Kumšt

The building was probably built in the 1540s, when one of the bastions of the older fortification was rebuilt into a water tower (lat. machina hydraulica) after the completion of the new city walls. A horse-powered water wheel was placed underground. Its two arms, alternately lifting pistons in wooden pipes, continuously pumped the water up to a collecting tank under the roof at a height of more than 10 m. From there, the water continued by itself through wooden pipes to the stone tanks along the Main Street. The ingenious Kumšt' facility was in continuous operation almost until the construction of the town water supply system at the beginning of the 20th century. During its nearly 500-year existence, it has undergone many renovations and technical improvements. In 1930 Kumšt was acquired by the Jewish Museum in Prešov and the building completely lost its original character. The museum was opened to the public at the beginning of 1931 and continued its activities until 1939, when the Society of the Jewish Museum was officially dissolved and the premises of the Kumšt were sealed.