Home- From Utilitarian to Symbolic

Maryam Shah 

Starting my first blog with ‘sagam’ (traditional skylight) which is bridged to two things close to my heart, architecture, and my hometown, Gilgit-Baltistan.  

Before coming to the skylight itself, I would like to geographically orient you about the Gilgit-Baltistan region. It is the northernmost mountainous region of the country, considered as one of the most important and sensitive parts of Pakistan, due to its proximity with India, China, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, all accessible through passes made in a sea of snowcapped mountains in olden times. This proximity with these regions had made migrations from different countries to the region possible, hence it presents a picture of diverse cultures, religions, and social values. Although opulent with heritage sites and natural attractions, this region is concealed in the mountains in a way that it has only seen a tourism boost in the past decade. Earlier, mostly international mountaineers used to visit. 

Gilgit Baltistan Region

The more one explores the remote villages of the region, the more one uncovers the cultural diversity. Significant architectural features and materials native to this region are seen in construction which influenced the daily life of the people. Harsh, cold, and dry winters led the people to construct compact houses with only one opening, and lack of resources led them to live in a single-roomed house, which had a single central opening in the roof. Known as sagam, som, sum, komal, or eyechan in different local languages. It was constructed with square layers of small beams laid one above another in the center of the roof. The squares are diagonally placed and reduce in size as it grows up towards the final opening. The exact location of the opening is above the hearth. The skylight was the most significant feature of the house to a degree that there was no concept of a window in the wall, isn’t a word for ‘window’ in the local languages. It has a unique rotated square geometry and it not only served as an opening for light, air, and exhaust for the smoke but also played a role in bringing the family together. 

The phrase ‘Garee ‘Tze’ in one of the native languages, Burushaski, literally translates to ‘by the hearth’ (which used to right under the skylight) but is used to connotate sitting together after a long day of work and bonding with family members. Although the houses have very much evolved with time, this phrase is still used to bring people together. 

But how did this sky become such an integral part of the daily life of the people and what is its significance now? 

Around 2000 years back in the era of Legendary Aryan king Jamshid the traditional Pamiri (mountain range in Central Asia) house was planned and designed.  According to history, the main objective was to protect his people from life-threatening cold conditions. For this purpose, architects of king Jamshid designed a simple but versatile, earthquake-proof house that was self-sufficient and self-sustained. It was a purposeful and very valuable design that even after thousands of years didn’t lose its significance and is still functional.

Traditional Pamiri House

Structure, layout, and elements of Pamiri houses were based on the number seven. Adding to the significance is that the seven elements and features of Pamiri houses are all part of Zoroastrian Heritage. This architectural style has traveled from Central Asia to this region with the migration of Pamiri people. Although some myths- like skylights being inlets for fairies and ghosts of beloved ones- remained, the architectural features lost their original religious values with time and influence of other religions, it turned into a symbolic belief that it is as a source of letting in blessings in the house because of which many important events of the family took place in the main room. 

Plan of Traditional House in Hunza Valley

The region opening up to the world brought with it opportunities for the locals to improve their living and bring comfort for themselves. With new materials and resources, bigger houses were built, improved quality of life gave access to better heating conditions in winters, thus the skylight didn’t remain as the only opening in the house. Windows were added which fulfilled the purpose of lighting up the interiors. The skylight remained but was losing its significance with time. 

Skylight in Mir's (King) Hall in Baltit Fort

Fast forward to today, with a fast-paced and comfortable life, most houses built today do not feel the need of a having the skylight because huge open windows are in. those houses which do build the central common space, only do so to symbolize the communal living and family bonds, and is rarely used. 

It remains a distinct architectural element seen in historic houses or forts. It is close to the hearts of the local people which gives them a sense of identity, belongingness, and nostalgia. Owing to multiple factors such as passing on of traditions over generations, technological advancements, economy and resources, and changing lifestyles, this skylight has come to be a rare element now. Religious associations with the skylight now remain as myths and stories in the minds of some people. 

