The Premonstratensian Order of Canons was founded by Saint Norbert in 1121, nine hundred years ago. Members of the order have been present in Hungary almost since its foundation. The Premonstratensians have been part of and have shaped Hungarian society, religious life, art and science over the centuries. On the occasion of the anniversary, the Hungarian Premonstratensian Circary and the Hungarian National Museum are presenting a joint exhibition on the history of the Order. The exhibition provides an overview of the spirituality, foundation, past and present of the Order in Hungary. It presents the material heritage of the Premonstratensian Order in Hungary and the contribution of its members to Hungarian culture. In addition to the works of art and documents preserved in the abbeys and monasteries of the Order in Hungary today, the nine hundred years of the history of the Premonstratensian Order in Hungary is told through a number of artefacts on loan from collections at home and abroad.
The spirituality of the Premonstratensian canons is defined by a combination of contemplation and service to the people. Their way of life is the vita mixta (mixed life). They retire to monasteries to live their lives under strict rules, but at the same time they pastor and, from the early 19th century, teach. The exhibition "Premontreiek 900. The 900-year-old history of the Premonstratensian Order in Hungary" is divided into two sections, the vita mixta the vita contemplativa and the vita activa.
The first three sections of the exhibition present the contemplative, God-seeking aspect of the Order's history. The first section reveals the vocation of the founder of the Order and the vocation of the Premonitory Order. The second section describes the inner life of the monasteries and the order of monastic life. The third section highlights the Order's rich architectural heritage, its houses and churches. The second half of the exhibition focuses on the Premonstratensian aspects of active life. In this section, the monks leave the monastery walls and seek to be of service to society, whether by spreading the word of God, educating young people or serving society as scholars or artists.
The exhibition features primarily collections from the Premonmonmonstratensian Abbey and Archives in Gödöllő, the Premonstratensian Abbey and Archives in Csorna, the Premonstratensian Women's Canons' House in Zsámbék, and several Premonstratensian-affiliated high schools, never seen before in an exhibition, liturgical objects, documents and photographs, presenting the diverse spiritual and cultural heritage of the Premonstratensian Order. The objects on display are accompanied by micro-historical descriptions, through which visitors can learn about the history and significance of the individual works and documents.
A standout among the works on display is the painting of St. Norbert by János Vaszary, created in 1897 and brought from the Ancient Seminary of Esztergom to the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Zsámbék. The exhibition also features a number of important Premontrian codices from the collections of the ELTE University Library and Archives, the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian Franciscan Library, among others. Of particular importance, the exhibition will also include a medieval Hungarian dictionary preserved in the Premontrian Abbey of Schlägl in Austria. The architecture of the order will be illustrated with fragments of carvings and frescoes from former medieval premonasteries. A special section will be devoted to the history of the Premonstratensian church ruins in Zámbék, which not only occupies a prominent place in the history of the Order in Hungary, but is also one of the emblematic buildings of our medieval architecture. A significant artifact of the Baroque period with a Premonstratensian connection is a painting by Johann Lucas Kracker, owned by the Fáy Society. The work once adorned the Premonastic Abbey of Jászó and depicts King Béla IV with the abbey's founding charter.
The exhibition in the Pulszky Hall of the Hungarian National Museum is complemented by two other units. The Medieval Lapidary features a film The Premonstratensian Heritage, made in 2020, which shows the presence of the Premonstratensian order in Hungary. In the Dome Room, the monumental panoply The Road of Wars by Sándor Nagy, which was made for the Premontrian High School in Gödöllő in 1924 and was rediscovered in 2019 after a long period of lying in abeyance for decades, will be shown. In 2020, the work was returned to the Premontrian Abbey of Gödöllő from the collection of the Budapest Historical Museum - Budapest Picture Gallery.
The exhibition is accompanied by a number of programmes at the Hungarian National Museum. In addition to the curator and other experts, several members of the Premontrian Order will give guided tours of the exhibition. During the round-table discussions, visitors will learn about the architecture of the Premonstratensian order, its role in Hungarian education and its liturgical medieval codes. The history and significance of outstanding works will be explored in thematic discussions. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a series of museum education programmes.
The exhibition will be on view at the Hungarian National Museum from 28 May to 15 September 2021, in accordance with the rules in force to control the outbreak of the crown virus. The exhibition can also be visited in virtual form on the website of the Hungarian National Museum. For more information about the exhibition and other events related to the jubilee year, please visit the websites of the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian Premonstratensian Circary: www.mnm.hu and www.premontreiek.hu">www.premontreiek.hu.