The building was once home to János Kiss who died as a martyr during WWII after he had joined the resistance movement in 1944 when the Arrow Cross far-right party was in power. In the movement, Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky exercised political leadership, his task was to unite political parties and affiliations and convince them to join the cause. Lieutenant General János Kiss was head of the military wing of the movement. He had left his peaceful life in Kőszeg and travelled to Budapest at Bajcsy’s request to join the Hungarian Committee for Liberation and National Uprising that was established to signal opposition to Nazi Germany and organise the country’s withdrawal from the war. Kiss had undertaken the task of organising military withdrawal. He refused to be involved in political issues but in military matters he insisted on full independence. He saw Budapest’s defence as a key task. He wanted to arm the people of the outlying districts and organise units from workers who could help the Soviet troops to push forward. His goal was to organise these units across the country so that they could join the workers in Budapest in their fight against the Germans. He claimed that his military units joining forces with the units of workers could successfully fight the German army and the units of the reigning Arrow Cross party. Kiss was of the opinion that preventing the explosion of the bridges over the River Danube was vital. The movement was eventually revealed with Kiss arrested. He was interrogated about the circumstances of his joining the movement, but he refused to give his captors any names. He was subjected to physical torture, and later electricity, but he remained silent. A few days later he was executed; his last wish was to have his body returned home to Kőszeg.

His request was granted one year after the end of the war: his body was carried home as part of a festive ceremony.