The Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
The Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) is a beautiful, neo-classical building in downtown Pest, close to Kálvin Square (Kálvin tér) and Astoria. Set in pretty gardens this museum is well worth a visit and could enlighten you to the history of the region of Hungary before it was Hungary as well as more recent historical and political events, like the 1848 revolution which started on the steps of the museum. The National Museum traces its own history back to 1802 when it was founded with the medal, book and manuscript collections of Count Ferenc Széchenyi.
In 1802, Count Ferenc Széchényi offered his rich collection to the nation to establish the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum). In those days the collection comprised of over 11,000 prints, over 1,100 manuscripts and 142 books, maps and copperplates. The collection was initially placed in the Pauline monastery in Pest but the Diet of 1807 nationalised the institute and called upon the nation to donate to the new Museum. One of the most important of the donations was the Julia Festetich mineral collection which, later on, formed the core of the Natural History Museum collection. Beside the donations, money was raised to purchase additions to the collection and the Hungarian Diet of 1832-36 bought Miklós Jankovich’s valuable collection.
The statues in front of the Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian Parliament of 1832 – 1834 helped with the growth of the museum as well. This parliament voted in favour of giving half a million forints to help with the construction of a new building for the museum. Later in 1846, the museum moved to its current location of Múzeum körút where the museum resides in a neo-classical style building designed by Mihály Pollack.
In 1848 the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) played a major role in the 1848 Hungarian Revolution against Austrian rule. The Revolution was partly incited by Petőfi Sándor on the front steps of the museum. This helped identify the museum as a national institution. In remembrance of the revolution two statues were placed in front of the museum. The first is a statue of Arany János which was unveiled in 1883. Later in 1890 there was a statue next to the stairs of the museum in memorial of Petőfi Sándor. In addition during this time the Upper House of the parliament held its sessions in the museum. This continued until the new house of Parliament was built. Today in remembrance, festivities for the national commemorations day of 1848 revolution are held in front of the museum.
In 1949 an act mandated that the ethnographic and natural history parts of the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) be split from the main museum into their own separate entities.
The Hungarian National Museum has 7 permanent exhibitions:
1) History of Hungary from the foundation of the state to 1790
2) Modern and Contemporary Hungarian History
3) The Hungarians who made 20th century history
4) The East-West frontier, a history of the people of the Hungarian lands from 400.000 BC to 804 AD
5) The coronation mantle
6) Medieval and Early Modern Lapidary
7) Roman Lapidary
Petőfi Sándor adresses the people and incites the 1848 revolution on the steps of the Hungarian National Museum.
They also have temporary exhibitions as well as concerts and a festival that you have to pay extra for. Check the museum’s website for more information on what is currently on by clicking here.
The museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays. Guided tours are offered. Entrance to the permanent exhibitions costs 1,100 HUF (about 4 Euros). It will cost more for any temporary exhibitions.
Address: 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 14-16, Hungary
Phone Number: (36-1) 338-2122, (36-1) 327-7749
For more information on the museum just click here!
You can get Metro line 2 to Astoria and walk down, or Metro line 3 to Kálvin tér and walk up. The buses 8, 109 and 112 also go past the museum.
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