null Information and professional dialogue at the meeting of the Public Education, Cultural and Religious Affairs Subcommittee of the Parliament’s Committee of the Nationalities in Hungary

The Subcommittee on Education, Culture and Churches of the Parliament’s Committee of the Nationalities in Hungary held a meeting on 17 December, chaired by Erika Kissné Köles, Slovenian nationality advocate, in the Széll Kálmán Hall of the Parliament. The Minority Ombudsman was the special guest and gave a detailed insight to the members of the panel, as well as to representatives and experts from nationality self-governments, on the comprehensive investigation of the nationality content of museums.

Among the cultural rights affecting the nationality communities living in Hungary, the role of museums in transmitting and preserving values is of paramount importance. Museum institutions, which are at the service of society and are open to the public, present and convey social phenomena, events and material relics of different eras in a systematic and analysed form, thus ensuring broad and equal access to cultural goods. The Act CXL of 1997 on Museums, Public Libraries and Public Culture states as a basic principle that everyone has the right to know cultural goods, their significance in the development of history, in the formation of national and ethnic self-awareness, and information on their protection, including through the activities of museums. Public collections, and especially museums, play an important role in preserving the cultural identity of the 13 nationality communities living in our country, and in maintaining and presenting the diversity of their cultural values. The protection of the cultural assets of the nationalities in Hungary, the collection and recording of their material relics, the preservation of their values and traditions, scientific research and presentation are not only the responsibility of the nationality base institutions, the nationality self-governments, nationality museums, regional and thematic museums, other collections of public interest, and exhibition centres are also involved to varying degrees and in varying forms.


 

The first item on the agenda was a general briefing by Mr. Máté Vincze, Deputy State Secretary for Public Collections and Cultural Development of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, on the situation of nationality public collections, museums, libraries and regional museums. Afterwards, Elisabeth Sándor-Szalay, Minority Ombudsman, provided information on the situation of nationality museums and their role in the enforcement of the cultural rights of nationality communities on the basis of her comprehensive study on the subject.

After the briefings, the Subcommittee members and the speakers engaged in a professional dialogue on general and specific professional and policy issues affecting the museum sector. The body will continue its discussions early next year, after the publication of the general comment of the Minority Ombudsman.