Alojz Rigele - Rigele's Studio

Rigele's Studio

Rigele created his works in his rented apartment inside the Lanfranconi Palace at today's Námestie Ľ. Štúra and in his studio inside a yard of a house on Štefánikova Street. The studio was located at that time at No. 27a; today it is located at No. 35 - 41 behind three residential buildings. The studio is a low, narrow wooden structure with one wall made of glass. It was built in the 1890s by local construction tycoon Karl Mahr. Štefániina Street was from 1840s the main road connecting the Bratislava hlavná stanica with the city center. It was a street of luxury houses, palaces and villas. Karl Mahr acquired a land lot at this street which was used as a construction yard during the construction of buildings in the area. The yard was the headquarters of the notable stonemason company MAHR, which was owned by the unmarried sister of Karl Mahr. The Mahrs invested heavily into the World War I war bonds that became valueless after the lost war. They had to sell all their houses and continued to rent them.

Alojz Rigele created most of his works inside this studio or outside, on the yard. Altogether, he used the studio for four decades and even long after his death in 1940 and the studio's later nationalization, there were parts of unfinished artworks lying around together with rare building materials including a piece of marble from the destroyed equestrian statue of Maria Theresa which stood at the today's Námestíe Ľ. Štúra. The studio is a Category 1A Cultural Monument of Bratislava under the name Ateliér firmy Mahr a Alojza Rigeleho.