Open Hours of Debrecen4U: Mon – Fri: 8.00 am. – 4.00 pm.
On 20 June, the shortest night of the year, museum doors will once again open wide. Connected to the traditions of the summer solstice and St John’s Eve, museums across Debrecen are preparing a host of special events: exhibitions, concerts, guided tours, interactive events, family activities and many surprises await visitors to Night of Museums.
Admission to all programmes at every participating museum and cultural institution in Debrecen is granted by a single wristband pass.
TICKET PRICES
Patron Ticket: HUF 10,000
Adult Ticket: HUF 3,000
Student/Senior Ticket: HUF 1,500
Family Ticket: HUF 5,000 (2 adults and children under 14)
Children aged 0–6: Entry is free of charge
Tickets may be purchased online or in person at the venues.
Participating Institutions
Debrecen Small Reformed Church, Debrecen Reformed College, Debrecen Great Reformed Church, Déri Museum, Ferenc Medgyessy Memorial Museum and House of Literature Debrecen, MH István Bocskai 11th Armoured Hajdú Brigade (with the participation of the Debrecen Garrison Band), Modem Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Pásti Street Synagogue and the Magda Szabó Memorial House.
4.00 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. – Adventure Game for Children and Families
This year, Night of Museums once again offers exciting surprises for children and families. Several institutions will welcome visitors with detective-style adventure games during this special evening. The games are not tied to a specific time or order. To solve the puzzles, visit the participating venues.
The following booklets are available:
Selyemke and Modemke (Modem Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Déri Museum, Ferenc Medgyessy Memorial Museum and House of Literature Debrecen) – Recommended age group: 6–12 years
In Search of a Hidden Flag (Museum of the Debrecen Reformed College) – Recommended age group: 6–12 years
In the Footsteps of Mihály Fazekas (Museum of the Debrecen Reformed College) – Recommended age group: 6–99 years
At each venue, a recommended highlight programme is marked with a 🌙 symbol. These are particularly worth attending and will help visitors avoid missing the evening’s most exciting events.
4.00 p.m. – City Hall Tour (in Hungarian)
During the tour, participants will hear a wealth of fascinating stories about the history of the building and its most recent refurbishment. They will also discover where Lajos Kossuth and Emperor Franz Joseph once resided, and where the Holy Crown of Hungary was kept.
Venue: 20 Piac Street, Debrecen
Duration: 1 hour
Maximum attendance: 40 participants
Registration: kultura@ph.debrecen.hu
Programme by Venue
Debrecen Small Reformed Church
10.00 a.m. – 1.00 a.m. Guider tower tours every 30 minutes (advance booking recommended via +36 30 289 5597)
4.00 p.m. Ornamental Braided Cord Workshop
5.00 p.m. Mattie the Goose-boy by Mihály Fazekas
5.30 p.m. What Lies Inside the Organ of the Small Reformed Church?
5.30 p.m. Ghostly Great Plain City Tour in Hungarian with historian and researcher Máté Horog
7:00. p.m. Gone with the Wind: How the Small Church Became Smaller
8.00 p.m. Flute Concert
9.00 p.m. The Construction History of the 300-Year-Old Small Church
10.00 p.m. Ghostly Great Plain City Tour in Hungarian with historian and researcher Máté Horog
Debrecen Reformed College Museum
4.00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Temporary botanical exhibit for the 260th anniversary of the birth of Mihály Fazekas
6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Life and Cuisine in Ancient Egypt: Notes, games, and amulet-making workshop based on the journey of János Kovács, Hungary’s first africologist
6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Portraits of Francis Rákóczi II: Exclusive viewing of a portrait donated to the College by Prince Francis Rákóczi II himself in 1740
6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. VIP guided tour with Dr. Dániel Veress
6.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Arts-and-crafts activities
6.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Reformed College board game sessions
6.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Pottery workshops
6.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Interactve floral embroidery exhibit
6.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. Literary café
6.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Adventure Game: In search of the lost flag through the life of Mihály Fazekas, botany, poetry, and mathematics
