The abandoned buildings here can be as intruiging as the restored ones. On U.S. buildings, you can typically find a cornerstone recording the year in which it completed and something about its history, but I cannot find anything comparable on Bratislava buildings.
I've been fascinated with what appears to be an abandoned hospital on Bezručova and Gajova, just opposite the beautiful Art Nouveau Blue Church. A small sign on one of the doors directing visitors to the Lekaren (pharmacy) makes me think it was a hospital. The plain concrete structure suggests it was built in the 1950s, but perhaps it was earlier.
Especially intriguing about this building are two statues on either side of what was apparently the main entrance. They have a ponderous Soviet Realist feel to me, but both have small plaques saying 1936 -- and the Communists did not take over here until 1948. Is it a coincidence that 1936 was the start of the Spanish Civil War? Were the statues originally located somewhere else and moved here later?
Here is a close-up of the one on the right. The small plaque on this says "R. Ban 1936."
Here is a close-up of the one on the left. The plaque reads "L. Majersky 1936."
Sometimes I see what appears to be an abandoned building, but on closer inspection discover that it is still used for flats or offices. Not this one! Here is the other entrance on the north side of the building. The entire place has broken windows, boarded-up doors, and no evidence of occupancy.I have googled every which way to try to learn more about this building, and especially those statues. If anybody reading this has some information, shoot me an e-mail or post a comment.
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