Folia Historica 33. (Budapest, 2018)
I. TANULMÁNYOK - Tamás Edit: „Sötétedés után a kiállítás nem látogatható!" A sárospataki Rákóczi Múzeum 1950-1952-ben
"EXHIBITIONS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE AFTER DARK" THE RÁKÓCZI MUSEUM OF SÁROSPATAK IN 1950-1952 Summary After the World War II the castle building of Sárospatak was given to the Reformed College of Sárospatak by the Ministry of Religion and Education to turn it into Rákóczi Museum, Home of Writers and Artists and Folk High School. The museum planned in the Red Tower was established by István Rácz. In May 1949 a part of national tangible property of landed estates of the Károlyis was moved from Füzérradvány to the museum being under organization. The date of the first letter addressing "The director of the Castle Museum of Sárospatak" was tghe 17,h April 1950. The first museum director and caretaker was appointed by the National Center of Museums and Monuments (NCMM) on the T1 July 1950 in the person of Ferenc Bakó coming from Budapest. For Ferenc Bakó, Sárospatak was like being sent to exile. He was assigned to be director of a museum which actually did not even exist that time. Other circumstances were also not delightful: his payment had been not transferred for three months, his meal was guaranteed by the Home of Crafting, he borrowed money from the teachers of the Sárospatak Reformed College. His accommodation was located in the Perényi-wing; however it served as storage and as guestroom at the same time. Events taking place in the castle attracted the attention of the Reformed College. Their collaborative cooperation (Kálmán Újszászy, János Román) and moral support opened the heart of many people and the gate of many institutions to Ferenc Bakó. The Castle Museum, officially Rákóczi Museum from 1951, was positioned in two wings of the castle (eastern and northern) and in the residential tower. According to the classification of museums it is a rural state museum. In 1950 the Mausoleum of Kazinczy in Széphalom was subordinated to Sárospatak. In the "one man staff museum" the most difficult tasks were economic and maintenance duties. In order to organize the first permanent exhibition a group of exhibition coordinators started working in the museum with the leadership of Erik Fiigedi, then László Bényei. Meanwhile monument restoration was going on with the direction of Dezső Dercsényi and László Gerő. The restoration of the building was carried out by an outstanding investment of the Council of National Monuments focusing on the Red Tower and the instatement of the renaissance fragments. The renaissance stonemasonries of the Knight Hall - based on the records of Viktor Myskovszky - were reinstated to their original place (the sculptor, Ernő Szakáll contributed to the reinstallation of the late renaissance stonemasonries), and the embrasure corridor was explored on the southern side of the tower. Due to the Government Commission of Lost Goods tangible properties of some castles and chateaus were taken to the castle cleared by its owner. Transporting the furniture of the former Rákóczi castle in Felsővadász, Vay castle in Vaja (1951) to Sárospatak meant a significant growth in the furniture collection. The restoration, conservation of these items and the ones arrived before 1950 was fulfilled by a specialist of Museum of Applied Arts, József Gerenday. Before the first permanent exhibition in 1950, 159
