Industrial Heritage Hungary

04/07/2025

V4 Industrial Heritage: Explore Central Europe's Industrial Legacy Online

Our V4 Industrial Heritage website, a core deliverable of the Visegrad Fund project, went live at the end of April. This robust four-language platform vividly presents 21 significant industrial heritage sites across Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Comprising 110 pages, the site offers detailed descriptions for each location, supported by 300 contemporary photos, 240 historical photos, and 21 embedded videos. All sites are easily discoverable via an interactive map. For industrial heritage enthusiasts traveling in Hungary, Slovakia, or the Czech Republic, these unique destinations are a must-visit.

V4 Industrial Heritage - Promoting V4 industrial heritage for conservation and tourism (22330253) sponsored by Visegrad Fund

26/06/2025

József Galamb Veteran Vehicle Exhibition Center

The József Galamb Veteran Vehicle Exhibition Center operates in Makó, Hungary, commemorating the renowned vehicle constructor, József Galamb, a native of Makó. The center also showcases the impressive veteran vehicle collection of the Maros-parti Veteránjárműveket Kedvelők Sportegyesülete (Sports Association for Veteran Vehicle Enthusiasts of Maros Riverside)

József Galamb was born in Makó in 1881 into a poor peasant family. His father ensured the education of his two elder sons: József completed the Royal Hungarian State Higher Industrial School (a predecessor of today's Óbuda University), while his older brother, Sándor, became a lawyer. His two younger brothers, Ferenc and János, became mechanics. After working in Hungary and Germany, Galamb traveled to the United States in October 1903 to visit the St. Louis World's Fair, which was to open in April 1904, showcasing the latest technical innovations of the era, including automobiles. The exhibition, especially the cars, made a huge impression on him, and he ultimately decided to try his luck in America. To finance his expenses, he worked in several places (e.g., Stearn's Automobile, Westinghouse), and finally, in 1905, the Ford Motor Company, which had only been operating for two years, offered him a job.

Initially, he worked as a technical draftsman and constructor of car components, but Henry Ford, recognizing Galamb's talent and diligence, entrusted him with increasingly significant tasks. From 1908, Galamb became the chief designer of the Ford Model T. The creation of the Model T, based on Henry Ford's expectations, is primarily attributed to József Galamb, Childe Harold Wills, and Jenő Farkas, but two other Hungarians, Gyula Hartenberger and Károly Balogh, also participated in the work. Galamb is also credited with implementing the Model T's production on the assembly line, which fundamentally changed the world's industry.

Henry Ford involved Galamb in tractor design early on (since 1907). Galamb and Jenő Farkas were the chief designers of the Fordson tractors, manufactured from 1917 (often referred to as the "Model T of tractors").

This brings us to the Veteran Vehicle Exhibition Center at Deák Ferenc Street 61 in Makó, which was once the workshop of József Galamb's younger brothers. In 1921, Galamb sent six Fordson tractors to Makó to be used on the fields and promote Ford's products. This is how the younger Galamb brothers became Hungary's first Ford representatives.

By 1922, the premises had expanded, taking on the function of an "automobile and machinery dealership." Galamb himself promoted Ford's products during his visits to Hungary. In 1926, János, the third Galamb brother, passed away, and the youngest Galamb son, Ferenc, operated the premises. His name is preserved on the facade of the building, restored in 2024: "Galamb Ferenc Műszaki Vállalata Lincoln Ford Fordson Autorizált képviselet" (Ferenc Galamb Technical Enterprise Lincoln Ford Fordson Authorized Representation).

The entire building complex was restored in 2024 with 160 million forints of state support, creating the József Galamb Veteran Vehicle Exhibition Center. The museum offers highly informative displays and panels that detail the lives of József Galamb and his family, the history of Ford and the Model T, as well as the life paths of Jenő Farkas and Károly Balogh.

The museum showcases several Model T cars. Additionally, numerous motorcycles and a few cars from the Maros-parti Veteránjárműveket Kedvelők Sportegyesülete are on display. For Csepel motorbike enthusiasts, the most interesting exhibits are undoubtedly the Csepel 100, 125, 250, Danuvia, Pannónia P10, P20, or the Csepel Weiss Manfréd K250 (1927), which only reached the prototype stage.

The Fordson tractor exhibition room is particularly fascinating. This served as a workshop, and visitors can see period lathes and drills operated by a stable engine with a transmission drive. Vintage tools and original Ford tools are also on display here.

A separate room features a retro exhibition, displaying everyday objects from the recent past, such as televisions, radios, household appliances, and toys. The museum performs a valuable service by collecting and showcasing these items, preserving their historical significance.

Returning to József Galamb's life, he was one of Henry Ford's most loyal employees, serving the company for 39 years. He requested retirement in 1944 due to health reasons and passed away in 1955 at the age of 74.

If you are in Makó or the surrounding area, the exhibition is definitely worth a visit.

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13/06/2025

Museum of Aluminium Industry

When visiting Székesfehérvár, the Museum of Aluminium Industry is worth a visit. The museum was established in 1975 and was initially run by the Székesfehérvár Light Metal Works (Köfém). After the privatisation of Köfém, the new owner did not want to maintain the museum, and after a change of operator and many years of inactivity, the museum was revived as a member institution of the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport.

