The University of Debrecen was also represented at the centennial exhibition, which illustrated the cultural-historical significance of the Collegium Hungaricum and comprehensively presented the hundred-year history of the institution, regarded as one of the cradles of Hungarian cultural and scientific diplomacy. At the event CH100 – Lost & Found, the Hungarian institute operating in the Austrian capital showcased its century-long cultural, innovative, and value-mediating activities through the display of unique materials. The exhibition featured, among other things, newly discovered archival documents, including photographs and film footage, as well as little-known stories that painted a picture of an institution that has been shaping Hungarian-Austrian scientific and cultural relations for a century.
Two volumes on loan from the University and National Library of the University of Debrecen made up an important part of the exhibition. As a result of research conducted over more than two years prior to the exhibition’s opening, the six-volume diary of János Sőregi—a museologist, the late director of the Déri Museum in Debrecen, and a former fellow of the Collegium Hungaricum—was discovered. Through photographs, illustrations, and personal stories, the diary highlights the events of the institute’s early years and the milestones following its founding (1924–26), and helps visitors learn about Vienna at the time and offers a glimpse into the mysteries of a fellow’s life. The exhibition organizers borrowed two volumes of the Sőregi diaries from the Manuscript Collection of the University and National Library of Debrecen.
The Sőregi Diaries are invaluable, unique copies not found elsewhere. According to the library, given the exhibition’s popularity, further discussions are underway regarding extending the loan period for the volumes. Márton Méhes, director of the Collegium Hungaricum, expressed his deep appreciation for the fact that DEENK provided previously unknown insights into the institute’s early years through these items, thus greatly contributing to the exhibition’s success.
In this spectacular exhibition, created through the collaboration of more than forty-five institutions, the history of the Collegium Hungaricum was presented not as a linear institutional history, but as overlapping stories, tracing the life paths of scholarship recipients, academic careers, diplomatic turns, and personal and historical turning points.
Photos: behance.net
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