A comprehensive, ‘regional’ cultural institute which crosses borders
The István Türr Museum in Baja
MúzeumCafé 43.
Until 2013 the István Türr Museum in Baja was a branch institute of the Bács-Kiskun county museum organisation, although its regional relations connected it to other places. As highlighted by the museum’s director, the nearest large town is Subotica in Serbia, where people often go and with which professional relations are maintained. On its website the institute defines itself as a regional museum of Northern Bácska. The museum collects issues, reports about and displays primarily items relating to this area. The expression regional museum is a bit awkward since a significant, truly important regional institute with many collections is involved. The foundation of the Baja museum – made possible thanks to a noted collector and art critic –could have come about already in 1914. Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Frigyes Déri offered his valuable collection and library to the town where he had lived as a child. Similarly to several other provincial towns, in Baja there was the idea of building a House of Culture, for which Déri bought a plot in the town centre, offering it for a museum and library. Due to the war, the cultural centre project was postponed and in 1919, following the Serbian occupation of Baja, Déri withdrew his gift in view of the uncertain fate of the town and presented his collection to Debrecen. In the medium-term development plan, three highly significant projects in three stages are envisioned for the period 2014-2020. They would follow each other, each professionally building on the previous experience. The next, second stage of development, will see the functional reconstruction of the building’s southern and first-floor western wing into display and study storerooms. The third stage will involve archaeological exploration of the inner courtyard.