The Bogner-Gellyén house, located on the east side of the Central Square (today Union Square no. 31-32), north of the Wolphard-Kakas house, was one of the most significant residential houses in Renaissance-era Cluj. At first, the house was probably preceded by a Gothic building. In 1533, the building was owned by Cluj citizen Kylian, a member of the future Gellyén family. The building was rebuilt between 1560-1570 by Emericus Bogner, and then, at the beginning of the 17th century, by the merchant Emericus Bogner Jr., alias Gellyén (1558-1621), one of the wealthiest citizens of the town who was the judge of Cluj for fourteen years. The two Renaissance portals commissioned by Emericus Bogner are among the most significant decorative elements produced by the workshops of the Cluj stonemasons, first documented in the privilege of the stonemasons’ guild on December 20th, 1525. The two portals show strong influences of the Renaissance architecture from German areas, which probably entered Transylvania via Upper Hungary, the closest analogies being the frames of the upper rooms of the town hall in Bardejov (Slovakia).
(Illustration) Main façade of the building (Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár, Budapest)