A Veszprém Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 21. (Veszprém, 2000)
Előszó
PREFACE In the 2000 th year of Christianity, and the 1000 th year of the Hungarian state, we tum with particular interest to our historical past. We consider with greater care the values which have characterised the life and culture of the Hungarians, the continuously settled peoples and the various national groups which have lived for millennia in the area of our narrower homeland, Veszprém county. The significance and dignity of the holiday is increased for us by the peculiar situation, that the institution for the collection, preservation and presentation as public property of all these values is the museum, that manifold organisation playing a decisive role in the cultural life of the county which is where we work, where all the joys and cares of meeting the past are our everyday experiences. There is hardly an area of museology where we do not find a task; there is scarcely a branch of science where we would not immortalise our professional fame at home and abroad. In most cases we do not simply carry out excavations, or collect historical, ethnographic, literary-historical and graphic arts material, but corresponding to the challenge of the age and the profession, we think in greater dimensions, taking part in Hungarian and international schemes. In the year of the Millennium, research initiated or emphasised years or even decades ago is continuing. This includes the excavation of the Baláca villa farm dating to the Roman period, and the wall painting research as part of this, as well as the comparative study of the Roman period tumuli. The excavation of the Lesencetomaj cemetery of the Keszthely-culture has been temporarily suspended, but the material found so far is being continually processed. Excavations begun in the Tihany-Óvár area have provided a new basis for the archeological significance of the area, as on the site, the remains of an ancient settlement have come to the surface, the extent of which well exceeds those previously known. In the area of ethnography, studies of the rich customs of the Bakony and Balaton Highlands peasant society, as well as holidays and turning points in human life, have been combined with the religious history research programme, which is of international significance. Research into everyday and holiday eating habits, along with folk art as well as popular applied arts in the region, has achieved remarkable results. Dualism period studies of the citizens of the county are being carried out in social-economic and Veszprém, 2000. cultural history fields, and are part of the international historical research into the Habsburg monarchy. The production of a survey of the witchcraft sources in Hungary is the completion of an extensive scheme which has taken years, and the result is published in the most contemporary form, on the Internet. In literary historical museology, research on the works of the authors and poets connected with the county has gained in significance due to anniversaries. The 175 th anniversary of the birth of Mór Jókai in the Millennium year has raised this work to national rank: in Badacsony, a tradition was born in 1999 with a series of conferences on the reform period, with the study of the life and literary historical significance of the creative artists who lived in the early 19 th century as the central theme. In the area of art history research, attention has been directed primarily to the compilation of data on the craftsmen and masters as well as their artist contemporaries who lived and live in the county. This scheme has arrived at an important stage this year, with the presentation of the life's work of Imre Csikasz. The museum library collection is of great value, and is therefore a rich source for the various research themes. The examination of the publications of 18 th-19 th century authors from the point of view of medical history and cultural history is a work of many years, with decisive significance for local history. An indispensable part of our work is the preservation and restoration of the condition of the document, photograph and object collection, which is of inestimable value, and this task is carried out by restorers who are taking part in advanced training in increasing numbers. The presentation of the special pieces and groups of objects in this collection has also been chosen as the subject of the museum's Millennium yearbook. These in fact constitute the most authentic evidence of the period in which they were produced, and the most can be read from them, as far as the circumstances of their origin and the means of their application are concerned. The studies have been written by the museum research team, each member of which represents their area of expertise, and therefore the reputation of the museum, to the highest possible standard. This is the guarantee that the sacrificial and outstandingly significant work begun by our predecessors in the profession is proceeding today, and we believe this will also continue into the new millennium. V. Zsuzsa Fodor county museum director 8
