Street, which was his family’s home and also a report building. On the ground floor there were commercial premises, one of which housed the ARTA movie theater, one of the longest-running in the country. The palace, completed in 1913, was equipped with modern facilities for the time and became an example of avant-garde urban planning.

The Sebestyén Palace, at 8 Unirii Square, was built in 1912-1913 in the Secession style by the entrepreneur Dávid Sebestyén, and designed by architects Aladar Karman and Gyula Ullman.

The Sebestyén Palace has housed over the years luxury apartments, shops, a cinema, the headquarters of institutions (the editorial office of Tribuna magazine, the Writers’ Union Cluj branch, the Union of Fine Artists Cluj branch), a bookshop (Cioflec in the interwar period, the Russian Book in the Stalinist period, the University Bookshop).

Inside the courtyard, in the basement, there was a workers’ club, called Victoria, where several cultural activities were organised, such as artistic brigades, choirs and amateur theatre. On Thursdays and Saturdays there were dance evenings with an orchestra playing, most of the club’s regulars being young employees of companies in Cluj.

The cinema inside the palace opened in 1913 and it is the longest-running cinema in Romania. It was originally called University Cinema, then from 1919 Select. During the communist period it was renamed Maxim Gorky Cinema, Youth Cinema, and after 1990 Cinema Arta. From the very beginning, the cinema was managed by the renowned Jenő Janovics, actor, scriptwriter, film and theatre animator from Transylvania and, for a time, director of the Hungarian Opera in Cluj.

In the field of health care, he built the Pasteur Institute (today the University of Medicine and Pharmacy), the Salvation Palace (the first emergency service, today the Faculty of Dentistry) and financed the construction of the Jewish Hospital (1928-1931, today the Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology).

Contributing to the modernization of other cities

Sebestyén’s influence was not limited to Cluj. In Debrecen, his son Lajos, following in his father’s footsteps, designed and constructed iconic buildings such as:

Debrecen University and associated clinics,

the Déri Museum, a cultural landmark in the city,

The wave pool at Hajdúszoboszló, a groundbreaking project at the time.

Technology and innovation in construction

One aspect that set Dávid Sebestyén apart from other entrepreneurs was his use of modern technology. For example, in the construction of the buildings at 7 and 8 Unirii Square (today’s National Bank and University Library), Sebestyén implemented mechanized methods for excavation and structural erection, which significantly reduced construction time. These techniques were revolutionary for early 20th century Cluj, still in transition to modernity.

Building materials: a proprietary resource

One of the secrets of his success was the vertical integration of the business. Sebestyén owned stone quarries and brick, cement and gypsum factories, which allowed him to control the costs and quality of the materials used. The stone from the Hășmașul Mare quarry was used not only in his projects in Cluj, but also in emblematic buildings in Budapest, such as the Parliament and the Supreme Court.

Aesthetics and sustainability

Sebestyén was a promoter of urban aesthetics and sustainability. The era’s strict regulations on building height, colour and decoration were strictly adhered to in his designs, and many of the buildings built under his leadership have endured for over a century. Many have retained their original purpose or been adapted for modern uses without losing their historic charm.

Dávid Sebestyén was not just a builder of buildings, but an architect of Cluj’s modernity. Through his vision, he succeeded in transforming the city into an example of urban progress, and the buildings he erected remain a living testimony to his contribution. Today, his legacy is an integral part of Cluj’s identity and a symbol of an era of transformation and innovation.

In addition to the construction business, Sebestyén was a major player in the building materials industry. He owned and coordinated numerous stone quarries near Cluj, such as those in Pădurea Hășmașului, Florești and Nădășelu. The stone extracted from these quarries has been used in large-scale projects, including the Parliament in Budapest and iconic buildings in Cluj.

Sebestyén was also involved in the production of bricks, cement and gypsum, co-founding several important factories. After World War I, he continued to invest in new industries, adapting to the economic changes in Greater Romania.

Family life played a central role in Dávid Sebestyén’s work. Married to Karolina Selinger, he had six children who were actively involved in the family business. His sons, József, Lajos, Mór and Rudolf, became leaders in fields ranging from law and engineering to architecture and chemistry.

The Sebestyén family functioned as a close-knit team, contributing to the success of the business. For example, Lajos was responsible for the design of important buildings in Debrecen, such as the University and the city clinic, and József was a lawyer and leader of the Jewish community in Cluj.

Sebestyén was a respected leader of the Orthodox Jewish community in Cluj. He was elected president of the community and later president for life. Under his leadership, the community experienced a period of prosperity and solidarity. One of his major achievements was initiating and financing the Jewish Hospital, inaugurated in 1929.

The hospital, one of the most modern in the country at the time, offered free services to those in need, regardless of religion or ethnicity. This initiative was also supported by the bank that Sebestyén controlled, as well as an extensive fundraising campaign.

Dávid Sebestyén was a supporter of culture and the development of Cluj. He donated funds for monuments, such as the one dedicated to the 1849 Szeklers revolutionaries, and was involved in the organization of important events, such as the unveiling of the statue of Matei Corvin. He was also a member of the Society of the Transylvanian Museum (Muzeul Ardelean), and the Association for the Beautification of the City.

For his achievements, Sebestyén received numerous honors, including the Hungarian noble title “Székelyhidasi” and the Order of the Crown of Romania from the Romanian state. His death in 1930 was an important public event, and his memorial in the Jewish cemetery in Cluj highlights his outstanding contributions.

Sadly, the Sebestyén family was deeply affected by the Holocaust and the communist regime that followed. Their businesses were confiscated and many family members emigrated. However, Dávid Sebestyén’s legacy lives on in the buildings he built and his example of determination and vision.

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