Let’s Walk Oradea and Talk Buildings

                                            

                                       1. Jews and Art (Nouveau), an undeniable connection

     The European art of the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century was subject to a great deal of influence from the Jewish community (Bedoir 2004). Unfortunately, this topic has been a less popular subject in the academic field and thus is subject to a very low degree of public awareness. My choosing to write about the links between the Jewish community and art, especially the Art Nouveau architecture, was very much influenced by the fact that the cultural stamp of this community during these years was never fully recognized.

 Source: https://www.culturespaces.com/sites/ceportail/files/dp_21_rue_la_boetie_vuk_bd.pdf

Figure 1. Paul Rosenberg- one of the world’s major art dealers of the 20th century, was behind such  famous artists as Picasso, Matisse, Monet & Braque 

                                                  

    This community, which has been living with us for many centuries, is still largely unknown to the public and often victim of unfounded stereotypes, as recent cases in Eastern Europe have shown. Even today, when Europe commemorates 75 years since the Holocaust, the evidence of rising anti-Semitism in Europe has become impossible to neglect, and especially in the western European countries where research shows that anti-Semitic violence is increasing (Stremmelaar and Lucassen 2018). 

     Yossie Hollander, Founder of the online platform for Holocaust studies “Echoes & Reflections” stated: "I firmly believe that education is the best way to prevent the next Holocaust" (Echoes & Reflections 2020). My MA research proposal starts from this very same idea that education – in this case not only through academia but also through tourism – is much needed for a better understanding of the Jewish community and its contribution to our wider society. 

     Contrary to popular belief, the history of the Jewish people did not start with and is not mainly comprised of the Holocaust! There was a very culturally rich Jewish life in Europe, prior to World War II, and like in other cities in Europe, Transylvanian Jews were part of the modernizations of the places they were living in.

 Federic Bedoire (2004) and Rudolf Klein (2005) have been writing about the undeniable impact of the Jewish community in the several European cities’ architecture, Oradea being one of the examples. They have also shown the strong ties connecting the Art Nouveau buildings and part of the Jewish community, particularly the upper-middle class one.

                                                  Source: https://editiadedimineata.ro/descopera-romania-palatul-vulturul-negru-simbol-al-orasului-oradea/

                       Figure 2. The Black Eagle Palace- beginning of the XXth century(Oradea)

    The heritage left by the Jewish communities in Europe has started to be more and more “fashionable”, judging by the booming numbers of available Jewish walking tours. The past years have witnessed an increase in the cities that are (re)discovering and promoting their heritage related to the Jewish community. Oradea is one of them. For the last decade, the municipality has been making considerable efforts to restore most of the cultural patrimony of the city and especially the Art Nouveau buildings. As a result, more and more tourists and locals have become interested in walking tours and in getting to know the city. 

     The project I chose for this MA will focus on the city of Oradea, Romania and the historical ties between Jewish culture and Art Nouveau Architecture. Stay connected for the next posts!

 To be continued…

by Flavia MATEI

 References:

1. Bedoire, Federic. The Jewish Contribution to Modern Architecture, 1830-1930. KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 2004; 

2. https://artnouveau-net.eu/city/oradea/ 

3. Institute for Jewish Policy Research. Retreived 29th January 2020, available at: https://archive.jpr.org.uk/object-neth60; 

4. Klein, Rudolf. SECESSION : UN GOUT JUIF ? Art Nouveau Buildings and the Jews in some Habsburg Lands: https://www.academia.edu/36082774/Secession_un_gout_juif_Art_Nouveau_Buildings_and_the_Jews_in_some_Hapsburg_Lands ;

5. Echoes & Reflections. Main Page. Retrieved 25th January 2020, available at: https://echoesandreflections.org;

My (Un)expected Journey

Tekla Balogh-Bodor

It was hard to decide the topic of my first blog post. I have started it at least four times since the beginning of October, but I couldn't come up with anything and I don't know exactly why. Obviously, I'm struggling to find my way and it may seem that I'm more lost than ever before. Hopefully, this is also just a station of my long journey, isn't it? So here I am, nothing is impossible. I thought it would be interesting to share some information about the evolution of my thesis topic, although only one month had passed since the university began.

