Hatvany Lajos Múzeum

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1969 on the basis of the collecting work of architect engineer Doktay Gyula, teacher Szántó Lóránt, local historian Németi Gábor and József Révász. From the outset its founders considered it important to gather the archaeological finds that had come to light in Hatvan and its surroundings since the 19th century, and to take part in excavations. In the 1970s the museum gave a platform to artists regarded as part of the opposition to the regime, as well as to the Hungarian avant-garde; it was then that it took the name of Hatvany Lajos, after the collection had been enriched with many works through the widow of the famous patron.

The collection includes the legacy of Lesznai Anna and Gergely Tibor, four works by Moholy-Nagy László, and contemporary works by, among others, Korniss Dezső, Kondor Béla, Lakner László, Deim Pál, Keserü Ilona and Maurer Dóra. The museum’s pride is a set of ten lithographs by Oskar Kokoschka. The ethnographic collection numbers more than four thousand objects and is especially rich in folk wall panels (falvédő), folk plaited products and devotional oil prints. The outstanding items of the archaeological collection are the remains of the Hatvan culture.

In 1996 the museum found its permanent home in the Sörfőző-ház (Brewhouse) built by Grassalkovich Antal, which includes a craft brewery. In 2014 the institution was reborn after a modernisation offering interactive experiences. Its permanent ethnographic exhibition, Régiségünk – Örökségünk. Hatvan és térsége néprajzi emlékei (Our Antiquities – Our Heritage: Ethnographic Relics of Hatvan and its Region), opened on 30 August 2024.

Highlights

• The legacy of Hatvany Lajos and the collections of Lesznai Anna and Gergely Tibor
• Four works by Moholy-Nagy László and Oskar Kokoschka’s series of ten lithographs
• Régiségünk – Örökségünk: ethnographic relics of Hatvan and its region
• Archaeological finds of the Hatvan culture
• Folk wall panels (falvédő) from one of the most complete collections in the Carpathian Basin

Permanent exhibition

• Régiségünk – Örökségünk. Hatvan és térsége néprajzi emlékei – The exhibition presents the tools of craftsmen, costumes, folk wall panels and a detail of a best room (tisztaszoba) from the ethnographic collection of Hatvan and its surroundings.

Founded

1969

Admission & discounts

Museum education lessons for kindergartens and schools HUF 500 per person. With the Hatvan Card the admission fee is HUF 1,000 per person; with a Hungary Card it is likewise HUF 1,000 per person.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Museum education lessons for kindergartens and schools; reduced tickets for adults accompanying a child.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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