Museum of the Hungarian Language

The Museum of the Hungarian Language is Hungary's only mother-tongue museum. It opened on April 23, 2008 in Széphalom (a district of Sátoraljaújhely).

Concept

The idea of the institution was proposed by Emil Pásztor, a scientific linguist of the Eger Teacher Training College, in 1994 at the general assembly of the Ferenc Kazinczy Society.

The museum conveys mother-tongue culture, presenting the historical path of the Hungarian language, the results of linguistics, the influence of languages and language varieties on each other. Based on its own and other public collections, it is the site of permanent and temporary exhibitions, research, and public education opportunities.

The building houses three exhibition halls, a bookshop, a seminar room, as well as a lecture hall with one hundred comfortable seats, modern sound and lighting technology, which also makes it suitable for concerts, cultural meetings, and literary evenings. The work of researchers is supported by a linguistic specialized library, a data bank, an electronic media library, and computer infrastructure.

Construction

The Museum of the Hungarian Language stands in Széphalom, next to the Ferenc Kazinczy mausoleum, on the site of the language reformer's orchard. Its building was designed by György Radványi, a Ybl Prize‑winning architect born in Sátoraljaújhely, who is a lecturer at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

The 1,566 m² museum consists of three larger units:

The first unit forms the core of the language cultivation‑historical exhibition, but is also a forum suitable for larger conferences and, for example, pronunciation competitions. Under one roof the forum and the smaller rooms stand as separate units. The institution also operates a café, and publications and books can be purchased.

The second unit is the research centre, where linguists can work in calm conditions.

The third unit is the park, where among the trees of language families they plan to erect life‑size statues of the greatest figures of Hungarian language cultivation.

In terms of its exterior the museum emphasizes permanence. Therefore many walls made of raw stone and brick, imagined after old Hungarian castles, were conceived by György Radványi, who also slipped a few classicist elements into the building in keeping with the spirit of the place. The construction was realized from 700 million forints.

Opening

It opened its doors on 23 April 2008. The museum was inaugurated by President of the Republic László Sólyom. Present were L. E. Vizi, then president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the 79‑year‑old great‑grandson of the language‑reforming writer living in Stockholm, Ferenc Kazinczy, as well as the presidents of several cross‑border mother‑tongue preservation organisations. On the opening day a scientific conference on the Hungarian language was held, with university professor Géza Balázs, professors Ferenc Bíró and István Szathmári participating.