Rolling in Budapest Cultural information in English … Hear everything first hand

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September 23 – November 10. 2019.

It was the most gorgeous fall day with 24C and sunshine. Drove a little less than 2 hours to get to our destination and have taken of the most beautiful  snaps from these 2 cities.  We walked on the highest points and „climbed” down to the lowest points. Cannot stay enough about these cities, so put on your walking shoes and go visit!  Our first stop, arriving to our first venue went inside the Welcome Center and then headed for our day trip.

Midway through the open-air event series of the Ethnographic Museum and the Hungarian Tourism Agency. This time we got a taste of famous museums and programs in Veszprém and Székesfehérvár. The purpose of our study visit was to get to know the sights and history presented of the Museum Autumn Festival in the countryside.

Székesfehervár 

During the morning, The exhibition of the graphic artist László Réber,  prize winner of the “The Exhibition of the Year” – Museum’s Pedagogical King Museum in the morning hours.  The „Hetedhét” Toy Museum in the historical center of Székesfehérvár, in the Hiemer-Font-Caraffa building block. The permanent exhibition is made in two collections. Collection One – Éva Moskovszky and her mother, Erzsébet Auer, whose unique collections of civic toys are recognized throughout Europe and the graphic legacy – László Réber. CollectionTwo – The combinations of objects containing thousands of small game devices almost without exception a baby’s room, which was originally staged at the collectors themselves and equipped with some kind of story and meaning.

Veszprém

After that venue, we visited the “Country House of the Year” – homemade pasta workshop in the Bakony House. The Bakony House, one of the first Hungarian open-air ethnographical museums. The house used to be a home for a Calvinist lower-gentry family. The three-part building thatched-roofed and soil floor represents the most advanced type of that time. Inside lifestyle typical of the region are displayed (pots, pans, bowls, dishes, ring-cake makers, cups, spoons, and forks). The potteries were made by potters of Veszprém, Szentgál, Nemesleányfalu, Sümeg, Tüskevár, and Kapolcs. Main room displayed with old-style, angular arrangement of furniture. See slideshow: To the right of the entrance there is a green tile or flap-tile stove with a crown with lace-ornaments on the top made by a Veszprém stove-setter and potter in 1854. There is a wooden arm-chair called the “chair of sorrow”, a seat for the oldest man of the family neoclassic chairs from the 19th century with carved back with empire-style ornaments. Also two chairs with Baroque-style carved backs dating from 1704.

A few steps further is the 1925 built, 100 year-old county museum the “Palace of Culture,” built to the public interested in historical treasures the Dezső Laczkó Museum, that show lives from the past, the present, and the future. The first finds of the oldest and most significant collection of 330000 items in the county from 1903 which deals with ethnography, archaeology, history, fine and applied arts, literary history of Veszprém and Veszprém county, and there is a remarkable collection of numismatic  collection as well. Int he museum the „Spirits” remained in the objects. It makes visitors travel in time and space everywhere in the county during the ancient times to the modern age, from the Avars to our grandparents. The oldest archaeological findings date back to 5th century B.C.  At the Library and Treasury of Knowledge is a home for ancient prints, antiques shows several hundreds of years old, first editions of Hungarian fiction and non-fiction books from the 17-19th centuries. In addition visitors can watch archive and contemporary films on about Veszprém county itself. The Treasury of Knowledge a superb and unique education program in the heart of museum.

Before  heading to our next venue had lunch at the Gusto13 – Székesfehérvár … Bouillon, veggies, noodles …Wild boar, green pea puree with grilled vegetables …  also for vegetarians – steamed vegetables … dessert – Thai pannacotta. Excellent food and service – Highly recommend this place.

In the afternoon went down to reach the deepest point of the city -3 floor of the renowned Prison. This program, namely: “Up in the Sky, Down in the Deep” showed the dark shadow of the past, we got a picture of the lives of convicted ex-prisoners, mainly because of their political views in the jail. Had a look at the memory cell of the Hungarian Prince Cardinal József Mindszenty.  Was the bishop of Veszprém and imprisoned in the castle prison between November, 27.  – December, 22. 1944. The Mindszenty Memorial Room commemorates the activities and imprisonment detailing the arrest and detention. He was jailed on Xmas in 1948., charged , sentenced to life imprisonment in 1949. He was liberated during the 1956 Revolution and fled to the US Embassy – Budapest after the suppression of the War of Independence. He stayed at the embassy until 1971, when he left the country and moved to Vienna. According to his will he was buried in 1975 in Mariazell – Austria.

There were also left hand marks of the Bakony outlaws who were imprisoned here also on the -3 floor. Were told a brief history of some of major Bakony outlaws. The rumor of the outlaws survived of which the door of their cell where taken away and exhibited as a memento in the new prison at the Veszprém County Prison.  Born in a shepherd’s family  (real name Jóska Papp)  Jóska Sobri the high-profile robberies were associated with his name. He had several robberies on his account, mentioning here the Hunkár castle’s robbery  at Szolgagyőr, gained booty and was  finally captured in 1836 sentenced  and hanged.

To be continued … PartTwo

Update and snaps  Aggie Reiter