The exhibition shows the process of aluminium production, from bauxite mining to the production of the finished product, as well as items of everyday use, many of which are now considered "retro". The museum has a special exhibition on computers and peripherals from the 1970s and 1980s, mainly from Videoton.

The museum places a strong emphasis on the interactive involvement of children and students: by scanning a QR code, children or families can solve playful tasks. In addition, museum education plays an important role: school groups and group visitors can use the ALU-GO technique to create functional or decorative articles from aluminium foil, aluminium sheet, or by painting or scratching aluminium.

The museum also has an interesting art exhibition. László Drégely's acrylic paintings painted and scratched on aluminium and István Mácsai's large-scale "Miners' May Day" are well suited to the museum's profile.

The Aluminium Museum is open by appointment.

30/05/2025

Webinar videos available on YouTube…

V4 Industrial Heritage Project organised a seminar titled “Industrial heritage protection in V4: does it work?”. The seminar was held online on 27th February 2025 09.00-15.00.

The webinar aimed to explore the current state and effectiveness of industrial heritage protection across Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

The seminar presentations were video recorded and can be viewed on the V4 Industrial Heritage Project's YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7X0H-6Kzc4mFd_BeZwQVG8u3l4dU2STj

22/05/2025

We are proud to present the new book of the Rail4V4+V project...

In the framework of the project "Railway heritage for engaging the young generation RAIL4V4+V 2023 ", the book of the same title has been published. Editor and designer: Anica Draganić. Publisher: Cultural studies platform CULTstore.

The 162-page book, illustrated with more than 100 pictures, is divided into two parts.

The first part includes studies by experts from 5 countries (V4 and Serbia) on the themes of railway heritage, railway heritage and youth involvement, and railway history. The second part of the book presents the past, present and accessibility of the 25 railway heritage sites participating in the second Rail4V4+V project.

Content

Anica Draganić
RAILWAY HERITAGE FOR ENGAGING THE YOUNG GENERATION

Vladimír Hain, Eva Kráľová
TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING/ENHANCING YOUTH AWARENESS TOWARDS RAILWAY HERITAGE

Anica Draganić, Mária Szilágyi
RAILWAY HERITAGE REVISITED – CRITICAL APPROACHES

Károly Teleki
CHILDREN’S RAILWAYS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE – A HERITAGE WORTH PRESERVING

Lukáš Beran
BORDER STATIONS: THEIR TYPOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE, AND FATES

Maciej Mądry
RAILWAYS. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF INDUSTRY

The images in the Facebook gallery allow you to take a look inside the book.
The Rail4V4+V book is available online and can can be downloaded in pdf format from here
https://www.industrialheritagehungary.com/01-Home/News/RAIL4V4V-2023-BOOK.pdf

27/03/2025

Project Closure

On 26 March 2025, the V4 Industrial Heritage project convened its closing meeting online. Representatives from the three consortium members discussed the project and its achievements, expressing their intention to continue collaboration in the promotion and conservation of industrial heritage. Some administrative tasks remain to be completed. Once the project is officially completed, the consortium members will meet online to outline our next project.

10/03/2025

Rail4V4+V Project Closing Meeting

On March 8, 2025, the Rail4V4+V project held its closing meeting in Mokrin, Serbia. The event was hosted by Anica Draganic and Mária Szilágyi from the leading consortium partner, CULTstore. The Mokrin House provided the venue for the event. In the morning, consortium members presented their work on the project, their results, and briefly discussed the history of the 5-5 railway heritage sites involved in the project.

Following this, project members visited the Mokrin railway station, and several industrial and agricultural facilities located near the railway. Mokrin railway station is situated on the historic Szeged – Kikinda – Timișoara line, which was opened to traffic in 1857. It was one of the stops on the famous Orient Express route that ran between Paris and Constantinople. The train stopped here to replenish the steam locomotive's water supply, as the water in Mokrin was the softest along the entire route. After the cessation of traffic from Szeged, the fate of the line was sealed; the line between Kikinda and Szeged was dismantled, the tracks were removed, and Mokrin station was left abandoned, waiting for its inevitable destruction in increasingly deteriorating condition.

The afternoon program continued in Kikinda, where consortium members, guided by architect Aranka Blat, visited several railway and industrial heritage sites. They first visited the dry mill in Kikinda, followed by the Kikinda railway station and the mill and silos located near the station. Subsequently, the project members visited the former roof tile factory, where Aranka Blat provided a detailed overview of the factory's technology.

The roof tile factory houses the Terra Studio, where sculptor Jovan Blat presented the studio and the operation of the Terra Symposium. The works from the 2024 Terra Symposium can be viewed in the city center, along with several owl sculptures by Jovan. The Long-eared owl is one of Kikinda's attractions, with hundreds of owls roosting in the city's trees during the winter months.

