Cseri Miklós - Bereczki Iboly - Kovács Zsuzsa (szerk.): Ház és ember, A Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum évkönyve 21. (Szentendre, Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, 2009)

SZABADTÉRI MUZEOLÓGIA 40 ÉVE MAGYARORSZÁGON - Kemecsi Lajos: A tudományos kutatás a magyar szabadtéri néprajzi múzeumokban

Lajos Kemecsi Scientific research in the Hungarian ethnographic open air museums When fixing the framework for the subject, we can state that the past four decades, which give occasion for the conference, constitute enough perspective in the history of the Hungarian and international ethnographic - and European ethnology research and science. The word 'museum' guarantees authenticity and seriousness in the institutions' mission, which have to be supported by the systems of scientific research. It is unquestionable that the establishing of ethnographic open air museums in Hungary is one of the very important achievements of the Hungarian specialised branch of science. The history of the research carried out by Hungarian open air museums consists of the total effect of the individual life works of a dozen researchers and the scientific results are also linked mainly to these persons. The different local-regional and thematic researches and results (like books and catalogues, permanent exhibitions) the yearbook called Ház és Ember (House and Man), the volumes published after conferences, the study books are all milestones of these activities beside the permanent and temporary exhibitions, which are not sufficiently recognized yet. Architecture, costumes and house interiors are those branches of material culture, which represent the best the historically concrete system of contacts between village and town: the urbanization. This is maybe that area in the ethnographic museology, where the essential correlations of the national and European history can be assessed. The ethnographic open air museums are individual cultural institutions, since they present the subjects on a broad scale: nature and culture, spiritual and material aspects, theory and praxis are presented in them together, giving a complete experience and involving the visitor. It is obvious that every specialised science has to update its task definition, to renew aspects and methods. When we examine the characteristic scientific trends, we can state: it is characteristic for the whole of Europe that the world of objects plays an outstanding role in the European ethnologic research, and the centres of this world are the ethnographic open air museums. It is obvious that the diachronic approach should remain a virtue of the European ethnographic science, worth to be preserved. The collections of the ethnographic open air museums play an increasing role within the social-scientific background basis. Knowing the characteristics of the gaining ground and spreading of foreign examples, we can say that the open air ethnographic museology plays an outstanding role in the outlining of the Hungarian middlestand culture model. Enriched with a complex research and educational function, the ethnographic open air museums may become leading laboratories and scenes of cultural ecological scientific research. By approaching the cultural praxis of daily life, the way of existence of the ethnic conscience from the roots and rites of ethnicity, the muséologie research deals with one of the most characteristic elements of today's European research paradigms. The subjects mentioned in the study all refer to the intention that our science and within it, the ethnographic open air museology having its own set of means and scope for action, has to organise its scientific program more and more with problem-sensibility. Universities and museums together can shape successfully the conditions of a permanent, long-term development of knowledge. New demands in the field of research resulted in involving other disciplines as well. Besides the history of architecture, other competences are linked nowadays to the ethnographic open air museums as well. The research activity of the Hungarian ethnographic museology needs organic development and purposeful progress. Furthermore, a healthy balance between new research paradigms and time-honoured methods, scientific theses of proved value. Our discipline - and our open air museology within - has to keep in mind first of all the social and educational processes in Hungary and has to continue such activities by remembering its own research traditions. 276