bg Novi Sad

Iron Man Palace

- Njegoševa 2 -
The construction of the current three-story building, which both houses a residential and commercial function, started in 1908 and was completed in 1909. It was built according to a design that was created by the architect Karolje Kovač and built by the builder Bele Pekla for the Roman Catholic Church Municipality. The building was built on a plot where a catholic cemetery was in the 18th century. In 1846, a two-story building was built on this plot, which was given by the Roman Catholic Church Municipality to the Magistrate of Novi Sad. The first floor housed the departments of land registers, passports and archives, and the offices of various professional services were located on the second floor. On June 12, 1849, this building burnt down and was half demolished, and the renovation and upgrade with an extra floor was entrusted to the builder Teodor Scheft and the mason Andreas Haner.
An old photo shows the building that was constructed in 1846
Since 1913, the famous Dormšteter patisserie was located on the first floor of the current building. Between the and , generations of people from Novi Sad enjoyed the famous Saher cake. After the death of the owner Jakob Dormšteter in 1944, the patisserie became a state property, which first was called Moscow, and after that , and from the 90s of the 20th century it changed its name to Athens. In 2004, a successful restoration of the facade was carried out, as well as the restoration and conservation of the figure of the Iron Man.
The building visible on an old postcard
The most distinctive feature of the building, which is built in the styles of Eclectic and Noe-Gothic, is the armored placed in a , which gives the name to the building. On top of it, you'll be able to see an octagonal dome, which contains multiple and is crowned with a . The triangular dormers that can be seen on this same level, either contain another trefoil, or an angel, a zigzag motif, and floral ornamentation. Between these dormers, you can see a fragment containing , which are placed between two piers that are crowned with a massive ornament. Some of the , which are created in different shapes and sizes, are embellished with foliage. The building is lavishly decorated with floral bands, motifs, as well as loads of . The building features a total of five , one of which is placed on the corner and is supported by two . This oriel window is topped with a balcony that's secured with a stone balustrade and contains a , which is supported by two pillars that are crowned with a Romanesque .
Another old postcard that shows the building