Fraternity-Testvériség, 2002 (80. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2002-01-01 / 1. szám
FRATERNITY Page 15 homes with catafalques of the village mayor and a petty nobleman can be visited. Nearby on a hilltop is a typical vineyard building and press-house with a cellar. One of them has been converted to a tavern. Called the Rédics House from the Westem-Transdanubian region, it is authentically furnished and offers some delightful wine samples. The front porch. In the Kisalföld (Little Plain) area, the spindle-shaped roadside village had its origins in the late Middle Ages. On one side of the street, stone and brick homes contain painted furniture that presents the culture of Hungarian and German families. On the other side of the street, straw and reed thatched older homes made with earthen walls house a chapel, a weaver’s workshop, a smithy, a treadmill, a winepress from a manor, and an operating grocery store with authentic fixtures and furniture. Nearby is a Protestant cemetery that follows the traditional pattern of burial grounds for extended families. Boat-shaped grave posts, originating from Nádudvar, Hajdúböszörmény and Szatmárcseke, represent the Trans- Tisza region. Other wooden grave posts from Szentes with their unique headboards are on the left side of the cemetery.Twenty-four painted tombstones from Szigetmonostor, Bia and Tök recall the peasant culture in the Buda Mountains and the Zsámbek Basin during the 18th and 19th centuries. Adjacent to the cemetery is the largest rustic villa from the Pannonia province. In the third and fourth centuries, it contained more than 50 rooms. Also housed nearby above the Upper Tisza region is a Greek Catholic church from Mándok. The Hungarian congregation and settlers arriving from the Carpathian Ukraine erected it in 1670. It contains easel paintings from the 18th century although the furniture was made in the 19th century. Original carved oaken crosses are set in the adjoining churchyard. A new part of the open air museum stands by the brook Sztaravoda. It is the Libikóka playground, erected for small children. A sandpit, doll house and seesaw are positioned next to the monkey-bars, jungle gyms and slides. A mini-stage is currently being erected to house small productions and puppet shows. Personally, I could have spent another day exploring this excellent educational museum and taking photos. Temporary exhibitions that frequently change celebrate the hunting region of Bakony and the Balaton-Uplands and are housed in a stable of Szentgál.The folkart of Veszprém can be purchased from the craftspeople who demonstrate their skills, and traditional medicines of the upper Tisza region are displayed in the Sonkád house. Even memories of the spa culture around Lake Balaton were shown in the Nyirád house. Standing in front of the bakery ovens from Izsák is Les Megyeri. Guided tours are offered in English, French, Hungarian, and German. The museum is open most days except Mondays, but one should call 36-26-502-500 or email sznm@sznm.hu to be sure it is open. The museum is located outside Szentendre about three kilometers north of town. Their web site is http//www.sznm.hu. Director Dr. Miklós Cseri will do his best to accommodate your tour and make your visit a special one.
