Technikatörténeti szemle 15. (1985)

TANULMÁNYOK - Kiss László: Műszaki emlékvédelem, ipari hagyományápolás Magyarországon

LÀSZLÔ KISS: PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL MONUMENTS AND CULTIVATION OF INDUSTRIAL TRADITIONS IN HUNGARY Vigorous development of organized collecting activities and establishment of industrial monument collections in Hungary began in the 'fifties of our century. Law decrees appointed the protection of industrial monuments and several government provisions promoted the establishment of specialized technological museums. In the past three decades 47 such museums were stablished within the frame of a national net. With the exception of the parallelly established National Museum for Science and Technology, the specialized museums and collections were organized and are maintained by ministries and industrial enterprises. The objective, at this stage, is — instead of creating further museums — to bring to light endangered valuable objects and to transport them into the existing museums. This is promoted by the voluntary notifying service appointed in all areas of industry. Organized protection of industrial monuments includes all historically significant blanches of industry. The voluntary organizations that came into being to help the museums perform various activities: they rescue objects of historical value, collect objects related to the history of the trade, organize country-wide competitions and exhibitions demonstrating the history of their enterprise. These activities are earried out under the professional guidance of the respective museum. As a result, the danger of massive ruin of technological relics has been eliminated in Hungary. The specialized museums efficiently satisfy growing demand for popularization of technology. There is realistic hope that the central collection of the Museum for Science and Technology will also be open to the public within reasonable time.