Museum of Ethnography
H-1146, Budapest, Dózsa György út 35.
Phone: +36 1 474 2100
Email: info@neprajz.hu
The Museum of Ethnography’s two new travelling projects spotlight everyday creativity and memories of military conscription, bringing exhibitions to communities across Hungary — including even the smallest villages. These exhibitions aim to create a dynamic flow of cultural knowledge: while making museum experiences accessible far from the capital, the project also seeks to promote intergenerational dialogue, the recollection of shared memories, and the engaging transmission of ethnographic knowledge.
The exhibition titled “A Soldier’s Story: Travelling Exhibition and Shared Reminiscence ” explores the everyday realities of conscripted life, encouraging dialogue through collective memory. Meanwhile, “The Kádár Era and Everyday Ingenuity” highlights the resourcefulness of people in overcoming shortages, showcasing memories of improvised machines and rural modernisation. The former opens on 12 June 2025 in Nak, Tolna County, while the latter begins its tour on 13 June in Gálosfa, Somogy County.
“The Kádár Era and Everyday Ingenuity” revisits a time when creativity and DIY solutions became essential tools for coping with the limitations of a shortage economy. Machines easily accessible in Western countries — such as lawnmowers, fruit stills, and cement mixers — often had to be handmade in Hungary. The exhibition presents unique, often one-of-a-kind items created by local craftsmen from repurposed or salvaged parts: a lawnmower powered by a washing machine motor, a small tractor fashioned from a Simson motorcycle, or a fruit still made from a pressure cooker. The display not only celebrates these inventive solutions but also highlights how today’s rural and urban lifestyles owe much to the ingenuity of these skilled individuals — many of whom were our own grandparents.
The exhibition will be on display:
13–25 June in Gálosfa
2–16 July in Úrhida
6–22 August in Áporka
2–17 September in Héreg
1–15 October in Bátonyterenye
“A Soldier’s Story: Travelling Exhibition and Shared Reminiscence” is based on the insight that military service — even in peacetime — has left a lasting impact on generations. The exhibition seeks to portray the daily life of conscripted soldiers, the objects associated with that experience, and to provide a space for shared reflection. On display are uniforms, “cutlery kits,” photographs, and other personal items related to compulsory military service — memories that form part of many individual life stories, even if they seldom appear in official histories.
This exhibition can be visited:
12–26 June in Nak
17–28 July in Székkutas
7–21 August in Lajosmizse
3–18 September in Tényő
2–16 October in Püspökladány
Both projects are part of the Petőfi Cultural Programme, implemented through the Model Programme for Regional Cultural Services of the National Institute for Culture, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Innovation. The initiative aims to make the knowledge preserved in the Museum of Ethnography accessible not only in Budapest but also in even the smallest settlements — combining professional expertise with engaging, experience-led storytelling.
Both travelling exhibitions are organised by the Museum of Ethnography within the framework of the Petőfi Cultural Programme. This nationwide series of events form part of the Regional Cultural Services Model Programme of the National Institute for Culture, and is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation. As a result, the knowledge preserved by the Museum of Ethnography is now accessible even in the smallest communities—sometimes in a professional format, other times as an engaging experience!