Museum - Bihar Museum

The question of founding a museum in Berettyóújfalu surfaced first in the end of the 1950's. It was the idea of teachers and tutors. Following the work of Mrs. Sándor the museum opened on 20th August, 1960 in 7 Bihari Street. It was called the Ethnographic House. A house built around the middle of the 1700 was renovated and furnished with contemporary furniture. Unfortunately, it had to be deconstructed at the end of the sixties.

Mrs. Sándor and fellow teachers like Gábor Erdélyi did not give in, they went on collecting material. Most of the collected material was lost, but still, the Bihari Museum opened at the beginning of the seventies in 36 Kossuth Street in the old house of the Fényes family. The preparation work of Dr. Gyula Varga and collogues of the Déri Museum lasted for three months.

In 1986 the flat connected to the museum was converted into an exhibition ward and in 1989 the house in the neighborhood was bought which also enlarged the space of the display. The Tardy memorial room was organized in the building in 38 Kossuth Street.

In 1993, the Town's Hall was being renovated and preparations started to convert it to a library. It was supposed to hold an exhibition in 1996 but the works were not finished until 23 May, 2001. Then the building was ready to host the House of Public Collections, the Bihar Museum, and the István Sinka Library.

We did not hold permanent exhibitions in the past seven years but we still went on collecting material. We were donated material and bought it on the amount we won on applications. We receive more and more presents and the work of the camp of learning of our home also results numerous material. According to our diary we earned over 5000 new objects in the last ten years.

Most of oue collections grew in number. We also started a collection of natural sciences in 1998 for which a collection of minerals of eighty pieces served as a basis.

Today almost all the collection is listed in the data base of the museum.

An important event was in the life of our history when the Bihari Museum Foundation was started based on the heritage of Anna Tardy.

It is essential to mention that we first founded the Museum of Regions and Periods in Bihar. The number of the members has reached 100.

The Bihari Museum cooperates with the country houses, cultural centers, and the self-governments of the region. The villages patron the work of our camps and we help them with our researches. The help of the children created the country houses in Nagyréba and Szentpéterszeg and the forge of Hencida.

Permanent exhibitions

Land and Man - From Herpály to the Village Town 5. - Toy - Army - History

This exhibition recalls the real war game, the history of wars of the Hungarians, the life of soldiers that was also put into songs. There are no war scenes, crops, ruins, but there is an ambulance, resting team, parading soldiers and variable uniforms. The reconstructions of two Hungarian banners, as well as maps show the past of the soldiers of Bihar in Europe are shown in the hall.

Land and Man - From Herpály to the Village Town 3. - I am a good housewife... - Works for women around the house

The exhibition shows female dresses from the life of traditional peasantry focusing on the processing of hemp that was performed by women performed almost completely. Hemp in the territory of Bihar was an important plant until the 50's. The basic material of clothing was made of hemp, as well as tablecloths, bed sheets, towels etc. The sacks, canvas necessary in farming were also prepared of hemp. The exhibition presents the tools of hemp processing while the process itself is shown in photos.

Land and Man - From Herpály to the Village Town 4. - Browsing in the literary history of Bihar

Kazinczy was born there, Bessenyei returned to Bihar and his work was fruitful, change came to Kölcsey in terms of his career while living in Bihar. he understood that he had to bare life. Arany János's classic literary worked was based on traditions of Bihar. Zoltán Nadányi lived in Berettyóújfalu most of his life, as well as representatives of folk literature, Nagy Imrét, Sinka István, Erdélyi József and Szabó Pál.

Land and Man - From Herpály to the Village Town 7. - Berettyóújfalu, the Seat of the County

After WWI, on 30 April 1920, the town of Berettyóújfalu became the center of Csonka Bihar County. In 1922 great development began: electrification was done, schools, a new Town House, barracks and house for officers were built.

further exhibitions