So let's start with my original idea, and let's see some potential new paths after the first month on the CEU.

The goal of my thesis is to emphasize the situation of museums in small towns. For several different reasons, I chose a town in Hungary, the town of Esztergom that will be my Guinea-pig for my research. Esztergom is located on the north part of Hungary and was the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom from the 10th century until the 13th century. Yet it didn't lose its significance afterwards. Therefore plenty of cultural elements, sites, valuable built heritage are located there.

When I was finishing my masters at the university, I had my internship in one of the museums in Esztergom. Later on that time I worked and lived there for almost a year. Not only did I find a town with valuable cultural heritage, but I also found a town with a strong intellectual community. Sadly, these strong forces are unexploited. It is hard to understand at this time that a town is not a cultural centre with this amount of cultural resources. The whole idea came to my mind because of the unworthy situation of Esztergom and the multitude of possibilities it contains.

This is my original research topic, long story short. I have seen in the classes great case studies in connection with different kind of aspects of heritage and I must tell, we do a lot of brainstorming too. This makes me rethink over and over my thesis topic, I get inspiration.

After this one month, I would like to go after the connection of heritage and identity too. More fully, research the power of heritage, the community shaping power of heritage. I want to use it because the historic built environment can support the economic and social regeneration. Moreover, many of the cultural heritage’s elements are available daylong in Esztergom. I can imagine a built historical monument, where local people can meet regularly and do something together. The place reminds them of the long history of the town and gives them a common identity...

Well I know, I can't save the world with a MA thesis, but still this project makes me enthusiastic and I can't wait to start actively doing something. Even if I only raise awareness and discover the locals' attitude towards their heritage. Hopefully, at the end of my research, I will be able to understand the different kind of effects and processes, which define the cultural life of towns.

Of  course, I would like to find a way out of the current unworthy situation, so my project would be not only a research itself, but solution and ideas for the existing problems.

So fingers crossed, I hope I'm on the way of creating something. I'm ready for the challenges, although I still have concerns. I guess it is normal, right?

Contrast of The Soviet and Contemporary Management in The Museum Sector in Georgia

 Tinatin Baghashvili

Georgia is an old christian country, with spectacular landscape and cultural diversity. It is a small land that plays significant role in the geopolitics of the South Caucasus region. Admittedly, Georgia is aligned on the border of two continents of Europe and Azia. 

The geographical location and ancient history determined the rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is needed to highlight that the visible evidences support the proposed statement. The oldest christian built heritage is dated from VI century, Georgian alphabet is one of the 15 in the whole world - "მე მიყვარს საქართველო". Georgia is considered as the cradle of wine and the folk music, the song "Chakrulo" was sent by NASA to the space as the important musical piece of the world, and many more... but to feel the real Georgia, the best way is to visit and experience the local spirit. 

Svaneti, Georiga

According to the ancient history there have always been battles in Georgia between diverse groups of nations. Sometimes, the country was invaded by the Mongolians, Arabs, Ottomans, Iranians and Russians. Therefore, each of the ethnic groups have left their traces in the land of "Georgia". The history also influenced the shaping of combination of the European and Asian values that are still arguable in many context for Georgian society. 

Ultimately, the country got its liberation in XX century in 90s, after Soviet Union fall. The state transition has not been completed yet. There are many problems, issues regarding the system and democratic values, human rights etc. People still try to define what are the values that country should follow to. The Soviet understanding is still alive among the older generations that significantly affects the modernity. 

Since 90s, Georgia has been developing its institutions based on the European values and culture. However, the huge gaps between soviet period and contemporary Georgia is clearly visible, especially at the state cultural organizations such as the state museums. The problematic issues underline that the museum management does not speak the same language as it is demanded from the life nowadays. The staff is not well-trained, moreover, they are almost retired people having soviet mentality and life-style. Therefore, the modern challenges and technical requirements are not well-adopted in the museum sector. 

