The Kosice Hungarian Royal Tobacco Factory was established in 1851 in buildings confiscated by the state, on the lands of today’s Strojarenska Street. The construction of the two-storey factory building was finished in 1854 ( on today’s Garbiarska Street) . This space was used for production, locksmith and carpentry workshops, warehouses, and offices. Since 1855, a steam machine for cutting pipe tobacco had been added to the manufactory production. At the end of the 19th century, the total area of the factory had up to 6,840 m2. In a total of nine buildings, there were premises for administration, tobacco cutters, cigar packaging equipment, packing department and forwarding department. Other buildings served as dryers and warehouses of tobacco and tobacco products.

The Kosice factory did not produce cigarettes, but cigars and pipe tobacco. It reached its production peak in 1885. Since then, the production has steadily decreased. This was due to the competition among tobacco factories, which were created in nearby towns. Another reason of this decrease was also downsizing. However, in 1909 another building for administration, apartments and warehouses was added (oriented to Gorky Street).

The tobacco factory was completely shut down in 1951. By 1953, most of its area was reconstructed for the needs of a vocational school. Most of the buildings were used by Aurel Stodola Vocational School till September 2007. The buildings served as workshops, classrooms, offices and dormitories.

The owner of the whole area is the Kosice Self-Governing Region.

The objects located on Strojarenska Street No.3 are registered in the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic as a technical monument under the number 4596/1-3 and the name of Factory with the area – Tobacco Factory.

(Source: Feasibility study and Cost & Benefit analysis on multifunctional building within the area on Strojarenska street No. 3 in Kosice as part of the MISTER project)