Museums, modern art and cultural policy in Hungary, 1896-1983

Museums in the Western world enjoy unmatched popularity in mass education, entertainment, and in scholarly research. By contrast, public collections in Hungary have suffered for decades from a lack of moral and financial support in cultural policy, and from sparse interest in, and by, visitors. This thesis seeks to examine the historical and structural roots of this dichotomy. By highlighting earlier successful museum models in Hungary, and the reasons for their subsequent demise, the argument contributes to the social history of the country, and to the archaeology of museums on the periphery of Europe, in the 20th century. The thesis focuses upon collections and exhibitions of modern art, the most controversial museum segment. The involvement of the government and of private patrons of art, and institutions in Budapest vs. those outside the capital, are contrasted. The development of museum architecture and interior design, visual education, and art historical study, is traced. The years before the Great War are identified as the summit of efforts to integrate the representation of modern art in Hungary in international patterns. Whilst the 19408 and the 1950s brought the complete opposite of this programme ~ strict isolation — this thesis also concentrates upon the short periods of success of museums and modern art during the extreme right—wing and (after 1948) left—wing political regimes. Just as there may occur conflicts between charismatic museum directors and cultural politicians vs. a dogmatic political environment, this thesis explores ambitious museum projects vs. their failure in Hungary. The difficulties of large, central institutions are juxtaposed against the versatility of smaller, and more autonomous institutions. The thesis professes allegiance to a pluralistic museum landscape that incorporates private philanthropy as much as governmental commitment; and that functions to build up the national canon, as much as to promote diverse artistic creation. For this to come to pass in Hungary, the country’s progressive traditions need mobilising, and selected international patterns need adopting and adapting. In order to help situate the Hungarian issues in a wider context, this thesis has a strong comparative dimension, and relates each epoch and feature of the Hungarian story to its international counterpart