National Museum of Georgia, Rustaveli ave.

On the other hand, retired people are still employees at the state museums, and sometimes they even receive pension and salary at the same time. The administration has the legitimacy to fire these people, however, in practice this would be considered as disrespectful act to the older generation in the social, economic and cultural context. Meanwhile, there are youngsters with fresh ideas, that have ability to improve the museums to the modernity and replace soviet style of workflow and soviet management. 

The other issue arises on the museum infrastructure and accessibility to the institutions. All the state museum buildings are built in Soviet Union times. None of these constructions have special need facility in order to meet the underrepresented groups needs. There has been the Association Agreement between Georgian and EU, that considered by 2020 to complete the easy access program at the state museums, to build separate entrances, special elevators and bathrooms, audio guiding tutorials etc. It is obvious, the goals are not yet achieved. And the final aspect is the perception of the museum among Georgian society. The attitude towards culture seems problematic as it represents the joyful experience and entertainment, still the museums lack educational and mediator role in the society. Most of the people do not go to the museums nowadays, because simply museums are not attractive and they do not offer unforgettable experience to the visitors. Therefore, the fresh mind and creative entrepreneurship in the modern management in the museum sector seems crucial and survival step. 

"A Fisherman" - Pirosmani

Lastly, I need to tell personal story to support the arguments evoked previously. There is the one of the most famous Georgian artists, called Niko Pirosmani(1862 - 1918). His art is unique as he represented self-taught artist, painted with self-made colors made of the natural plants. He painted the animals he had never seem before too and it really is amazing. His style is somewhat in childish manner and pure. Couple of years ago, I went to the National Gallery and noticed that one of his painting "A fisherman" was hanging inclined. 

I expressed my emotion and could not resist myself of going to the guard in order to fix the painting. I went to the woman, that was controlling the gallery and told her, that if possible to turn off the alarm security and ask someone to fix the frame. She offhandedly whispered, "oh, when people take pictures, they lean on the painting and that's why it is not hanging right". The woman stood up, wend to the painting, touched and fixed it. I genuinely was shocked. I thought, there must have been at least alarm security in order to protect our culture, or at least the woman should have worn special gloves while touching the great piece of art. 

To conclude, after this incident I have realized that soviet management in the museum sector is a problematic issue. The employees, clearly do not understand the importance of the institutions they work at, they do not value and appraise art and culture. This small event showed me that the museum management does not regulate such incidents, do not provide proper security and education/training to their employees. I suggest, the museum should have its role in the society. It should be educative social space integrated with economic activities. the general success depends on the great management that is unfortunately absent in the Georgian scene as it still carries soviet legacy.

Nana Twumasi: Digitization a Design in the Museum World of Art

 

Digitization is the process of converting information to computer readable format. The human life in the 21^st century has impact on the use of technology and how these have shaped our lives impressively in the museum world of arts. Digital transformation in computers and computing and other advancement in social, political and cultural environment cannot be underestimated in museum experience.

Bryan Shelmon argued that, “digitization is when a museum takes it collections and renders them to post online. The museums also try to digitize actual sculpture with 3-D renderings to capture the detail of every angle of the art piece.” (Shelmon, 2018). 

However, museum play crucial roles in preserving the culture of a people. Through documentation and artifact preservation, culture is recorded and remembered for the future including its history and social evolution. This is because people live together in groups and societies, associated with bodies that can be expressed through museum digitization.

 

According to Emmanuel Arinze in his book the role of museums in society, the museum is an institution that tells the story of man, the world and how humanity has survived in its environment over the years. It houses things created by nature, man and the modern society that houses the cultural soul of a nation. (Arinze,1999). A place that holds heritage value where information is passed on to one generation to another in the representation of an object, image sound or signal to describe information in the symbolic environment.  

