History

The architectural project of the villa has been designed by the prominent Slovak architect Oskar Singer. Mr. Singer has significantly contributed to the development of interwar architecture in Nitra, which was the traditional seat of the historic Nitra County ( after 1923 great-county). He was strongly influenced by the work of le Corbusier, whose elements he accented in many of his projects throughout his work. The result of his creative work is a unique Vila K, part of which was originally built on pillars, this is an exceptional technical solution in the conditions of Slovak functionalism. The position of Vila K is confirmed by numerous references in contemporary literature on modern Slovak architecture, as well as its inscription in the Register of Modern Architecture of Slovakia, carried out under the auspices of DOCOMOMO.

The supra-regional significance of Vila K also lies in the fact that its interior was documented by Rudolf Sandalo, the famous photographer of modern architecture, and presented in historical periodics, i.e. in the German magazine Forum in 1938, where the villa was presented as part of a breakthrough article Über das Bauen in der Provinz (Forum, 1938, N. 8, pp. 176-185). One of the goals of the project is to return part of the villa back to the interwar period.

About the Original Owners

The Kollmann family came from the Jewish community in Diószeg (today Sládkovičovo), where they were mainly involved in the sugar industry. Fridrich Kollmann was born in 1888 and, following in his father's footsteps, worked in sugar factories - first in Pohronský Ruskov, later in Nitra. His wife, Etela, came from the Wertheimer family, who ran a general store in Nitra. In 1934, they built a modernist villa on Kmeťkova Street in Nitra (today known as Villa K). The family likely lived there until the period of anti-Jewish repressions following the Vienna Arbitration.

After 1938, the Kollmanns sought refuge in the Hungarian part of the Tekov region, later moving to Levice. In 1941, they sold the villa and formally renounced their Jewish origin. However, they were not safe even in Hungary—after the German occupation in March 1944, they were deported from Levice to Auschwitz. Etela and Fridrich perished there, and their son-in-law, Vojtech Mandl, died in the Mühldorf concentration camp. Only their daughter Margita survived the Holocaust; after the war, she lived in Ostrava. The tragic fate of the family is commemorated by the restored Villa K. Margita's son and his family attended the opening of the renovated Villa K in 2024.

Photos from the Forum magazine

More information (Publications in Slovak only):

Juraj Novák, Richard Pročka | Architektúra 20. storočia v Nitre. Stav poznania |  PDF Download →

Peter Michalík | Nitriansky funkcionalizmus - Dom Kollmannovcov (Vila K) |  Online article →