Storytelling bus stops - Veszprém craftsmen: The Cooper

Master cooper István Benkő (Veszprém, 1838 - Veszprém, 1912) lived and worked in a now demolished part of Cserhát, at 8 Kőkép Street.He learned the tricks of his trade in Pest, then honed his skills abroad. He worked in Pest and Karád, then settled in Veszprém. He participated in 36 exhibitions in Hungary as Master Cooper and also took part in the Paris World Exhibition. In 1875 he invented a red wine barrel for which he was granted a patent. He was elected a city representative in 1860 and a city councillor in 1890. He was a member of the county committee for 24 years. As a mark of his respect, he visited Lajos Kossuth in Torino and brought him a decorative wooden liquid container, which was later transferred to the National Museum. His daughter, Ilona Benkő married master builder Kálmán Csomay Sr, who owed much to his father-in-law. István Benkő is buried in the Alsóvárosi Cemetery in Veszprém.