In 1938 the town was again under the Hungarian influence, Czechs had to move away and Slovak identity was surpressed, this was until 1945. Five years later, in 1950 the golden age of residential architecture ends and a new style is used while building the new houses – Social realism. Nowadays roughly quarter of million people live mainly in Government built housing complexes around the old town. Early in this decade East Slovak Ironworks employed nearly 20 000 people, many people moved here because of the work and housing.
Kosice is very well known because of the rich collection of monuments and state buildings. No matter how the Tatars attacks, Jan Zapolsky, earthquakes or fire destroyed the town it always managed to build up again. For example, Town Hall moved several times and now it is placed on the Main street. The New Town Hall was built by the Communist government in 1980’s. Among the countless monuments, I should talk about the most famous ones like Dominican Church that is perhaps the oldest building in the town, a relic from the 14th century, the same as St. Michael’s Chapel. Another gothic monument even a generation older is St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral, it shows the skill of Kosice’s medieval architecture, it is one of its kind in the Eastern Europe. Then, we must not forget the Gold Treasure collection of medieval gold coins from all over the Europe discovered in 1935.
Kosice as a crossroad between Eastern and Western Europe have always benefited through exchange of goods, ideas and technology. In late 19th century, the railway was completed, the local industry was born, cigarette, cosmetic and furniture industry sprung up around the town, so the first half of 20th century is marked by light industry and in 1950 iron works, steel works and other factories of heavy industry produced as much as western Europe, this unfortunately failed by communist sluggish planning. Sice 1989 Kosice has become a market place where a completely new shopping network has been established. It is also a decade of renaissance of restaurant industry, hotels and other facilities.
I meant that Kosice is very interesting for a lot of tourists who came here from all the world. They are attracted mainly by some specific signs like Spring festival, philharmonic orchestra when all the world well known composers are performed, then State theatre, Hunngarian theatre Thalia, Puppet theatre and countless folk festivals at amfiteater.