Med Pregl 2020; LXXIII (3-4): 121-124. Novi Sad: mart-april. 121 HISTORY OF MEDICINE ISTORIJA MEDICINE University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad1 History of medicine Institute of Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina, Novi Sad2 Istorija medicine Special Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Novi Sad3 UDK 615.838(497.113 Novi Sad)(091) General Hospital “Dr. Radivoj Simonović”, Sombor4 UDK 628.112.23:711.455(479.113 Novi Sad)(091) Historical Archives of the City of Novi Sad, Novi Sad5 https://doi.org/10.2298/MPNS2004121K Health Center Novi Sad, Novi Sad6 RIMANOCZY SPA HOUSE RULES – A MODEL FOR THE NOVI SAD ARTESIAN SPA HOUSE RULES KUĆNI RED BANJE RIMANOCZY KAO PRIMER KUĆNOG REDA U NOVOSADSKOM ARTEŠKOM KUPATILU Rastislava KRASNIK1, 2, Jelena ZVEKIĆ SVORCAN1, 3, Viktor STRIKOVIĆ4, Sara SAMARDŽIĆ5, Branislav BOBIĆ1, 3 and Mirjana KOLUNDŽIĆ6 Summary Sažetak Introduction. Artesian well drilling, water testing, obtaining all Uvod. Put od kopanja arteškog bunara, analize vode, pribavlja- the necessary permits, as well as designing, equipping, and final nja potrebnih dozvola, projektovanja, opremanja pa do finalne organization of work, including hiring the necessary staff, is often organizacije rada i angažovanja potrebnog osoblja, često je du- time-consuming and complex, and so it was for the leaders of the gotrajan i složen, iskusili su i čelni ljudi slobodnog kraljevskog Free Royal City of Novi Sad in establishing the future Novi Sad grada Novog Sada pri organizaciji rada buduće novosadske “Jodna banja” (Iodine Spa). Spa House Rules. The paper gives an Jodne banje. Kućni red Banje. U radu je naveden osvrt na overview of the Rimanoczy Spa House Rules, which served as a kućni red banje Rimanoczy, koji je poslužio kao uzor za formi- model for creating similar house rules and shaping the work in the ranje sličnog kućnog reda i oblikovanje strukture rada u budu- future spa. The success of the Novi Sad City Artesian Spa in the ćoj banji. Popularnosti novosadskog varoškog kupatila s kraja late 19th and early 20th century was attributed to visionaries, archi- 19. i početka 20. veka doprineli su vizionari, arhitekte, čelni tects, city leaders, doctors, as well as numerous employees, who ljudi grada, lekari, ali i brojni zaposleni, koji su znanje, foku- invested their knowledge and abilities to the people’s needs in order siranost na korisnike i osluškivanje potreba usmerili na dobro- to improve the wellbeing and health of the Spa guests. bit i poboljšanje zdravlja svojih korisnika. Key words: Water Wells; Baths; Guideline; History of Medi- Ključne reči: arterski bunari; kupatila; preporuke; istorija cine; Serbia; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century medicine; Srbija; istorija, 19. vek; istorija, 20. vek Introduction of Novi Sad in establishing the future Novi Sad “Jodna banja” (Iodine Spa). At the turn of the twentieth century, a number On June 7, 1909, the Novi Sad City Council re- of European countries started exensive use of min- ceived a letter from the then Mayor of Nagyvarad, eral waters for healing purposes, and thus building today the city of Oradea in Romania, that was a of famous future spas. A similar trend was noted in response to their request from the same year, con- the Vojvodina region, including drilling artesian cerning the house rules for the Novi Sad City Arte- wells in Novi Sad (1898), Bečej (1904), Kanjiža sian Spa that was in the process of being established. (1908), Senta, Bezdan (1911 – 1912), Prigrevica, In the correspondence between the Mayor of Nagy- Apatin (1913) and Temerin (1919) [1–3]. Artesian varad and the City Council of Novi Sad, there was well drilling, water testing, obtaining all the neces- an attached price list and rules of conduct, that is, sary permits, as well as designing, equipping, and the house rules for the employees of the Rimanoczy final organization of work, including hiring the nec- Spa Hotel, owned by the city of Nagyvarad, offering essary staff, is often time-consuming and complex, 12 baths to their guests [4]. Several generations of and so it was for the leaders of the Free Royal City architects from the famed Rimanoczy family have Corresponding Author: Doc. dr Jelena Zvekić Svorcan, Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Medicinski fakultet, Specijalna bolnica za reumatske bolesti, 21000 Novi Sad, Futoška 68, E-mail: [email protected] 122 Krasnik R, et al. Novi Sad Artesian Spa House Rules participated in the design of numerous monumental buildings in several European cities, some of which were for the purpose of continental and coastal health tourism, as the famous Miramare Hotel in Crikvenica (Republic of Croatia) [5, 6]. The architect Rimanóczy Kálmán Senior