 Lord G. Dexter, states that, “the purpose of museum exhibition is to transform some aspect of the visitors’ interests, attitudes or values effectively, due to the visitors’ discovery or some level of communication in meanings to the objects displayed or where a discovery that is stimulated and sustained by the visitor’s confidence is perceived in the authenticity of those objects.” (Dexter, 2001).  Museums through the digital age based on virtualization has brought so much freedom as a way to attract, educate and entertain the youth.  This as a way helps provide additional information, insight, and freedom to people in the world of museum art. It has also helped museums reach wider audiences and increase the accessibility of their collections.

Moreover, digitization of a design in the museum world of art is based on the understanding in which the visitor’s museums exhibitions are created online without the effort of the visitors going there in person. Through the digital process collections are posted online depending on the type of medium used as communication channel. Thus, its helps with self-guided tours and the possibility to select exhibits within the environment they live in.

The digital museum becomes an effective medium of extending the life of most cultures and their accompanying knowledge where more online traffic is dedicated to collections and the stories they share.

Digital means enable the co-production of exhibitions, oral histories, and other forms of display and archives based on personal remembrance, recollection, and interactivity (Adair et al. 2011).

To conclude, museums embracing the digital technology is an important tool to innovate in all areas of the museum institution. This aspect of work and social change comes with an advocacy of thinking around engagement and participatory experiences.

 

References

Arinze, Emmanuel N. “The Role of the Museum in Society,” 1999, 4.

Gail Dexter Lord. “The Manual of Museums Exhibition,” Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001.

Bryan Shelmon. “Digitizing the museum: A New kind of Interaction,” 2018.

Adair, Bill, Benjamin Filene, and Laura Koloski (editors) 2011 Letting Go? Sharing Historical Authority in a User-Generated World. Left Coast, Philadelphia. [Google Scholar]

Ch.1: Overview of a soon-to-be ex-ruin

i.e. The dusting off of a rather large artefact of recent history...or of a rather small house. 

That is, of a rural house in western Romania, in a small village tucked between the foothills in Mureș valley. A fairly compact rural site, its bulk a regularised grid on the northern side of the floodplain, with some streets snaking their way along the hills and between them, the dirt tracks continuing and disappearing in the forests that cover most of the hills.

The village, known in all the languages of the area as Odvoș (at least phonetically; otherwise, DE: Odwosch, HU: Odvos), is a typical western-Transylvanian one, with a multiethnic past, a mono-ethnic present and a reduced, aged demographic. It has an arguable number of streets – 7, perhaps 10 – three churches (a Romanian Orthodox one, a Baptist one and a deserted and half collapsed Roman Catholic one), its many homesteads and an abandoned aristocratic house.  

For the area, it presents most of the typical signs of decay of rural communities. As such, most of the youth have left the community for school; those of working age have long left for work, or commute. Most of the remaining population is aged and many homes lie abandoned – shall we say in conservation? – and disrepair. While a significant proportion of the homesteads seem to have been rich farms – with beautifully ornamented houses and large brick-built barns – many of them now seem or indeed are empty, slowly returning their substance into the ground. When hopelessly weathered, the roof tiles are taken for re-use, with wood slowly rotting away and mudbrick melting after years of rain, the image being dignified as much as it is sad.

Fig.1: The façade – facing the East – and street view of the house at nr.235, Odvos Taken by author.

This, for better or for worse, is the image that greets the traveller passing through the E68/DN7 road which traverses the length of the valley. And, in all earnesty, the house in this “tale” fares no better; its redeeming qualities can be seen by the more optimistic folk at best. That is, by those aware of the (literal) flexibility of such a building, so long as one uses clay and straw rather than cement and nylon, sandstone rather than brick and oak beams rather than I-beams.

Fig.2: The Southern side of the house, with its distinct longitudinal porch and most rural colonnade. Taken by author.

Its basic structure is typical of more archaic houses of peasants from the area: 2 main rooms (plus a pantry), with a side porch running along the length of the house. Interestingly, many such houses in the village have a porch in the middle of the porch, with the wooden pillars often covered in brickwork. It is not unimaginable that inspiration for this less than usual architectural artifice was found in the local abandoned mansion – a ubiquitous notion in the Mures valley. 

