More on Sándor Járay (Sen.)

Sándor Járay was born Alexander Jeitteles in 1845 in Temesvar (Timisoara) Romania. Very young he moved to Vienna and married Therese Ludwig in August 1868 in the „Wiener Stadt-Tempel“. Therefore Therese became Jewish in July 1868. Later, probably in 1872, he and his family became Catholic.

He worked as a gilder and started his business under the name „Alexander Jeiteles“ in 1869. Their eldest daughter Antonie was born in Vienna July 1869, followed by two sisters Julie (1870), and Karoline (1871). His only son Karl was born in 1872.

He changed his name in 1871, working now at Fleischmanngasse 5.

Sándor was a master of design

and color in tapestry and of gold leaf. He worked together with his brother Sigmund but he must have left Temesvar earlier to establish himself as a tradesman and tapestry maker for the Imperial Palace of the Kaiser with his gold leaf skills and his gift for decoration.
A book found at the bookstore of the Imperial Palace, Vienna „Kaiserliche Interieurs“ refers to Sándor Járay and has several references and pictures of rooms he decorated in the palace, and some names of artists who worked along with him, including brothers Ernst and Gustav Klimt.
Sándor was regarded as „the“ specialist in exquisite Baroque decoration. The book „Gustav Klimt and Emilie Flöge“ by Wolfgang Fischer, mentions „Herr Sándor Járay“ as the heavy going interior designer in the money swanker‘s salons until the massive changes in Viennese art began occurring around 1900.

At the World Exhibition

of Furniture in London 1902, the Jaray firm exhibited „Old Viennese Interiors“ from around 1830. Under „Rooms of Historical Style“ at the London Exhibition 1902, Sándor Járay displayed a Biedermeier bedroom from the imperial court with great success. He also set up an exact model of a Baroque library and in order to make it look authentic, he asked permission of his friend the Kaiser to borrow the chandeliers from the Schönbrunn Palace.
Sándor „der Alte“ as he was now affectionately called, since Sigmund named his second son after his brother, became a grandfather for the seventh time as his son Karl, also an architect, had a son Hans born in 1906. Hans later became one of Vienna‘s best known actors. He and his sister Maria (1901), like many other members of the Jaray-family, left Vienna in 1938.
Sándor‘s daughter Antonie who married Karl Bayer, a general, had two children - Gertrude (1901) and Ernst (1902).
Julie his second daughter married Karl Seifert, a merchant (son of Johann Heinrich who built the Seifert billiard-tables) and they had three children - Emma (1898), Friedrich (1900) and Elisabeth (1902).
Karoline, Sándor‘s third daughter, died very early at the age of 42.

It seems that with the death of Sándor in 1916 (eight years after Sigmund died) his business couldn‘t be continued. His son Karl was not in the company, and Sigmund‘s two sons Max and Karl, who ran the company of their father at that time, both died in 1920 which left no Jaray capable of running the family business.

Hermesvilla
1130 Wien, Lainzer Tiergarten

The Hermesvilla (built 1882-1886 by Karl von Hasenauer) was a gift of Kaiser Franz Joseph to his wife Elisabeth.

Most of the gold-plating was made by Sándor Jaray.

Pictures taken by W.Tschapka, 2003.

Kirchensalon at Hermesvilla

Sándor's (Alexander's) children

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