The Role of the Völgység Museum in Education and Scientific Dissemination (1987–2020)

Abstract

This study presents the collections of the Völgység Museum, explores their origins and history, analyzes their evolving role in education and scientific dissemination, and discusses the current functions of the collections. Its aim is to demonstrate that small urban museums have become indispensable in shaping the historical consciousness and identity of local communities. By gaining a better understanding of the past, the experiences accumulated here can help leaders, institutions, and farmers and entrepreneurs make informed long-term decisions, and plans and programs that successfully promote development can be created based on an assessment of today's needs. It can also serve as a model for similar small towns on how to build a museum collection that fits organically into its social and cultural environment. The method is a case study, an examination of the museum's three decades of activity, based on the historical and ethnographic core collection, auxiliary collections (document and photo archives, data archives), and archival, printed, and oral sources. Over the past three decades, the Völgység Museum has become a "school-friendly" and then a "visitor-friendly museum" through tenders and projects. With the Völgység Museum Study Trail and the Tourinform Office, it has become a base for cultural tourism, and with the Museums for Everyone Program, it has become a cultural aid for disadvantaged social groups. In terms of scientific processing, it fulfills its mission with conference events, outstanding book publishing relative to its size, and advanced collection digitization.