Sports Museum, Dorog

The Dorog Sports Museum, founded in 1999, offers insight into the sports history of the city of Dorog, which with its varied and interesting collection has been awaiting visitors for two decades. Since its opening it has continuously expanded its significant collection.

History

The Dorog Sports Museum opened its doors on November 13, 1999, within the celebration organized for the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Dorog sports club (former names: Dorogi Atlétikai és Futball Club, Dorogi AC., Dorogi Tárna, Dorogi Bányász SC., Dorogi SE., Budalakk Konzorcium FC. Dorog, currently; Dorogi FC.). At that time the marble plaque bearing the names of the club founders was also unveiled (made by stonecutter master Gonda György). The visionary of the museum plan was Dr. János Tittmann; the mayor of Dorog and Member of Parliament, as well as sports historian and writer Gyula Szabó, an enthusiastic and dedicated local patriot of Dorog, formerly a player and chief supporter of the Dorog football youth teams and later a member of the club board, and the founders were the sports club leadership, the city administration, and the Dorog Supporters' Friendly Circle. The museum design plans were created in the summer of 1998, and the substantive practical implementation began in August 1999 under the direction of chief supporters Gyula Szabó and Mihály Balázs. Numerous supporters also participated in the work. The exhibited objects give a picture of the very rich, varied and unique history of Dorog sport from the club’s founding in 1914 to the present day.

The museum building

The exhibition is located in the club’s headquarters building erected in 1895 (Dorog, Köztársaság út 3.) – which originally was to be the central building of the Csendőrség, then became the Dorog railway station, and finally was acquired by the sports club in the 1920s – where the outstanding Olympian, multiple Hungarian champion athlete, coach and sports official Károly Solymár lived with his family between the two world wars.

Exhibits

The museum commemorates all former and currently active departments that once operated in Dorog, such as athletics, table tennis, wrestling, gymnastics, kempo‑karate, cycling, handball, football, boxing, volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, nature sports (mountain climbing, white‑water rowing, etc.), gymnastics, swimming, complemented by the weightlifting named after László Fekete, sport aviation and parachuting, the Dorogi Diófa FC football academy, as well as the Sports Association of the Dorogi Regional Association of Persons with Disabilities (led by fencers) and city mass sports. On the first floor of the building several thousand sports relics can be seen (photos, written documents, cups, medals, flags, newspaper articles, match tickets, posters, picture and sound recordings). One of the most outstanding objects is the torch of the 1936 Berlin Olympic flame, whose route also passed through Dorog. The relic belongs to the famous Dorogi sports family, the Prohászka family, and is displayed in the museum only within the framework of occasional exhibitions. Also worthy of special mention is the Wall of Dorogi Olympians (Designed by Gyula Szabó, created by Gyula Szabó, Mihály Balázs, Mariann Balázsné Lehotai, Adrienn Balázs and Helga Juhászné Krasznai, which was inaugurated on August 20 2001, on the occasion of the Millennial celebration). It commemorates every Dorogi athlete who participated in the Olympics, as well as Olympic committee members. Also among the special relics is the honorary diploma donated by the Hungarian People’s Republic with the signature of Prime Minister Miklós Németh, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the sports association’s founding. The museum’s South American, especially Argentine, connections are significant. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the world‑famous Argentine River Plate club have donated commemorative plates to the museum, and national team and club flags, stadium photos, match tickets, badges further enrich the exhibition material collection. Many relics are in private hands. In addition, the museum provides space for sports community meetings, trainings, and friendly gatherings. Among other events, the “A” license football head‑coach professional training and exam took place here in 2001.