The past hasn't died, but influences us...(Mihály Babits)

Visible Storage

the most beautiful materials from the collections of the Balassa Bálint Museum

(TIOP 1.2.2-11/1-2012-0077)

THE VISIBLE STORAGE IS OPEN THE WHOLE YEAR!

Opening hours:

• From 1st of April to 31st of October
  10:00 am to 6:00 pm (close on Mondays)
• From 1st of November to 31st of March
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm (close on Mondays)

In the archaeological showcases – moving from right to the left – we sampled artefacts from the Neolithic up to the end of the Turkish Period (around 5000 BC – 16^th-17^th cc.). Among objects of the Bronze Age you can see polished stone axes, vessels incrusted with white inlay, rattles and an altar with human legs, bronze arm spirals and also small vessels that once served as children toys. After black pottery with polished surface from the Iron Age, Roman Age is represented by a peculiar bronze necklace, beautiful jugs and glass vessels, a model of a gate made of burnt clay, finely produced brooches and other jewellery. In the showcase of the Árpádian and Middle Ages several rare and recently excavated objects are on display: e.g. a Romanesque painted stone lion’s head, stove tiles from the time of Sigismund of Luxemburg (14^th-15^th cc.) from the Viziváros (Water Town) district of Esztergom, a casting mould depicting an angel, decorative vessels with inscriptions and an Iznik vessel hoard from the Turkish Period.

Most of the weapons come from the 18^th-20^th century. To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the First World War we display helmets of the age from our collection. Parade armour with punched decoration is dated to the 18^th century.

Ship models belong to Sándor Nagy’s legacy, a sea captain who made the models of seaboats of different ages. From the same collection come objects connected with navigation and sea life (shells, storm-lanterns, parade dagger) and also a steering wheel shown in the corridor, navigational compass and lifebelts.

In the ethnographical room visitors get acquainted with sacral relics, 18^th century tableware of the Esztergom Fogadó (Tavern), beautiful objects of the everyday life (among them several ones with inscribed year) from the last century and an exclusively rich collection of blue dyer plates together with sample books. Beside, accessories, formes for producing two types of honey-cakes can be seen here.

From the Helischer antique book collection (15^th-19^th cc., terminated in 1844) we show almost 2000 pieces on the shelves. There are incunabula, codices and several valuable historical works. In the restored and reconstructed contemporary room some pieces of the oldest pieces of furniture (16^th-18^th century) from the collection of the museum are on display (among them a so-called cradle table, X-form chair).