While size-wise and organisationally the house fits well in the register of Romanian peasant houses of the region, and excluding the dash of vernacular adaptation of an already provincialised baroque, the visual aspect – volumes, roof angles, windows and doorways, remind one of the houses of the Banat Germans, who used to inhabit a great many of the neighbouring villages and have, as such, left a very distinct mark in the cultural landscape.

Fig.3: a more typical Banat Schwaben house, with its aspect preserving quite ideally the late 1800’s architectural standard of the German villages in the Banat. Taken by author.

The house, then, manages to be several distinct things: firstly, a rather organised pile of roof tiles, wattle and daub, oak beams, mud brick and sandstone. 

Secondly, it can act as a symbol for the beautiful cultural mixture that is the Banat and Partium region. 

Thirdly, the house may become, for the duration of its restoration, a site for experimenting and recreating building practices which have been lost in the region – a summer school, perhaps.

Fourthly and hopefully, it will once again be a beloved home – aspects which will be the theme of the next posts.

By Bogdan Sorinca

Inspired by the East: When you cannot escape the discourse of Orientalism! 2

The Prayer 

Zeinab Abdelhamed

In this part, I would like to look at one of the examples that the exhibition had. The Prayer (see figure 1) by Frederick Arthur Bridgman. An American, who was celebrated for his use of detail, such as here the carpet and shoes, and respect for Islam. Indeed you can clearly see the details of this work of art. My quest was to what extinct this painting represents in any way the Islamic world or culture the co-curator talked about. From the first look, one can notice the influence of Christian art in the depiction of Jesus on the position of the main figure. On the contrary to the prayer position in Islam. (See figure 2).

Figure 1 ( The Prayer)

               A great number of Orientalists for nearly a century applied themselves to the study and the scrutiny of Islamic art and architecture. They did a magnificent job regarding classification such as place of origin, the period of production, styles, and so on and so forth. This was a great achievement, but it has drastically undermined the wider understanding and discourse of Islamic art and architecture-- especially in terms of the connections of Islamic art and architecture to Islam as a religion. Islam, the world's third monotheistic faith, was born and developed in the Arabic Peninsula in the seventh century. Islam is not only a religion but a way of life; Islam fostered the development of a distinctive culture with its own unique artistic language that is reflected in art and architecture throughout the Muslim world. Mainly, Islam bears witness that there is no God but God, “Tawhid,” and attributes everything and anything to him and him alone. This, of course,  includes all art and architecture. This fundamental idea was omitted in the classification discourse that was defined by Western art and architectural historical approach with severe limits of knowledge about the language, culture, and religion of the East. The unfortunate outcome of this bias was a forcible compression of Islamic art and architecture with Christian art and architecture in the massive catalogs and classifying materials that were produced.

figure 2 ( praying positions in Islam)

Towards a new perspective

In his article, Grabar, mentioned that “The views and opinions which are here expressed were developed as a Western observer sought to understand art. They do not derive from a Muslim experience, and it is indeed a problem faced by nearly all scholars in the field…

By the implication from this, there is a sense that deep Muslim experience is necessary in order to fully understand the Islamic art and architecture.

To conclude, in a post-colonial phase, scholars of Islamic Art and Architecture should bring a critical eye to the study of the Orientalists’ methodology and statements.My recommendation as a student and future scholar who will write in this domain is to take into consideration the achievements of the medieval Muslim world and its identity as shaped by Islam, and the essentiality of liberating Islamic art and architecture from the ill-informed confines of the Orientalist construct. This new perspective should include critical analysis of classification methodology elements that have been deeply entrenched in generations of discourse on Islamic Art and Architecture.

P.S. Thank you, Suzy! 

