Pannonia then and now

The condition of ancient Roman monuments in Hungary today

MúzeumCafé 28.

Gyula Hajnóczi’s Ancient Roman Ruins of Pannonia, published in 1987, was the first work to fully document the monuments of ancient Roman architecture in Hungary. The book closed a productive and successful period of restoration and presentation of the country’s Roman monuments. When recalling the achievements of Hajnóczi, it is sufficient to mention the most striking and internationally significant examples of the period beginning in the 1960s. Rehabilitation of the ruins of Aquincum’s civilian town ended and restoration of the remains explored in the military camp was also completed. As a result of excavations and restoration which commenced in 1960, Gorsium became Hungary’s largest and most visited site. Baláca, with its true-to-life presentation of rich Roman villa architecture, soon joined the above two in popularity. Smaller but nevertheless significant restoration work was conducted along the Amber Road. Renovation was also undertaken along the limes, including the fortress of Intercisa which opened to the public then. The review compiled by Hajnóczi spectacularly confronted professionals – and soon some decision-makers and funding bodies – with Hungary’s rich heritage of Roman-era monuments. Invaluable architectural remains from the middle of the 1st century AD to the 4th century, including remains of blocks of houses in ancient Roman towns surrounded by walls, forums, shrines, baths, amphitheatres, provincial settlements, buildings of estate centres, military camps and watch-towers had survived. The majority of Roman monuments were in state property, but some were owned by county or municipal authorities. Sites of larger significance and larger areas operated as museums were included in the county museum organisations. Smaller ruins of local importance in towns represented more of a sight as found in a public park, while those in unbuilt areas became destinations for walkers, often without official supervision or maintenance. From the end of the 1980s a spectacular development began in utilising the monuments, closely connected with the responsibility of the profession and that of the funding bodies. Civil organisations, circles of friends and foundations which appeared following the political changes also played an important role. NGOs founded at the beginning of the 1990s complemented the funding bodies’ provision by winning tenders and applying for financial support. At sites where only information boards had been installed or sometimes traditional displays had been presented earlier, museum education projects and thematic events appeared. Institutions which had international contacts utilised western experience and examples well. The supply of restored, authentic sites of architectural heritage tried to meet the new requirements and demands placed on museums. Tourism also recognized the role of Roman architectural edifices. In 1995 another compilation, Itinerarium Hungaricum, Pannonia Hungarica Antiqua, was published about Roman monuments as tourist attractions. This guidebook described the ancient Roman monuments in Hungary, their significance and history of their exploration, as well as how to access them. It also included those recently renovated. The exhibition sites included in the work soon organised joint events and the idea of co-operation was born. For nearly a decade from the mid 1990s the museums in charge of Roman monuments jointly introduced their annual events at the spring season-launching celebrations of the Aquincum Museum. Tested elements of interactive museum education sessions, series of events and historical pageants moved out from the enclosed sites and archaeological parks. From 2000, with the revived Sava-ria Historical Carnival, the genre of a historical festival traditionally promoting ancient Roman times throughout a whole town was established and has become widespread in Hungary. The period between the end of the 1980s and 2000 represented outstanding international success in terms of ancient Roman monuments: 16 sites of the Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs-Sopianae were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Monuments similar to the unique architectural and art (wall frescos) ensemble exist only in Rome and some other locations of the Mediterranean world. Hungary’s first ancient Roman World Heritage site was a first in other respects, too.
A single independent business enterprise, Pécs (Sopianae) Heritage Nonprofit Plc, operates the museum comprising several exhibition sites. After 2000 incipient aging and the decay of earlier restoration at certain locations have become noticeable among ruins and museum exhibition sites which were restored in line with the requirements of the 1960s and 1980s. The process has several reasons. Firstly, in Hungary’s climate open-air monuments from time to time require partial and, less frequently, comprehensive restoration, even with regular maintenance. Apart from weather conditions, increasingly intensive utilisation can also account for ‘re-ruinisation’. The increase in the number of visitors was connected to certain developments. The deterioration of sites previously expecting solitary travellers or at most guided tours of groups accelerated, since they were built for uses of a different nature and for serving fewer people. Since there were no resources to develop the infrastructure of the restored monuments, apart from their continuous maintenance nothing else remained but to bid for finances. A transformation has begun with regard to the network of funding and managing bodies. Contracted managers, non-profit limited companies, foundations and, recently, private owners have appeared on the scene. While exhibition sites which are operated in a museum framework are not independently managed financially, the museums have an interest in running the sites economically. Mention must first be made of EU-financed regional development projects catering for investments in infrastructure besides having a tourism appeal. At the same time, winning bids must ensure that the project is financially viable for at least five years. That represents some assurance that the condition remains intact, at least for a while in the post-development period. The application for the limes by the Danube to be part of the UNESCO World Heritage may present a unique opportunity in terms of the conservation of Roman monuments along the river. The preparatory work and documentation required for entry was done with the coordination and assistance of the National Office of Cultural Heritage and the bid was submitted in January 2012. The documentation contains data relating to 121 ancient Roman sites along the Danube. Increasing scientific achievements, the extension of Roman heritage sites and the revived demand for co-operation to promote ancient Roman monuments have all resulted from the application to join the World Heritage List. Yet neither EU resources, nor the prestige of the World Heritage, nor the support of any NGO can replace maintenance and care on the part of owners and funding bodies. That is what ancient Roman monuments in Hungary most require at present.