Karl Kunz House

Fabric was the neighbourhood in Timişoara where the Kunz family members erected the most buildings, both for themselves, and for their clients.

The house on number 3, 3 August 1919 boulevard belonged to Karl (Károly) Kunz, brother of the well known brick manufacturer Josef (József) Kunz. The two brothers managed the "Josef Kunz & Comp." brick factory together, headquarterted at 16-18 Buziaşului Road. In 1901, the factory’s store was situated in ‘Cetate’, at 13 Eugeniu de Savoya (right at the corner with the pedestrian street Mărăşeşti, in a building constructed in 1853 by Josef Kunz and Eduard Hartl). It was also where the Kunz brothers'‘STAR’ insurance company conducted its business.

Karl Kunz was also knows for shingle manufacturing, locksmithery, and mechanic and electric installations. His locksmith workshop was at the same address as the brick factory (16 Buziaşului Road).

The Karl Kunz House in Fabric was built at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1900s style (Secession/Art Nouveau). Unfortunately, over the years, the edifice lost a lost of its ornaments, which appear in old pictures: a metal ‘arrow’ on the roof, a monumental sculpture of a lion on the building’s corner, the ‘maidens’ sculptures situated between the second floor windows, as well as floral decorations which adorned the balcony on the first floow.

In the interbelic period, Cornel Grofşorean lived in this house. He was a journalist and publicist, lawyer, sociologist, mayor of Timişoara (1921-1922 and 1931-1932), Timiş-Torontal praefect (1926), deputy, founder of the Banat-Crişana Social Institute.