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g56M4dDOde4

• Said, Edward W. 1978. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books.
• Grabar, Oleg. "What Makes Islamic Art Islamic?" In Islamic Art and Beyond, volume III, Constructing the Study of Islamic Art. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2006. First published in AARP, 9 (1976)

The Death Sentence of a Museum? by Bori Mohácsi

I was meant to write my next post about community archaeology, but something happened very recently that made me livid, and I simply had to react – and since I’ve been writing a blog post, here it goes. I know, the title is rather dramatic, but it is, in fact, quite close to becoming a reality.


The Museum
The Hungarian Natural History Museum was a part of the Hungarian National Museum ever since its founding by Count Ferenc Széchenyi in 1802. It housed the botanical, paleontological, geological and later on, the anthropological collection of the National Museum, and by the end of the century, it had to be separated since it threatened to outgrow the building.

For almost 100 years exhibitions were set up separately in various parts of the city, while the museologists were trying to protect the collections from two world wars and a revolution as well (semi-successfully). Finally, in 1994, the Hungarian Parliament decided to give the Natural History Museum a new building, more precisely, several ones: the campus of the old military academy, the Ludovica. The plan was to renovate the complex and give a permanent home for all of the collections by the end of the 2000s, so they started moving them in from separate premises while opening their first exhibit in 1996, “Man and Nature in Hungary”, which was seen by the author as a kindergartener.


And then what happened?

Even the official about page of the museum is addressing – although in a rather contained manner – the problem at hand: Unfortunately – as a result of changes in political decisions concerning the museum – other collections were not able to be moved to this location but rather remained in separate premises. To find a permanent place for all the collections and exhibitions is now the biggest problem the museum has to face.

The main entrance of the museum today

It’s true: there have been several changes since the late 1990s, however, the biggest one is fairly recent: in 2012, a newly founded university was moved in the main building of the former Ludovica Academy: the National University of Public Service. The intention was clear: to expand the university while making the museum move to a yet unknown location. Thus, the university is expanding ever since, they even started building an additional campus around the premises, while the museum, its collections and exhibitions share the old campus with it (mainly the manege, part of the main building and the renovated underground building complex). It used to be surreal as a researcher: looking for the small doorman’s table of the museum next to the shiny, new reception of the university to let us underground to the Anthropological Collection.


Ok, but what is going on now?

Another move, it seems. But this one is not like the others: this is planned to be permanent, and also very likely to be lethal to the collection. Moreover, downright impossible, as it is to an undisclosed (i.e. not even built) location in (drumroll) Debrecen.

Of course, this doesn’t say much to my fellow colleagues who are not from Hungary, so: Debrecen is the second-largest city in the country with more than 200,000 residents (compared to Budapest’s 1,750,000), circa 222 kms from the capital, close to the Romanian border. Why there? No clue. Some say it’s the city council’s loyalty to the government, but we do not know that for sure.

It's boxing day for these guys soon

What we do know, however, is the following: the government issued a non-public edict in January, that by the end of the year the museum has to move all of its collections and exhibitions out of the Ludovica premises. By then, of course, the Debrecen complex will not even be started, so the more than 10 million pieces of individual artefacts, 450 thousand volumes of the library, 8,000 pieces of archive photos, 1,500 pieces of archived documentation, furniture, technology, laboratories, etc. will have to be placed in a temporary warehouse. Which will already have been pre-packed by the 171 people working there. Sounds feasible, doesn’t it?

Even if, due to some kind of a miracle, the moving could be done, doing it in such a hurry would permanently damage some of the collection. The greatest danger is posed to the most delicate material, such as the 264 mummies from the 18–19th century excavated in the White Temple of Vác.

*

This is the part when I should say something comforting, but I won't, because I can’t. This is a problem often faced by professionals in cultural heritage who work in countries where politics has a top-down approach to everything: they have to improvise in the most absurd conditions in survival mode, trying to protect irreplaceable artefacts and heritage sites – in an eternal mood of justified fury against politicians. I have no answers for this now, but maybe, just maybe, that’s why I’m studying cultural heritage now, so maybe one day I will.