Here stands the Románné Goldzieher Klára plaque a tribute to a remarkable woman. This unassuming plaque commemorates Klára Goldzieher a Hungarian textile artist and a pioneer in graphology. Born in Budapest on December 24 1881 her life was one of significant achievement and resilience.
Klára’s father was the nephew of the renowned orientalist Ignác Goldziher. Her family background was steeped in medicine but Klára’s passions lay elsewhere. She married Aurél Román a technical entrepreneur. They lived in a house on Andrássy út a building that also housed the famous Japanese coffee house. Aurél later became a bank official and then a director of a check company. Tragically Aurél was taken by the Arrow Cross in October 1944 and deported from Komárom never to be seen again.
But Klára’s story isn’t defined by tragedy. It’s a testament to her strength and intellectual curiosity. Initially interested in painting she shifted her focus to textile art. In 1912 she published an article on batik in the German-language Pester Lloyd. This helped popularize the then little-known art form in Hungary. In 1913 she co-founded the Budapest Textile Art Workshop based in her own home on Csáky utca now Hegedűs Gyula utca. She exhibited her batik works at the Ernst Museum that same year. Later she pursued further artistic studies in Holland.
Klára’s most enduring legacy however lies in her contributions to graphology. Introduced to the field by Jószefné Madzsar she dedicated herself to researching its scientific basis. She studied the link between speech and handwriting examined the writing of people with speech impediments and investigated the writing styles of left-handed individuals. Klára integrated handwriting analysis into twin studies and hereditary research. She published extensively in scientific journals and books. She even co-developed a handwriting measuring instrument called the Grafodyn.
Klára’s influence extended to the institutional framework of handwriting research. She was involved in founding the Hungarian Handwriting Study Society and the Handwriting Research Institute. Two of her books remain readily available today ‘Handwriting and Personality’ and ‘Who Are You? Handwriting Tells’.
In 1947 Klára began a new chapter in New York. Her expertise and the Grafodyn made her a successful graphologist in the US. She lectured at the New School for Social Research a testament to her international recognition. Her 1952 English-language book Handwriting A Key to Personality further solidified her reputation as one of America’s leading graphologists. She sadly passed away in Baden near Vienna on August 8 1962. Her ashes rest in the Feuerhalle Simmering crematorium in Vienna.
This Románné Goldzieher Klára plaque is more than a marker. It’s a symbol of a life filled with artistic passion scientific rigor and the unwavering pursuit of knowledge despite personal hardship. It serves as a reminder of a remarkable Hungarian woman who left an indelible mark on both art and science.