Veszprém: SiltaNews – News Desk
A time capsule hidden in 1908 has been discovered intact during renovation works in the tower of a Debrecen cathedral, surviving more than a century unscathed. The renovation of the Greek Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Debrecen, underway since 2023, had already drawn significant attention. However, experts have now reported a sensational find. Inside the cross atop the church tower, a tin box contained a carefully preserved document intended for future generations. Placed in 1908, the letter offers a detailed account of the church’s construction and names the craftsmen involved. The Hajdúdorog Archdiocese reported on the discovery.
The document was written by János Máthéi, a tinsmith who worked on the dome and the cross of the tower. He meticulously recorded who took part in the construction, also noting his personal connection to the project as a member of the Greek Catholic faith. According to the letter, the architectural plans were designed by János Bobula, a master builder from Budapest, while execution was overseen by István Tóth, an architect from Debrecen. One remarkable aspect of Máthéi’s letter is its inclusion of not only the notable names. The document also mentions the foremen and craftsmen who physically took part in the construction, an extraordinary level of detail that pays tribute to everyday workers rarely remembered in historical records.
The letter also attests that it was János Máthéi himself who mounted the tower cross on the very day the document was written – 19 November 1908. He makes special mention of his connection to the church through his faith, proudly declaring himself a Greek Catholic. The document also lists by name the craftsmen and apprentices who assisted with the metalwork on the building. This was no ordinary sheet of paper, either. The top third of the letter is adorned with artwork by Károly Kleinfeller, a graphic designer and lithographer, depicting a period plumbing company. On the other side of the sheet is a drawing of a bathroom, suggesting that the company handled additional commissions beyond metalwork.
A second sheet, placed above Máthéi’s letter in the capsule, advertised the programme of the Uranus moving picture theatre. This not only protected the letter underneath but also offers a glimpse into Debrecen’s 1908 cultural scene, when cinema was still a novelty. The time capsule was encased in a tin box made of the same material used for the dome. This small but crucial detail ensured the document’s preservation: sealed and protected by the tower cross, it endured the extreme weather and upheavals of history for over a hundred years. It survived world wars and severe storms, emerging as if it had only been placed there yesterday.
The renovation of Debrecen’s Greek Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral has thus also brought a piece of the city’s past back to light. The capsule’s contents offer a precise record of who contributed to the building of the city’s first Greek Catholic church, while the cinema programme leaflet adds a snapshot of everyday life at the turn of the century. János Máthéi’s message has reached its destination at last, serving as a lasting tribute to the cathedral’s builders.