Local services
The new permanent exhibition at the Déri Museum presents the local history and interesting things about Debrecen throughout history.
The exhibition seeks to answer the question of who is the “cívis” (“cívis”’ is the term for people of Debrecen). The exhibition presents the world and way of thinking of the former citizens of the town through the work of prominent personalities, famous families and exciting facts about the town’s history.
With one of the largest and growing collections in the country, the Déri Museum had plenty to draw on for the local history exhibition.
Museum director János Angi said that Debrecen had seen so much investment and archaeological excavation by his colleagues. In the last 8-10 years, they have completely had to rewrite Debrecen’s early history.
The exhibition was supported by the Hungarian Genius Programme with HUF 100 million.
In his speech, Szilárd Demeter, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hungarian Genius Programme, emphasised that Hungarian museology cannot be value-neutral, our own national culture is our priority, and the end castles are the key to our national existence in times of crisis, and this local history exhibition reflects this approach.
Debrecen is now more than itself; it is both a regional centre and a stronghold. For this reason, the local history exhibition at the Debrecen Museum cannot be neutral. Being from Debrecen is important not because it is better or worse than being from Miskolc, Budapest or Székelyudvarhely but because it makes Debrecen the home of the people of Debrecen, he stressed.
At the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Debrecen, László Papp, highlighted the heritage of the local (Cívis) bourgeoisie, which is still alive today, and the way of thinking that strives to survive in the face of difficulties.
The permanent exhibition “Cívisek világa” will be on display for the first time on the 24th of June, the Night of Museums, at the Déri Museum.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
