What practical problems have arisen with dissolving the county museum organisations and the change in ownership of institutions?
MúzeumCafé 30.
In recent months the county museum system, established in the 1960s, first experienced a change of funders then, following a government decree issued in April, it ceased to exist. The local city, town or village authorities are due to assume responsibility for the operation of the museums and memorial houses in their locality. However, the decree does not oblige them to fund these institutions and since many may not have enough money, it is estimated that up to 200 exhibition venues might possibly have to close. MúzeumCafé asked several county museum directors to express their opinion about the situation. Several did not respond, but the article a county museum director has contributed to our Workshop section is on the same theme. You can read his evaluation immediately after ‘Debate’. The director of the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Museums’ Directorate stresses the enormous damage that can be caused when an institution in the country ceases to exist. After all, today it is only the provincial museums which have remained as the border fortresses of Hungarian culture. The director of the Hajdú-Bihar County Museums’ Directorate has worked out a funding model to help museums keep functioning. Márton Kálnoki-Gyöngyössy, director of the Pest County Museums’ Directorate and president of the County Museum Association, highlights that an enormous collection of historical and art treasures has been compiled in the central sections of the county organisations which were established in the 1960s. According to Zoltán Nagy, director of the Vas County Museums’ Directorate, the final battle is approaching but that will be fought by others. The concept of county museum organisations has been dumped into history’s recycling bin.