Petercsák Tivadar: Várak és múzeumok - Studia Agriensia 29. (Eger, 2010)
A Heves Megyei Múzeumi Szervezet (1994-1997)
THE HEVES COUNTY MUSEUM SERVICE (1994-1997) The museums of Heves County (one of the smallest counties in Hungary, in the north-eastern part of the country) hold 5 per cent of the nation’s cultural heritage objects. They are among the most popular sites with 549,058 visitors in 1996. The Eger Castle Museum was the third most visited museum in Hungary in same year with 403,775 visitors. This article outlines the activities of the museum organisation, maintained by the Heves County Council, between 1994 and 1997. Despite the ever-reduced budgetary subsidy and serial staff cuts, not only the three museums and seven exhibition places were maintained, but new results were also achieved. Rescue excavations in connection with the construction of M3 Motorway formed an essential part of the work. The exploration of forty archeological sites was financed by the state, while in order to store and restore the huge amount of new findings the central repository and the technical equipment of the restoration workshops were also improved. Research in the social and natural sciences have relied mainly on funds, endowments and sponsors. Museologists have published 60-80 studies per year, while during the four years in question 29 volumes and catalogues were published and 15 professional conferences organised by the county museum organisation. During the same period two permanent exhibitions were mounted, while twenty to twenty-five temporary exhibits were organised per year, four of them abroad. Several types of conventional public activity have been organised and new forms introduced, such as open museum days, castle camps and historical plays and games, mainly in Eger Castle. In 1996 the budgetary subsidy of the museum organisation was reduced by 30 per cent causing serious financial problems. It has also meant that in the past few years professional tasks could only be solved with extra funding from sponsors or funds and endowments. The most outstanding task of the county museum organisation in the near future will be to maintain its current-form to ensure the professional safekeeping of the collections it is responsible for. 94