6.30 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Archive Flavours: Records of culinary culture over the centuries at the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District Archives
7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Challenges in Family History Research: A talk by family historian Előd Szabó
7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Round-tour of the Reformed College Museum
7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. VIP guided tour with Dr. Kovács Teofil
7.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Longsword and archery showcase and training
7.30 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Archive Flavours: Records of culinary culture over the centuries at the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District Archives
8.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Zoological and mineral collection viewing with guided tour
8.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. The Oldest Church in Debrecen: Exhibit on the 300-year history of the Small Reformed Church
8.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Life and Cuisine in Ancient Egypt: Notes, games, and amulet-making workshop based on the journey of János Kovács, Hungary’s first africologist
8.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Tales Told by Old Books: Expert’s introduction centuries-old rarities at the College Library
9.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. Challenges in Family History Research: A talk by family historian Előd Szabó
9.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. Pictures of Mohács: Enamels and Soma Orlai Petrich’s oil painting depicting Hungary’s defeat by the Ottoman Empire in 1526
9.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. VIP guided tour with Zsuzsanna Herczeg
9.30 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. Zoological and mineral collection viewing with guided tour
10.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Performance by Reformed College Choir
Debrecen Great Reformed Church
4.00 p.m. Stitched with Needle and Love – The Taste of Community – Opening of the exhibition by the Tiszta Forrás Embroidery Circle
5.00 p.m. Flavours, Prayers and Stories at the Lord’s Table with Pastor István Oláh
6.00 p.m. The Flavours of Music – Spices in Stories and on the Strings of the Harp
6.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Signature Church Burgers from Our Ministers’ Kitchen
7.00 p.m. The Flavours of Music – Spices in Stories and on the Strings of the Harp
7.00 p.m. Landscapes, Eras, Flavours and Ways of Life with the Martin Brass Band
8.00 p.m. Hello, Tourist! – English-language guided tour
8.30 p.m. Trinity Worship Concert
11.30 p.m. Midnight Organ Concert – From Bach to the Caribbean
Déri Square
4.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Traditional Folk Playground
5.00 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. Open-Air Music Performance – Garrison Band of the MH István Bocskai 11th Armoured Hajdú Brigade
6.00 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. Melodies from Déri Square
Performed by Eleonóra Pauk, student of the Faculty of Music of the University of Debrecen, and Izabella Szabó, student of the Zoltán Kodály Secondary School of Music
7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Performance by the NemDeBár Band
8.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. Concert by Ágnes Kovács and Friends
10.00 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. Fire-juggling performance by the Karmazsin and Flaming Snails troupe
Déri Museum – Lajos Zoltai Hall
7.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. Guided tour of the temporary exhibition MISKA and CÉCILE, or What Is Worth Knowing About Mihály Munkácsy’s Marriage, with sign-language interpretation.
Guide: Éva Irén Fodor, Art Historian and Curator of the Exhibition
Déri Museum – Café
5.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Museum Education Workshop – Mini Cake Making with the Dwarf Cake Factory
Children and families are invited to a fun and creative baking activity where participants can create their dream dessert with their own hands – and, of course, enjoy tasting it afterwards.
Even the youngest visitors can become apprentice pastry chefs through a programme filled with creativity, delightful aromas, sweet treats and plenty of success. The Dwarf Cake Factory also pays special attention to dietary intolerances to ensure that no one misses out on the dessert experience.
Déri Museum – Ceremonial Hall
4.00 p.m. “A Lucky Horn with Ice-Cream Flowers” – Tibor Juhász, museologist, writer and poet, discusses the flavours of Magda Szabó’s world.
