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Premonstratensian church former Jesuitic church

It the Middle Ages, the Royal House, a seat of the royal chamber, stood in the place of the present Premonstratensian church. The Upper Hungarian Captain Ondrej Doczy established a dwelling and a chapel for Jesuits - missionaries - at the beginning of the recatholization. They and their casual guest, the canon of Esztergom, were tortured here to death in the night on 6th to 7th of September, 1619 by soldiers of Juraj I. Rákoczi. They are the well-known saint martyrs of Košice. The bestial murder shocked the town nevertheless nobody was about to repair the object and a new royal chamber was built in a different place. All the Rakoczian ladies in fear of wrath of God tried to achieve a pardon for the family. For this reason, the wife of George II. purchased the real estate and had a church for Jesuits inspired by the famous "IL GESU" built in the place of the old Royal House. It is now a modern church of Košice and was finished in 1681.

The Jesuits built schools close to the church and the bishop B. Kisdy Founded the first University of Košice. For this reason, the church has also been called a Grammar School Church or a University Church. Since the Jesuit Order was dissolved under the parish till 1811 when it was given to Premonstrates.
It is the most valuable Baroque object of Košice, with the most beautiful interior of that period. Decorations and movables are mostly from the period of Jesuits. The interior makes a rarely uniform impression. The illusion painting by Erazmus Schrott from 1786 is a masterpiece. The Church is consecrated to the Trinity, the main altar from 1854 was painted by the painter Jozef Pesky. All side chapels have altars painted in an illusory way in which the real altar pieces are incorporated. Valuable woodcarving is represented by the pulpit (1600), stallun, benches, window frames of oratorios and inlaid doors. Also movables of the sacristy are highly valuable.


/place: Main Street/
MAP of the historical City centre

/© Photo: (1) Jarmila Švehlíková, (2) Zdenko Lipták/