Ján Nepomuk Batka, jr.

Ján Nepomuk Batka Jr. - city archivist, music historian, publicist and organiser - was at the forefront of cultural and musical life in Prešpork (Pressburg, today Bratislava) for almost half a century. He was a member of the City Council, secretary of the Church Music Society (Kirchenmusikverein) at St. Martin's Cathedral, a member of the Theatre Commission, the Art Society, the Society for Scientific Lectures, as well as a member of the Masonic Lodge of Silence. He was involved in the preservation of architectural and artistic monuments, but was also concerned with the social welfare of artists. For almost forty years he processed the archival funds of the city of Bratislava and contributed to their improvement.

In the Pressburger Zeitung newspaper for almost fifty years he published his observations, reviews, criticisms, obituaries, reflections and articles devoted to musical personalities, societies, as well as the musical history of Bratislava. Batka was the author and editor of a supplement of the Pressburger Zeitung entitled "Pressburg as a City of Music. Music and musicians in Pressburg" (1913). Josef Točfous compiled another extensive appendix, One Hundred Years in the Musical Life of Pressburg (1927), from his texts, collecting and research work, as well as contributions by other musicians. It is considered to be the first modern publication on the musical history of Bratislava.

He was personally acquainted with the most prominent personalities of the musical life of the time and thanks to him European conductors, composers and performers performed in Bratislava. Batka's strongest artistic friendship was with Franz Liszt. By performing his works in the 1860s to 1880s, he built the so-called Liszt cult in Bratislava. For example, Liszt's Esztergom Mass was staged here, conducted by the composer himself. Similarly, Liszt's Oratorio The Legend of St. Elisabeth was performed by the Church Music Society at St. Martin's Cathedral. Batka was also a great admirer of the Bratislava composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel. On 13 April 1885, he organised a concert of his works, which was also attended by Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein. Batka initiated the bust of Franz Liszt, which is located on today's Rudnay Square in front of St. Martin's Cathedral, and he also arranged for the construction of a memorial to Johann Nepomuk Hummel in front of Bratislava's City Theater. Both monuments were created by Viktor Tilgner, a native of Pressburg and a well-known Viennese sculptor. Currently, the Hummel Statue is located on Hviezdoslav Square in front of the German Embassy.

He was instrumental in the construction of the new Municipal Theatre, now the historic building of the Slovak National Theatre. In cooperation with the eminent historian and archaeologist Franz Flóridus Rómer, he built the Bratislava Municipal Museum. He supported the establishment of the city library in 1900 and donated several thousand books from his own collection. In 1885, he co-founded the Pressburg Art Society (Pressburger Kunstverein), which was a driving force at that time, especially in the field of fine arts. It supported young artists such as the composer Béla Bartók, the one-armed pianist Géza Zichy, and the sculptor Ján Fadrusz. In addition to financial support, he also helped them in their concert activities through his rich contacts.

Another area in which he was active was in heritage conservation. His dream was to save and restore Bratislava Castle, which was then just a burnt-out ruin. He donated his precious legacy, containing not only contemporary documents but also works of art, to the city. The documents went to the Bratislava City Archives, photographs to the Bratislava City Museum, sculptures and paintings became the basis of the art collections of the Bratislava City Gallery. However, many things, such as furniture, were scattered. Batka left more than 10,000 letters of correspondence with important personalities of the musical life of the time (Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Hans Richter). This legacy, which represents significant cultural value, is located in the Municipal Archives of Bratislava, is being scientifically processed and digitised. From several hundred letters to his wife, Maria Valenta, we learn about his experiences of artistic journeys and his friendships with important personalities of the time.

In 1911 Batka was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph, a decoration for his long-standing meritorious work. Less than a year after his death, on 26 October 1918, his bust was unveiled in Rudnay Square, placed next to the monument to F. Liszt. The marble statue is the work of the Pressburg sculptor Alojz Rigele. However, the bust did not last long in this place, as the political situation changed and Batka was no longer interesting for the next government. In that year, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and Prešporok became part of Czechoslovakia. A year later it was renamed Bratislava. Today, both of Batka's busts are in the collections of the GMB.

The Museum of the City of Bratislava commemorated the centenary of the death of J. Batka with the exhibition Ján Batka and Bratislava in the space of the J. N. Hummel on Klobučnícka Street. The personality of the Pressburg patron of the arts was also commemorated by the Ján Batka (1845-1917) conference, which took place on 4th October 2017 under the auspices of the Museum of the City of Bratislava. His birthplace is located at 2 Baštova Street near the Michalska Tower in Bratislava.