The intensive industrial heritage program concluded with a dinner at the house of Dragana Aleksic Petersen. The house is an outstanding example of preserving rural architecture while also being transformed into a modern residential building, which received a certificate of recognition from Icomos Hungary in 1918.

The personal project meeting reinforced professional relationships among consortium members and facilitated the establishment of new connections with Serbian colleagues.

06/03/2025

European Steel and Coal Heritage Conference in Katowice, Poland

In our Rail4V4+V project supported by the Visegrad Fund, our consortium partner is the Foundation for the Protection of Industrial Heritage in Silesia. The Foundation, together with TICCIH Poland and other heritage protection organizations, is organizing a two-day international conference in Katowice on April 10-11, 2025.

The conference is titled 'European Steel and Coal Heritage' and aims to be a platform to specify topics crucial for the practical protection of fossil-fuel heritage, including coal."

Key topics for discussion include the preservation and continued use of mining heritage as a vital means of documenting and presenting coal’s central and historic role during the “Industrial Revolution.”

Another important topic of the conference will be the adaptive re-use of former industrial sites, including examples across the world where industrial heritage and mobile heritage has been at the centre of sustainable regeneration, and where the carbon already embodied within existing buildings and structures has been saved and given a new life.

The outcome of the conference will be the identification of goals and methods of protection, as well as pathways for implementation, thereby ensuring that the rich achievements of European technology and industry can be properly and meaningfully preserved and made accessible to future generations.

"Further information about the conference and registration options can be found on our partner's website. The detailed program is also available for download in PDF format."

28/02/2025

Industrial heritage protection in V4: does it work? – Webinar

V4 Industrial Heritage Project organised a seminar titled “Industrial heritage protection in V4: does it work?”. The seminar was held online on 27th February 2025 09.00-15.00.
The webinar aimed to explore the current state and effectiveness of industrial heritage protection across Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

The event was hosted by Károly Teleki (Industrial Heritage Hungary) and co-hosted by Ivica Horáková (Design Factory).

The speakers and titles of the presentations were the following:
Károly Teleki - Welcome, introduction of the V4 Industrial Heritage Project and opening thoughts of the seminar (based on the case study of the Cattle Slaughterhouse in Budapest)
During Károly presentation Tímea An, winner of the “Student design and logo competition” introduced her work.
Anna Gondová- Industrial heritage protection in Slovakia - from the perspective of the Monuments Office of the Slovak Republic
Eva Kráľová - The architecture of Industrial Heritage conversions
Eva's presentation was accompanied by a case study of Horehronie by Veronika Aschenbrierová
Lukáš Beran - Industrial heritage protection in the Czech Republic
Piroska Varga - Protection and Reuse of Industrial Heritage
Kristóf Kelemen - Hungarian industrial heritage museums and their artefacts
Lukáš Beran - Seven Czech Industrial Heritage
Vladimir Hain - Digital tools for presenting industrial conversions – Seven Slovak Industrial Heritage
Károly Teleki - Seven Hungarian Industrial Heritage

The seminar was attended by 42 participants, including several TICCIH executives: Miles Oglethorpe (TICCIH President), Györgyi Németh (TICCIH Hungary), Piotr Ge**er (TICCIH Poland).

A video recording of the seminar was made, and an edited version will be shared soon. The availability of the videos will be published on the organiser's website at www.industrialheritagehungary.com and on its page.

18/02/2025

Join the online seminar on industrial heritage in the V4 countries, featuring expert insights and discussions on protection and conservation

12/02/2025

Industrial heritage protection in V4: does it work?
Webinar - 27th February 2025, Budapest, Hungary, online

V4 Industrial Heritage Project is organizing an online seminar for heritage professionals, architects, engineers, students, investors, decision-makers and citizens interested in the industrial and technical heritage of the V4 countries. This event aims to explore the current state and effectiveness of industrial heritage protection across Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

The seminar will kick off with an introduction to the Visegrad Fund sponsored V4 Industrial Heritage Project, highlighting its scope and achievements in promoting 21 significant heritage sites. Following this, experts in industrial heritage, monument, and artefact protection from the three countries will present their insights on legislative frameworks, conservation challenges, and successful projects. The final three presentations will introduce seven industrial heritage sites from each of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, providing a brief history and explaining why they were selected for the project. The seminar will conclude with an open discussion and a question-and-answer session.

The language of the seminar is English. Participation is free, but registration is required. Audio, visual, and video recordings will be made during the seminar, which may be shared later.

You can register for the seminar and can find additional information on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/industrial-heritage-protection-in-v4-does-it-work-tickets-1246119550119?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join the online seminar on industrial heritage in the V4 countries, featuring expert insights and discussions on protection and conservation

25/01/2025

The Rail4V4+V railway heritage travelling exhibition is already touring in Czechia...

The exhibition was displayed at the Banská Bystrica Region Tourist Board from December 16 to 20, 2024, and then at the Museum of Transport in Bratislava from December 21, 2024, to January 12, 2025.

In the Czech Republic, the travelling exhibition opened at the Gallery of National Library of Technology on February 17, 2025, where it will be on display until February 5. After that, the exhibition will travel to its next location at Nymburk railway station.