From the Inn "At the King of Hungary" to the "House of the Craftsmen's Association":  From Symbol to Story - The Evolution of a Sighișoara Landmark 

In the heart of Sighișoara, on the very spot where today stands the imposing building that once housed the former Craftsmen’s House (Gewerbevereinshaus), there once stood one of the oldest and most renowned inns of the medieval town – the “At the King of Hungary Inn” (Gasthof zum König von Ungarn). First documented in the 14th century, this solid stone inn, built on a single floor, served as a key landmark for merchants and travelers of the time, as well as a meeting place for the local elite. Chroniclers of the era noted that guests arrived here “like migrating birds,” drawn also by the weekly markets and the two annual fairs held during Lent and on Trinity Sunday (one week after Pentecost), in the town’s main square (Marktplatz). 

 Beyond its role as a host for the merchants of the time, the inn also served as a vibrant social hub. In the 19th century, its halls hosted festive banquets and notable cultural events, including a concert performed by Johannes Brahms and Joseph Joachim in 1879. It is said that in 1852, Emperor Franz Joseph I attended a banquet here, and immediately after his departure, the ceiling of the great hall collapsed—landing precisely where he had been seated. The incident remained etched in local memory as a sign of the emperor’s “lucky star.” 

 SeThe 19th century, however, brought major challenges for Sighișoara’s small-scale craftsmen, who found themselves facing the rise of manufacturing and industrial production. As a response, in 1846 they organized themselves into a Craftsmen’s Association, aiming to protect their economic interests, train apprentices, and, most importantly, to establish their own bank (Vereinigte Gewerbe- und Hypothekenbank A.G.) to support and strengthen their activities. Toward the end of the century, the association purchased the old inn, demolished it, and in its place built the House of the Craftsmen’s Association—a symbol of modernization and community unity, which still stands in its original form to this day.

 Historical sources mention two architects as being involved in the construction of the new building. Local archival documents attribute the project to Fridolin Zekeli (1846–1901), a native of Sighișoara educated in Berlin, a distinguished architect in Germany renowned for his monumental buildings. Other sources, including official records, credit Hans Lentz as the designer—an architect who envisioned the structure in an eclectic style, blending Transylvanian Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance, and Neoclassical elements.

 The façade is symmetrical, featuring a spacious central loggia, semicircular arches, and intricately carved balustrades. It includes circular turrets with domes and metal finials, as well as a mansard roof punctuated by Gothic dormers. The windows are framed by elaborate surrounds—some topped with Renaissance pediments, others with pointed arches characteristic of Transylvanian Gothic. The exterior walls are adorned with pilasters, cornices, and floral or heraldic panels. A particularly distinctive detail is the beehive, symbolizing the united labor of the guilds—an image likened to the industriousness of bees in a hive. 

 The ground floor of the building housed commercial spaces and a restaurant, while the upper floor accommodated the bank’s headquarters, the craftsmen’s club, a library, and the offices of the local Musical Association (Schäßburger Musikverein). From the spacious carved wooden balcony, the serving mayor would offer congratulations to graduating students from Sighișoara’s high schools during the traditional parades held at the end of each school year. 

After 1945, the building was nationalized and placed under the administration of various local institutions. Nevertheless, it was recognized as a historic monument of national importance and retained its role as a center of cultural and social life. 

 Thus, from a medieval stone-walled inn to a grand early 20th-century building, this structure remains a symbol of continuity and transformation in the city—a gravitational center of Sighișoara, illustrating the transition from the traditions of medieval guilds to the spirit of modern civic life. 

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