Kaján Imre (szerk.): Zalai Múzeum 23. (Zalaegerszeg, 2017)
Kardos Laura: „Egy ún. kastély-múzeum”. 40 éves a keszthelyi Helikon Kastélymúzeum állandó enteriőr-kiállítása
392 Kardos Laura „A so-called Palace Museum” The permanent interior exhibition of the Helikon Palace Museum in Keszthely is forty years old Forty years ago, June 26th 1976, the permanent interior exhibition was opened in Helikon Palace Museum. Celebrating this anniversary, this study presents the way to the opening from 1944 to 1976: the birth of the idea of a Palace Museum, the history of the installation and arrangement of the exhibited parts of the buildings. The period between 1944 (the Festetics family’s departure) and 1948 (the castle’s nationalization) was about the havoc and saving of the building and the art treasures. The German, Hungarian, and Soviet military and the local population’s destruction and looting did not spare the palace. The library wing of the building remained in good condition, because the Soviet town commander, to the intercession of the family librarian, had the collection of the art treasures walled up in 1945. In the saved interiors, Helikon Library was established, as a department of National Széchenyi Library. They accepted the mission to protect the Festetich family’s material and spiritual memories. They planned to collect and introduce them to the public. Apart from functioning as a library, Helikon Library carried out the renovation of the building, and the interior of the palace. Moreover, they fulfilled also museum’s tasks: the presentation of the original works of art in an exhibition. Since the foundation of the Helikon Palace Museum in 1974, the main aim had been a permanent interior exhibition which eventually - directed by Batári Ferenc - was opened to the public in 1976. Translated by Veronika Nagy
