B. Gál Edit – Veres Gábor szerk.: Agria 47. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2011)

Földessy Mariann: A mamuttól az égig érő fáig - Visszatekintés a Mátra Múzeum elmúlt 25 évére

Mariann Földessy From the Mammoth to the sky-high tree Review of the past 25 years of the Matra Museum Permanent things are created only, when cultural demands arise in a community to create something evelasting for the benefit of the society and fellow human beings, fulfil civilized needs, and share them with the present and the future. The museum of Gyöngyös could come to existence in the atmosphere of a civilized society attempting to rescue cultural property, on May 15

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h 1887, under the name of Matra Museum. A set of objects is not a museum yet; to create a collection public support was (and still is) needed, and the founders turned to the people with well prepared ideas, requesting "objects" with data supplied, important from the aspect of natural history and archeology. Natural sciences had priorities from the start this in the life of the museum: the Hungarian Carpathian Society Matra Department's official journal, the "Matra", reported about the museum's work on a regular basis. The World War I and the great fire of 1917 caused a break in the first prosperous era of the institution. The museum and its collections that had transformed many times in the meantime survived World War II, but did not survived the chaotic transition state after the front. The demand for museum has fortunately revived, and Gyula Nagy, whose name become one with the Gyöngyös museum, worked with all his heart and soul on the rebirth of the museum. Gyula Nagy became full-time museum director in 1964, who, besides being a historian was a passionate hunter, and he considered natural scientific research as the main task of the institution, and in 1971 the total number of natural science museologists was three. In 1972, the Folia Historico-naturalia Musei Matraensis, the museum's own scientific journal was launched. The year of 1985 also was determining in the museum's life, as Levente Fűköh, a biologist and paleontologist devoted to collection and scientific work become the leader of the institution then. He has been directeing the Matra museum for 26 years, today the institution can boast the second largest natural history collection of the country, and during these years, the museum's exhibits and buildings has been completely transformed, and become examples on national and international level in the museum profession. The museum can only survive if constantly renewed. The Matra Museum has not only renewed in the past 25 years, but it was reborn. Collections are placed appropriately, providing a bridge between past and future. The museum fulfils social needs with its exhibitions, educational activities, curatorial works, in a high standard environment. 40