Petercsák Tivadar: Várak és múzeumok - Studia Agriensia 29. (Eger, 2010)
Eredmények és gondok az egri vár műemléki rekonstrukciójában
RESULTS AND PROBLEMS IN THE HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF EGER CASTLE Eger Castle is one of our most important state-owned monuments, which played an especially decisive role in the struggle against the Turks in the 16th century. Today it is one of the most frequently visited ancient monuments in Hungary with more than 400,000 visitors every year. The historical reconstruction of the fortress with the accompanying ruins of the earliest churches of the episcopate of Eger (11 th—15th centuries) achieved spectacular results in the 1960s and ’80s, something which can be well seen from the town when viewing the walls and the bastions. After the change of political system, in the 1990s, the process of planned reconstruction had stopped and apart from daily maintenance work, only minor renovation was undertaken. Today tragic decay can be seen on several places, especially on the free-standing walls on the territory of the medieval cathedral. As a result of artificial stone additions made according to historical monumental technology adopted in the 1960s, the free-standing original tufa stone wallings and artificial stone forms have mainly been destroyed. In the 1990s, although several plans for reconstruction were made, owing to the long lasting professional discussions, and the lack of financial resources little happen to prevent further decay. Damp coursing under the walls has started in the past two years and this year a protective roof was erected over the rotunda dating from the reign of Saint Stephen - offering another possibility for further protection. Acceptance of a medium term reconstruction programme and scheduled state financing would bring a solution to the problem of conserving Eger Castle. 108
