Museum Overview
According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), 698 museum institutions operated in Hungary in 2021. Examining their foundations, we find museums established by the state—such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest—but also county and city museums founded by local leaders, like the Móra Ferenc Museum in Szeged. Interestingly, during the era of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, the enthusiasm for collecting extended to private individuals as well. Thanks to their contributions, institutions like the Déri Museum in Debrecen came into being.
From the National Museum to the Museum of Applied Arts
"The Hungarian National Museum is one of the most important and richest collections of Hungarian and Carpathian Basin history and heritage." The idea of founding the museum is closely linked to Count Ferenc Széchényi, who famously donated his extensive private collection to the nation in 1802. This donation included not only books but also maps, paintings, and works of art. Although the immediate outcome was the establishment of what would later become the National Széchényi Library, the creation of a museum was also proposed shortly after. Following the recommendations of Jakab Ferdinánd Miller, the library’s custodian, Act VIII of 1808 provided for the museum’s founding. In fact, the Hungarian National Museum and the National Széchényi Library operated as a single legal entity until 1949, when the library moved to the Buda Castle. The museum’s current home—a stunning neoclassical building—was designed by Mihály Pollack.
Museum of Fine Arts
Opened in 1906, the Museum of Fine Arts is considered one of Europe’s most prestigious art museums. Its creation was decreed in the Millennial Act of 1896, and architects Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Ferenc Herzog were commissioned to design its building. Construction began in 1900 and was completed in record time. The museum was officially inaugurated on December 1, 1906, by Emperor and King Franz Joseph. “The centuries-old, now unified collections—those of the National Museum, the National Gallery, and the Jankovich, Pyrker, Esterházy, and Ipolyi collections—formed a magnificent repository of artworks that continued to grow through acquisitions, foundations, and donations within the new institutional framework.”
Museum of Applied Arts
The Museum of Applied Arts stands as a masterpiece of Hungarian Art Nouveau architecture. Built between 1893 and 1896 based on designs by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, the museum was inaugurated on October 25, 1896 by Franz Joseph, as one of the concluding events of the millennial celebrations. Although the museum had existed since 1872, this was the first time it had its own dedicated building. The iconic palace on Üllői Road is currently closed to visitors, as a comprehensive renovation began in 2017.
Museum Highlights from Debrecen to Pécs
Déri Museum – Debrecen
The idea for the Déri Museum was born when Frigyes Déri, a silk industrialist living in Vienna but originally from Bácska, sought to donate a painting by his brother to the museum in Baja in 1916, only to find that the town had no museum at all. On the advice of State Secretary Elemér Czakó, he chose Debrecen as the new home for his collection. One key factor in his decision was the presence of a university in the city; he believed students could benefit from studying objects of significant cultural and historical value. Unfortunately, Déri died unexpectedly in Vienna on October 27, 1924, before seeing the museum completed. The Déri Museum officially opened on May 25, 1930.
Móra Ferenc Museum – Szeged
The Municipal Museum and Somogyi Library were opened in 1883, based on a donation from Károly Somogyi, a canon from Esztergom. The current building—now known as the Móra Ferenc Museum—was completed in 1896, during Hungary’s millennium year. This neoclassical "Palace of Public Culture" was designed by Antal Steinhardt and Adolf Láng. The museum’s namesake, Ferenc Móra, directed the institution from 1917 until his death. The museum was only officially renamed after him in 1951.
Janus Pannonius Múzeum
On April 25, 1899, the municipal council of Pécs decided to establish a city museum and library. A two-story building was rented at today’s 11 Rákóczi Street to house the collected materials and permanent exhibitions. The museum’s first public exhibit opened on November 27, 1904, with Arnold Marosi, a Cistercian monk, as its first director. Nationalization also affected public collections, and in 1951, the city museum merged with the county museum and adopted the name Janus Pannonius Museum.
TÉ
translated by László Gönczi
Sources:
