A „falak is szenvednek” – épület(sorsok) és kutató(sorsok) 1945–1963

Abstract

When the fighting was over in Budapest in 1945, the National Commission of Monuments (MOB) immediately began assessing the damage the historic monuments had suffered from military action and from the plunderingravaging population. The worst plight befell the stock of castles and mansions. The new situation also shed light on the contradictions and defects of the institution’s functioning. Many of the provisions of Act 39 of 1881 regulating the protection of historic monuments had become out-of-date. The local governments were unable to impose their will during the redistribution of land and the ensuing expropriation of property begun in March 1945 even in the few cases in which they were determined to protect the buildings. After lengthy negotiations the representative of MOB was eventually co-opted by the Ministry of Agriculture’s committee in charge of nationalizing the castles and country houses and deciding on their new function, but this remained a purely administrative presence. Although a ministerial order of 1946 spelt out the responsibility of the owner or user in maintaining the monument, the spontaneous transformation of these buildings went on without the knowledge or guidance of institutionalized monument protection, and that resulted in the further deterioration of the already damaged buildings. Another problem was the lack of adequate information at MOB on the 19th century building stock; they only launched more thorough assessment of this area after 1922. Research literature elaborating this period began to appear as late as in 1936. In late 1949 the tasks of MOB were taken over by the National Center of Museums and Monuments, also assuming professional control of museums. The small group of outstanding experts at monument protection fostered the best tradition of Hungarian monument management started in 1872, doing their utmost for the saving of the building stock. The appendix provides a selection of pertinent documents.