Open day on 15 March 2024

 

To mark the anniversary of the 1848–1849 Revolution and War of Independence, we are looking forward to welcoming you on Friday 15 March 2024 with a full day of events.

Visitors can wander around our library building on guided tours in English, and listen to the fascinating history of the Buda Castle.
Our playhouse will be open all day for children and adults to try out unique giant jigsaw puzzles inspired by Corvina patterns, courtesy of Gondosdesign, and, as a novelty, the Homoludens team will be waiting for everyone with special board and wooden games and games related to the national holiday.

The Egressy Family and Photography is an exhibition of rare items from our collections, showing the beginnings of Hungarian portrait photography, and for the first time the public can see a daguerreotype of Gábor Egressy's two sons.

 

 

 

Library building tour – Wandering around the Buda Castle Palace Building F

During the walk, our visitors may learn about the fascinating history of the building and discover parts of it that still preserve a small piece of the original royal palace.

Location: 5th floor, starting from the main staircase
Duration: 60 minutes

Time:

• 11.00
• 13.00

 

Handicraft activities, mandala drawing and cockade making

Location: 5th floor, corridor outside room 516.
Time: ongoing (10.30–17.00)

 

Homoludens indoor playground

For 25 years, our team members have been running playhouses, craft workshops and creativity sessions all over the country. In 2023, there were more than 150 days where we taught children and adults to play, and in Budapest, you can meet our team regularly in three board game clubs.
On the Open Day, we will teach special board games, offer unique wooden games to try out, and provide play activities related to Hungarian literature, the events of 15 March and the poet Petőfi.

Location: 5th floor, corridor outside room 516.
Time: ongoing (10.30-17.00)

 

 

Playhouse with unique jigsaw puzzles
Play with giant jigsaw puzzles courtesy of Gábor Gondos and Gondosdesign. Smaller and larger, up to 180 centimetres in diameter, the aesthetic – inspired by corvina patterns, Arabic ornaments or fractal design – community games can be arranged in a variety of ways, so participants can create their own compositions. It is recommended for families with children over six years old and for playful adults.

Venue: 5th floor, corridor outside room 516.
Time: ongoing (10.30-17.00)

 

 

The Egressy Family and Photography. Daguerreotypes of Gábor, Ákos and Árpád Egressy – exhibition

On the occasion of the national holiday, visitors can view early rare photographs and learn about the beginnings of Hungarian portrait photography. The Egressy family, who played an active role in the 1848 Revolution and War of Independence, and their special relationship with photography will be presented through photographs, playbills, letters and memoirs from the collections of the Theatre History and Music Collection and the Manuscript Collection. Two daguerreotypes of Gábor Egressy will be on display again after decades, and for the first time the public can see a daguerreotype of Egressy's two sons, Ákos and Árpád. The exhibition also includes our coloured salt prints from the studios of Lajos Kawalky and Jakab Marastoni. The most notable pieces on display include a coloured daguerreotype from the studio of Zsigmond Reisner from the second half of the 1840s. The photograph of an unknown lady is, as far as we know, the only surviving work by Zsigmond Reisner.

Location: research room of the Historical Photography and Interview Collection, 7th floor
Time: ongoing (10.30-17.00)