Revista Analele Banatului S.N. Arheologie-Istorie

Zoran Marcov

Nicoleta Demian

Delicatese, politică şi design de vitrine în Timişoara interbelică: Francisc Branislav Mircsetics (1897–1983) / Dainties, Politics and Glass Case Design in Interwar Timişoara: Francisc Branislav Mircsetics (1897–1983)

1 Ianuarie 2016

Abstract

In October 1982 the former tradesman and glass case decorator of Timişoara Francisc Branislav Mircsetics donated to Museum of Banat from Timişoara an interesting personal collection composed of eleven pieces of museum interest catalogued in the History collection and Medal collection of the institution. In the History Collection catalogue there were registered four diplomas and five photographies, while a medal and a photography were included in the Medal Collection catalogue. These pieces, published in detail in the present study, constituted the starting point of the documentation about F. B. Mircsetics. Mircsetics was born in Timişoara, on the 4th of October 1897, in a tradesmen family. He graduated Primary School in Hungarian and Serbian languages and then he graduated the three years Middle School and a one year Trade Course in Timişoara. In 1912 he left for Berlin where he attended and graduated in May 1913 the Glass case Decorator Course called “Das Schaufenster”. He worked as an apprentice and then as a tradesman assistant at famous colonial goods and dainties firms from Timişoara: „Iulius Galgon”, „Burghardt Zsuzsi” and „Babcsanyi Ferenc”. In 1929 he opened his own business with colonial goods and dainties inside Makri House from Timişoara (Cetate/Fortress), firm that worked for almost a decade. Complex and eccentric personality, Mircsetics remained in the memory of his contemporaries through the controversies related to his economic activity and his inter-war political activity. His socio-political activity was strongly connected to the life of the Serbian community from Timişoara, although Mircsetics barely expressed himself in Serbian language. At the beginning of the 30’s of the last century, F. B. Mircsetics was elected president of the Serbian Youth Society from Timişoara, and in the spring of 1934 was elected in the leading structures of the Regnicolar Party of the Serbian People from Romania. F. B. Mircsetics remained popular till nowadays especially through his participation at the glass case contests and exhibitions organized in inter-war Timişoara. In September 1923, the young tradesman assistant and decorator got the First Prize and the Honor Diploma at the glass case arranging contest organized within the Sample Fair of Banat from Timişoara. Two years later, in September 1925, under the aegis of Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Timişoara, Mircsetics taught a four month course for the young glass case decorators, at which participated 30 persons. The course was completed with a glass case exhibition held at the Military Casino from Timişoara. In May 1934, on the occasion of the contests organized within “Timişoara’s Week”, Mircsetics participated at two of the contests: the glass case and the glass case lighting contests. He got diplomas and prizes at both contests. The most important prize was the golden medal awarded at the glass case contest for the arrangement “The picnic of the dwarfs in the forest”. In the years that followed the Second World War, Mircsetics led a modest life, being marginalized by the communist authorities. He was not married and had no offspring. He resided with his sister in an apartment on Mărăşeşti Street in the quarter Cetate (Fortress) from Timişoara. He died in Timişoara on the 26th of December 1983, being buried in the cemetery from Lipovei Road.