The Military History Museum is leaving behind its familiar venue at the Buda Castle it has occupied since 1929. Last Sunday, 21 May (which also happened to be National Defence Day in Hungary) was the last day visitors could seek out the military exhibition in the building near Kapisztrán Square (which used to be the Nándor Barracks).
However, army enthusiasts need not worry. This is all part of a greater plan, celebrating the 175th anniversary of the formation of the modern Hungarian Defence Forces this year. A new, temporary exhibition of military history is set to open in August in a different location. That location is the lobby of the St Stephen Museum and Monastery in Székesfehérvár, Fejér County. Székesfehérvár is the town where all coronation ceremonies of old Hungarian kings used to take place until 1527. It’s about a 40-minute drive away from the capital city of Budapest, to the West. Since 2019, the Hungarian Joint Force Command has also been headquartered in the town.
This exhibition also serves as a precursor of a grand exhibition titled ‘The Treasure Chest of Our Military Past’, set to launch sometime in 2024 in the same venue.
Meanwhile, some offices of the Defence Ministry will be occupying the old Military History Museum building in the Castle District. Also, another exhibition displaying the past, present, and future of the Hungarian armed forces is currently open for visitors at the Bálna shopping and cultural centre in Budapest. According to some design plans for a renovated block of buildings also in Budapest, the new permanent building for the Military History Museum is likely to be located near the Keleti Railway Station in the capital city—however, that is yet to be officially confirmed.
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