After the Great War, the revolutions and the shock of the Trianon Peace Treaty, new ways and opportunities had to be found for Kaposvár. One such take off point for growth was culture and education. In the display case you can see the postcard selling cabinet designed by local inventors László and Imre Molnár.

The consequences of the country’s territorial losses also limited the development opportunities of the Somogy county seat. However, the town had an excellent mayor, Dr. György Vétek (1886-1954), elected in 1922. His attention was focused on public utilities, ensuring the financial balance of the town budget, improving social and public health care and, of course, developing local economy. Within a few years, he succeeded in reshaping Kaposvár’s external appearance.

The 1920s saw the construction of several public buildings: the post office, the Craftsmen’ Headquarters (Iparosház), the fire station, the Girls’ Grammar School and the Higher Elementary School for Boys. The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – also known as the Heroes’ Church – was built in the eastern part of Kaposvár, next to the new town park, as well as the Lutheran Church and the Vicarage, and the Community Building of the Reformed Church. The town cinema was opened in the centre of the town.

The Berzsenyi Literature Society was re-established and the Craftsmen’ Choir, the forerunner of today’s Béla Vikár Choir, made its first public appearance. The Kaposvár Rákóczi Football Club, still the most popular local sports club today, was founded under the sponsorship of the sugar factory.

Kaposvár, which had a population of around 30,000 in 1920, began its transformation into a town of merchants and civil servants. This process was boosted by the large number of public servants who fled here from the former Hungarian territories after the First World War.

At the same time, Kaposvár became more and more “liveable”. In 1926, the second waterworks of the county seat was completed in the Cseri district, and from the following year the town had an alternating current power supply.