Csonka János Museum – soon to open
MúzeumCafé 8.
A museum is opening in the former residence of János Csonka, originally an engine fitter who became an internationally famous inventor. Personal objects of Csonka, who was elected a permanent member of the Royal Hungarian Natural Science Society at the age of 35, have been placed in a glass cabinet right by the entrance. In a nearby corner there is a plaster bust made by one of Csonka’s colleagues, which served as a model for most of the public statues depicting him. “Such objects may not be appreciated by those interested in technical matters, but non-scientific people like looking at them,” says Mrs Alajos Stróbl Lívia Csonka, the inventor’s granddaughter. The idea of creating an exhibition in Csonka’s former workshop was raised before the 1990 political transition, but the plan came to nothing. In the early 1990s, however, the idea to set up a museum in memory of János Csonka was revived. A private foundation registered in 1991 was later joined by the Csonka Engineering Plant, the Hungarian Post Office and Matáv. Not only Csonka’s unparalleled career and outstanding inventions are in the museum’s focus, but also the high standard of contemporary Hungarian industry and technology, the work of his contemporaries, the social background and also a part of the country’s and even the district’s history – not to mention that Csonka’s truly state-of-the-art creations may stimulate the technical developers of today, and that his mental and practical approach to industrial and economic development could set an example for the promotion of industrial policy, social justice and economic progress.