Baruch House, 44 Bajza street

Source: pestbuda.hu

Bajza street was the crossing dirtroad of Theresatown on the City Park side in the 19th century. In the middle of the century, it was still the "service road" of the cattle markets. Its name that time also indicated this: "Marhahajtó" (Cowherder - ed.) Road. In the 1980s, the street was regulated in several stages, but before that, in 1874 it was officially Hajtsár street then from 1878 Bajza street. The street was named after József Bajza, poet, theatre director, critic, a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the literary society called Kisfaludy Society.

József Bajza poet and writer, the namesake of Bajza street
Source: Wikipedia

The Baruch House, this really fancy, light purple-coloured residential mansion was constructed in 1899 for Sámuel Baruch, landowner from Marosvásárhely and factory owner, who had received a Hungarian nobility in 1878 then the "felsőványi" title in 1897. Walter Crane, an English artist and craftsman, who had gone on a month-long trip to Hungary and Transylvania, said this was the most beautiful house of the capital city. Out of the seven children of his parents, Jeremias Baruch and Babette Aron, another son, Adolf had received a noble title, as well. Jeremias Baruch's company, which can be found in the Compendium of Companies from 1887 and most likely operated as a crop trading company, was registered on 11 Dorottya street in the 5th District. During this time, in 1886, and even in 1892, Sámuel Baruch lived nearby, on 93 Andrássy Road, but after his residential mansion was done, he moved to Bajza street.

 
Zoltán Bálint és Lajos Jámbor architect partners, and the drawing of the facade
Source: szecessziosmagazin.hu

Zoltán Bálint and Lajos Jámbor, the architect partners hired for the construction of the house, had built together quite a lot of mansions, one nicer than the other. The duo managed to develop their craft during the peaceful years following the turn of the century, with their buildings shaping the cityscape. They mainly designed their buildings in the then popular art nouveau style. Many of their works are excellent examples of Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork). A few years later, the neighbouring extraordinary art nouveau corner mansion on nr. 42 was built by their plans for Arthur Léderer, landowner and art collector.

 
Source: Wikimedia, kitervezte.hu

The art nouveau Baruch House was built from 1899 to 1908. The architecture of the three-floor mansion was ahead of its time, a bit different of an art nouveau style than its neighbour. The facade is rich in neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance-style floral ornamentation, it's divided by a wide avant-corps highlighted by battlements on both sides, the loggia design of the third floor, reminiscent of Transylvanian manor houses, definitely lightens up the closed structure of the street. The ornamentation of the entrance gate with the balcony above it is not stucco, but carved stone.

 
Source: kitervezte.hu, lathatatlan.ovas.hu

The staircase is also pretty unique with art nouveau stucco ornaments, wrought iron railing following the stairs, which are decorated with curving motifs, and the grille of the elevator. Some things in the interior still preserve the previous grandeur, for example the row of rooms on the first floor still have the decorative wall covering. The interior of the kitchen (floor and wall tiles, built-in cupboards) however, were seemingly from 10 years later, with the strong taste of Wiener Werkstätte.

  
Source: kitervezte.hu, szecessziosmagazin.hu

In 1944, the Baruch House became a compulsory residence for Jews, a yellow-star house. Today it's listed and under the management of the Bulgarian Embassy: here operated the Hriszto Botev Bulgarian-Hungarian Elementary and High School, which, after 93 years, closed its doors in 2011. Since then, the Bulgarian Bilingual Kindergarten, the Bulgarian Native language School and the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic can be found here currently. In January 2022, the reconstruction of the house has begun as per a multiple-staged plan.

Source: pestbuda.hu

Sources: pestbuda.hu, lathatatlan.ovas.hu, kitervezte.hu, varosvedo.hu