Draveczky Balázs: A Somogy megyei muzeológiai kutatás története (Somogyi Múzeum 6., 1966)

HISTORY OF MUSEOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF THE COUNTY SOMOGY As it was in general use in Hungary in the country, in our county too the work of museology began in the middle of last Century. First the historical collections of grammar-sdholl were employed in collecting. So the reformed grammar-school of Csurgó had a collection since 1863 and the grammar-school of Kaposvár since 1874. First it was Francis Kalocsay well-known from the Hungarian archeological literature who systematized, inventorized and kept in evidency the collection of Csurgó. The collection counted more than 8000 pieces before the world-war II and has been lost during the warlikes. Moreover in the county Szigetvár also belonged administratively to Somogy till 1950. The museum society »-Nicholas Zrinyi« of Szigetvar was founded in 1917. This society was mainly employed in researching and exhibiting documents relating to the period of Nicholas Zrínyi. Zrínyi the great commander was the heroic defender of the fortress Szigetvár. In the Society Béla Sziebenliszt and Béla Salamon were doing outstanding work. The first exhibition was opened in 1930. The year 1939 was the 250 th centenary of the liberation of fortress Szigetvár from the Turkish domination. On this occasion many feasts were celebrated. The collection of the Society was declared as a public collection in 1949. The first expert exhibition was opened in the fortress of Szigetvár in 1952. In connection with the county Somogy the museum »Coloman Darnay« of Sümeg is significant, too. By means of the family Darnay almost 3000 pieces of archeological and ethnographical objects* got from the •county Soimogy to Sümeg between 1887 and 1918. The central archeological research of the county Somogy was preceded both by the research work of Floras Rámér and through the medium of the press in 1872. The work of the museum was organized and directed by the archeological and historical Society constituted in 1877. They were mainly doing archeological collection and smaller excavations. They arranged their first select exhibition in 1880. One of their outstanding works was researching the tomb of Árpád the Hungarian conqueror in the county Soimogy. The Society terminated in 1894 and had a collection of 1359 pieces. The erudite amateur areheologist well-known from the Hungarian archeological literature Julius Melhard and Bartholomew Ko'lbaoh were doing significant work. The museum Society of the county Somogy became the legal Successor of the archeological and historical Society of Somogy. It partly continued the interrupted work of the Society partly began collecting and researching objects of ethnography, of art history, of local history and ancient monuments!. E. g. Emeric Botár and the well-known ethnographer Francis Gönczi began the systematical collection of ethnography. Francis Gönczi as the managing director of the museum Society of the county Soimogy was doing and directing expertly the museum work of the county Somogy till his death in 1948. The Society collected abont 9000 objects till 1934. They prepared the first steady exhibition with collecting and registering objects according to plan. They organized 6 smaller exavations and collected in 54 villages. They exhibited the public their collected prehistorical, archeological, ethnographical objects, the objects of fine art, of literature, of monuments. The number of visitors was every year between 1000 and 1200. There were 12 excavations of greater or smaller signification till 1945. (Ságvár, Tricciana, Somogyacsa, Kapospula, Nagyberki, Szálacska, etc.) The collection together with the library had more 74