A NÉPRAJZI MÚZEUM ÉS A LOKÁLIS KÖZÖSSÉGEK
THE ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Summary/Abstract: As a social museum, the Ethnographic Museum serves as a reflective space for researching and presenting both the material culture of the past and present, as well as social phenomena. The museum’s collections originate from diverse regions of the world, and the institution continues to maintain direct connections with several of these localities. – This study presents a number of examples of cooperation between the Ethnographic Museum and local as well as creative communities within the Carpathian Basin, highlighting the involvement of these groups in museum activities, including collecting, scholarly processing, and exhibition work. Materials preserved in museum collections can assist source communities in reconnecting with their roots. In addition to those interested in museum objects, the collections also constitute an important resource for individuals engaged in the preservation and revitalization of intangible cultural heritage, particularly through films, photographs, and folk music recordings. The circulation of knowledge is not a one-way process; rather, a dynamic exchange takes place between the museum and source communities, while the contemporary life of these communities is also documented. – The paper discusses in detail a research project conducted in Southern Transdanubia since 2024, examining the transformation of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Bukovina Székelys preserved in museum collections. Through collaborative work, we gain new insights into museum documents, artefacts, and the contemporary manifestations of customs associated with them, thereby enriching museum collections with additional layers of knowledge. At the same time, photographs and films preserved in the Ethnographic Museum are returned to source communities, allowing forgotten heritage to become a living part of community memory once again. Traditional costumes preserved in the textile collection can also serve as valuable patterns and references for contemporary costume makers. This intergenerational heritage plays a significant role in strengthening the identity of the communities concerned.

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