The National Centre for Catholic Collections
MúzeumCafé 5.
Much of Hungary’s national cultural heritage is owned by the Catholic Church. The Church was among the first to regulate the “establishment and preservation of art heritage, and its handling in correspondence with its real value”. Property rights are exercised by dioceses. The episcopacies maintain 14 museums, six run by religious orders and nine belonging to ‘other’ units. The Christian Museum and Basilica Treasury in Esztergom, the Kalocsa Archiepiscopal Treasury, the Archiepiscopal Collection in Eger and The Matthias Church Ecclesiastical Collection stand out from among the diocesan museums. The collections of Pannonhalma Abbey and the Tihany Benedictine Abbey and Museum are among those maintained by religious orders. The interiors of listed buildings (e.g. the Medieval Chapter House in Sopron), regional protected and non-protected collections (e.g. the Mihály Rőthy Ecclesiastical Collection in Kislőd) and ecclesiastical history exhibitions (e.g. at the Cathedral of Our Lady, Eger) are all included in the ‘other’ category. The National Centre for Catholic Collections monitors the annual work plans. It sends its reports to the Secretariat of the Hungarian Episcopacy, assisting the appropriate distribution of support. Twice yearly conferences about current issues and tasks relating to the protection of listed buildings and art objects, always connected to a current ecclesiastical anniversary, feature among the regular programmes. A website provides information about the events and also contains studies on art, architecture and ecclesiastical history. In addition, information is available about the protection and handling of buildings and objects.