Cseri Miklós - Horváth Anita - Szabó Zsuzsanna (szerk.): Discover Rural Hungary!, Guide (Szentendre, Hungarian Open Air Museum, 2007)

II Upland Market Town - II-9 Middle-class Home from Gyöngyös

shops of Gyöngyös, Eger and Pásztó. There is a tipped jug from 1873, a smatt brandy bottle and a flask decorated with fireguard symbols. These refer to the fires which destroyed Gyöngyös several times and resulted in the early spread of tin roofs. Another resident of the dwelling is an actress from a touring company. Her fashionable personal belongings evoke a special atmosphere in the rented back room. Different touring companies visited the town in the early 19th century. They performed plays and operettas in the hall of Vaskorona or on the stage of Kaszinó-garden. The little guest • Confraternities The Saint Cross Association is one of the oldest religious communities in Gyöngyös. The Association was founded in the 15th century and still operates together with other confraternities. It functions on the basis of strict written rules and is self-governing. Formerly their leaders were elected with ceremony. Their duties include the maintenance and attendance of church altars, participation in and contribution to religious services and funerals. The confraternities help the poor; the sick and those who have fallen on hard times. room suggests a committed strolling player pursuing acting almost as a mission. The actors travelled throughout the country reaching even the smallest settlements. The masterpieces of Hungarian and foreign dramatic literature and musical art were always popular among the audience. 41