4.30 p.m. Márta P. Szászfalvi, Senior Museologist and Ethnographer: Honey Kisses for Cerberus (lecture and tasting)
5.00 p.m. Dietary Habits of the Inhabitants of Medieval Szepes Village – lecture by archaeologist László Szolnoki
6.00 p.m. “…there is scarcely an equal to Debrecen wheat bread…” The Bread of Life and the Spices of Existence (lecture and tasting with contributions by Márta P. Szászfalvi, Senior Museologist and Ethnographer,
Katalin Váradi, Museologist and Historian, and János Vígh, Baker and Owner of Víghkovász Bakery Bistro)
7.30 p.m. József Dénes Kovács, Senior Museologist and Historian: Feel the Steel – Interactive Historical Weapons Presentation
(Programme conducted in English)
8.00 p.m. Katalin Váradi, Museologist and Historian: In Search of the Flavours of Old Debrecen – Insights and Curiosities from the Past of Civic Gastronomic Culture Based on the Research of Lajos Zoltai
9.00 p.m. József Dénes Kovács, Senior Museologist and Historian: Rare or Well Done? – The Last Meals of Condemned Prisoners
10.00 p.m. Annamária Judit Kis, Art Historian: Still Lifes from the Gallery Collection
House of Literature and Ferenc Medgyessy Memorial Exhibit – Courtyard
4.00 p.m. – Midnight Melodies of Old Coffee Houses – Guitar pieces performed by Krisztián Szabó
4.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Skill games for young children
4.30 p.m. – 5.00 p.m. HOODIE – Take It Off Already! Silver-rated production from the Weöres Sándor Student Drama Festival, performed by the Notre Dame Pódium–Novum group
5.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Pottery with Uncle Szundi – Collaborative ceramic workshop with potter Álmos Gál
House of Literature and Ferenc Medgyessy Memorial Exhibit – Fazekas Garden
5.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. My Little Garden – Arts and crafts activities with museum educator Teodóra Tóth
5.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. My Self-Sustaining Garden – Gardening advice and plant fair with Szender Garden
5.00 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. The Unknown Mihály Fazekas by Lajos Lakner, Museologist and Literary Historian
5.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. Learn How to Make Kimchi with Bence Szendrei
6.00 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. “A Lucky Horn with Ice-Cream Flowers” Tibor Juhász, museologist, writer and poet, explores the flavours of Magda Szabó’s world
6.30 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. “I Wanted to Capture Colour, but It Was Impossible” – The Photographs of Elek Szabó Presented by Anna Viola Szabó, Museologist and Photo Historian
8.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. The Reading World of Magda Szabó – Round-table discussion
9.30 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. The Forgotten Tibor Szobotka by literary scholar Erik Máté
10.00 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. The Story of the Várady–Szabó House, 26 Kossuth Street by Attila Harangi, Architect and Local History Researcher
House of Literature – Temporary Exhibit Gallery
4.00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Thirteen Swans: Magda Szabó and Memory (temporary exhibit)
In 1950, Elek Szabó wrote the history of the Szabó family, commemorating each member in turn. Magda Szabó encouraged him to write further stories, and her father gladly accepted the challenge in the hope that they might one day form the basis of a novel. That novel, however, was never written. Although members of the Szabó family occasionally appear in Magda Szabó’s works, they are usually mentioned only briefly and are rarely portrayed in depth. Works such as My Father Dances are exceptional. Why did a writer who spent so much of her life resisting oblivion never fully tell their stories? Using family objects, letters, documents, photographs and a video installation, the exhibition invites visitors into an imagined dialogue between the writer and her father.
7.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. Opening of the exhibition by Noémi Kiss, writer, literary translator and critic
7.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Guided tour with Lajos Lakner, Museologist and Literary Historian
9.30 p.m. – 11.30 p.m. Guided tours with Lajos Lakner, Museologist and Literary Historian, and Barnabás Pótor, Museologist and Critic
House of Literature – Arcade
5.30 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. Guided tour by graphic artist János László of the exhibition CulturAnimal, featuring works created by students of the Ferenc Medgyessy Grammar School
House of Literature
4.00 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. Walk with Jókai: a colourful, light-hearted and interactive walk through Reform Era Debrecen, guided by Jókai himself.