built the Rimanóczy Spa and Hotel buildings on the bank of the Körös river at his own expense, and then he bequeathed it to the city of Nagyvárad (Oradea) [5]. The structure of the employees, manner of conduct among the employees in the institution, as well as towards the guests at the Rimanoczy Spa Hotel, are defined in the very first sentences of this old copy of the House Rules: “All employees are obligated to re- spect these rules and to follow them in full. All em- ployees are obligated to protect the interests of the Figure 1. “House Rules of the Rimanoczy Spa-Hotel” owners by keeping in order and care for the hygiene Nagyvarad: Jozsef Lang printing shop, 1897 [4] of the premises they are entrusted with; they will be Slika 1. „Kućni red Rimanoczy banje-hotela“ Nagy- polite to the guests, provide all possible help and thus varad; štamparija Jožefa Langa; 1897. godine [4] contribute to increase the popularity of the spa-hotel“ [4]. There are rules that regulate the rights and respon- brothel, be allowed in. He receives postal letters and sibilities of the manager. The aforementioned text telegrams and sends them immediately to those to emphasizes that “the first person in the institution is whom they are intended. The telegrams or letters in the manager who is responsible for all employees and which the rooms are booked are to be handed over runs the entire institution” [4]. The above-mentioned to the manager. The doorman must not leave his post House Rules do not define the rights and obligations for long periods, day or night. In case he needs to go of physicians, the terms of their employment and somewhere, he must seek the permission of the man- work. The later Statute of the Joint Company “Novi ager and must find a replacement. He is responsible Sad Iodine Spa” states that “the Board of Directors in all respects for all employees as well as for him- meets once a month for the purpose of making deci- self and he must assure it” [4]. Great attention was sions and for advisory purposes; makes decisions on also paid to the proper maintenance of the equipment who will be employed, the annual salary and bonus- and the entire spa inventory. The head of the boiler es for employees. The Administrative Board appoints room was responsible for a large number of tasks re- the spa manager as well as the spa doctor, determines lated to the maintenance of the heating system. Thus, the period for which they were appointed, and the the document states that the head of the boiler room amount of their earnings. The members of the Ad- “is required to check the bath faucets in the morning ministrative Board may appoint a Small Administra- before starting the machine, to check the full length tive Board of ex officio high-ranking employees of of pipes leading to the toilets and to the pools, to es- the spa, a spa doctor and two elected members of the tablish the water temperature in the tanks and in the Administrative Board” [7]. steam bath, and if he notices a defect, or someone The duties of the cashier of the Rimanoczy Spa are reports a defect, to fix it immediately without bother- defined very precisely. It is recommended that “in the ing the guests. He should be economical, but only to event of any unclear situation during the work, the the extent that it does not jeopardize the production of manager should be informed first. Under no circum- sufficient quantities of steam or electricity” [4]. The stances should he have visits at the cash desk or at the House Rules also pointed out that “the boiler room counter. He should politely, but briefly, answer the may be shown to a foreigner only with the permission guests’ questions, check those who come in, and ex- or presence of the owner or manager of the spa” [4]. plain where they should go” (Figures 1 and 2) [4]. The House Rules of the Rimanoczy Spa Hotel also The importance of the doorman’s position is regulated the duties of the spa attendants. According particularly emphasized in the extensive segment of to the rules “the steam baths, pools, shower rooms, the House Rules regarding the day-to-day work re- restrooms and changing rooms are the responsibility sponsibilities of the employees. According to the of the spa attendants, male or female. They supervise document, “the doorman is the guardian of the in- that the House Rules are properly followed, do their stitution whose duty is to monitor the movements of work with other employees, and should endeavor to all those who move in the institution. He keeps track make the guests feel as comfortable as possible. They of guests, coming and going. He registers guests in will give a scrub or a pedicure to the guests in the the guestbook based on the check-in list, greets the steam room if they ask for it.