2010.05.14.
- 2010.09.19.
Budai "Bürger", Citizen of Pest - Civic Values, Civic Mentality in the a 19th Century in Pest-Buda
Weber Henrik
Civic society, civic values, civic morals. These expressions we even use nowadays had various meaning during the 19-20th century. During the civilian, civic value system and recent history these terms were often used as leading motifs of political and social programs, thus they have lost a great deal of their original meaning. But, who should we consider a 'real' civilian'? What are the main elements of civic mentality and morals? How did civilian-revolution came to being that we either consider an example to follow or an enemy to destroy. The exhibition at the Budapest Historic Museum with 250 items is in search of these questions.
We followed the changes in civilian society beginning with the end of the 18th century up to the era when the town was united. This was the time when the terms we use for civilian culture formed. Certain elements necessary in the capitalist system were formed during Reformation. Then, the Revolution of 1848 established the legal frames that made it possible for a society independent of the old system to exist. Even though, the failure of the War of Independence halted the process, Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 proved that modernisation and move towards a more civilian society is inevitable even in the Monarchy. In terms of the capital city, the first steps were the establishment of Budapest by uniting Buda, Pest and Óbuda.
The first part of the exhibition deals with the issue of how historians and researchers of society considered civilians in the 19-20th century via the items on display. By illustrating the history of some families, the process unfolds for the visitors.
Clothing, fashion and a dress from the 1850s also represent the process.
The second part of the exhibition reviews the civilian value system, with some of its elements. Everything that so many tried to recall and reset in the past twenty years. The topics are all centred around a set of objects.