Ferenc Medgyessy Memorial Exhibit
4.00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. An Autobiography You Need Not Even Turn the Pages Of (permanent exhibit)
6.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. Movement Captured in Stone: dance-themed guided tour with museum educator Barbara Bakai Farkasné
MH István Bocskai 11th Armoured Hajdú Brigade (Hotel Aranybika – free admission)
Hussar Valour Then and Now – A Gallop Through Time
6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. “Hussar Tales” – museum education session for children led by staff from the Institute and Museum of Military History
5.30 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Presentation by the Count Ferenc Nádasdy Hussar Squadron of the MH Vitéz Sándor Szurmay Budapest Garrison Brigade
7.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. Opening ceremony: welcome address, followed by performances by the Debrecen Garrison Band of the MH István Bocskai 11th Armoured Hajdú Brigade and the Debrecen Defence Forces Folk Dance Ensemble
4.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Mihály Fazekas, First Lieutenant of the Imperial Hussar Regiment – educational short film
4.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. “200 Years of Hussar Uniforms” – exhibition of works by Győző Somogyi, Kossuth Prize-winning graphic artist
4.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. The heritage preservation group of the Károly Kratochvil Defence Forces Secondary School and College will be introduced. Their stand will feature displays of First and Second World War weaponry and military uniforms
4.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Military Artists Exhibition – a selection of works from the fine arts section of the Debrecen branch of the HTBK
Modem Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art
4.00 p.m. Actress Móni Balsai leads a guided tour of Margit Kányási Holb: Rituals Embedded in Matter, with sign language interpretation
4.00 p.m. Curator Krisztián Gábor Török conducts an English-language guided tour of Csaba Nemes: Continuous Past
4.00 p.m. Actor Ferenc Elek and communication expert Dorka Gönczi lead a guided tour of the MODEM20 exhibition
4.00 p.m. Ringató children’s music session with Zsuzsi Horváth and Csaba Bereczki in the inner courtyard
4.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. MODEM PAD – Creative Corner for Children
5.00 p.m. Guided tour of Continuous Past by artist Csaba Nemes
5.00 p.m. Opening of the exhibition The Unrisen Sun // Frozen Day – Emese Kádár
6.00 p.m. Curatorial guided tour of Margit Kányási Holb: Rituals Embedded in Matter by poet and art critic János Áfra
6.00 p.m. Art Object Tour with Kata Vizi (registration: regisztracio@modemart.hu)
6.00 p.m. Made in Debrecen Stage (inner courtyard) Performers: Eszter Szentirmai & Attila Bereczki, FunDead
7.00 p.m. Actor János Mercs leads a guided tour of the MODEM20 exhibition
7.00 p.m. Made in Debrecen Stage (inner courtyard) Performance by philaūtia
8.00 p.m. Guided tour of Rituals Embedded in Matter by visual artist Zoltán Fátoly and photographer and visual artist Viola Fátyol
8.00 p.m. Slam Poetry Evening – 20 Years of Hungarian Slam Jury: Márton Simon, Zsófia Kemény, Edward Kovács
9.00 p.m. Artistic director Szabolcs Süli-Zakar leads a guided tour of the MODEM20 exhibition
9.15 p.m. Folk Enformel – joint performance by the Hortobágy Folk Dance Ensemble and the Egervölgye Dance Workshop, directed by István Énekes (Zita)
10.00 p.m. Poet Márton Simon at the Continuous Past exhibition
10.00 p.m. Art Object Tour with Kata Vizi (registration: regisztracio@modemart.hu)
10.00 p.m. Made in Debrecen Stage (inner courtyard) Performance by Pipacs
11.00 p.m.
Made in Debrecen Stage (inner courtyard)
DJ set: Best Ablak x UnTheGround
Pásti Street Synagogue
10.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Performance by György Harag Troupe from Szatmárnémeti
11.00 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. Closing Exhibit of the 4th Synagogue Gallery Artist Colony
11.00 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. Exhibit by Johanna Kovács
11.11 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. The World of Jewish Prayer: Guided tour around the Jewish Courtyard
Magda Szabó Memorial House
5.30 p.m. – 6.15 p.m. Guided tour with a bit of spice
7.00 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Culinary discussions and songs by actors at Csokonai National Theatre
9.00 p.m. – 9.45 p.m. Performance by Dóczy Secondary School Music Band
10.00 p.m. – 10.45 p.m. Guided tour with a bit of spice
Organisers reserve the right to change the programme.
Source: facebook.com | Photo credit: dehir.hu
