The opening of the exhibition "Between memory and forgetting. The noble families of Banat in the modern period"

The National Museum of Banat, with the support of the Timiș County Council, is pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition "Between memory and oblivion. The noble families of Banat in the modern period", which will take place on Friday, October 25, 2024, at 18:00, in the B1 attic of the Maria Theresia Bastion, Martin Luther Street no. 4, Timisoara. The exhibition will be open to the public between October 26 and November 24, 2024.

This unique exhibition offers a fascinating foray into the history of the noble families of Banat, starting in 1779, when the region was reintegrated into the Kingdom of Hungary, and culminating in 1919, when Banat became part of the Kingdom of Romania. The exhibition reconstructs a world of aristocratic sophistication through rare and valuable objects that have survived both the vagaries of history and the two world wars and the communist regime.

Visitors will have the opportunity to admire special pieces - portraits, period furniture, ceramics, glassware and noble textiles - preserved in prestigious museums and archives in Banat, Serbia and Hungary. Among them are rare photographs taken at the end of the 19th century by the renowned photographer Klösz György, which capture the lavish interiors of iconic noble residences in the Banat, such as the castles of the Nákó, Karátsonyi and Zselenszky families. These rare images offer a unique glimpse into the aristocratic taste of the time, revealing details of the decorative styles and daily life of noble families.

Also, the exhibition brings to the fore the phenomenon of the noble domains, the impressive residences commanded by the nobles between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 20th century, true centers of power and culture for the Banat region. These domains have survived in a fragmentary fashion, with many of their cultural assets dispersed or confiscated during the communist period, following the application of the expropriation decree of 1949. Many of these objects have been preserved in museums and private collections, and the present exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see them gathered in one place.

The exhibition includes essential contributions from some cultural and archival institutions from Banat and neighboring regions, such as: Arad Museum Complex, Lugoj Museum of History, Ethnography and Fine Art, Banat Mountain Reșita Museum, County Museum of Ethnography and Caransebeș Border Regiment, Roman Catholic Diocese of Timișoara, National Archives - Timiș County Service, but also of private collections: Cristian - Oliviu Gaidoș, Prof. Dr. Pia Brînzeu, Dr. Raoul - Marius Șeptilici, Dr. Ana - Maria Goga.

Another major attraction of the exhibition is the collection recently acquired by the National Museum of Banat, which includes portraits and objects belonging to Banat noble families such as Patyánszky, Palikucsevny, Vukovics, Dadányi, Eisenstädter, Piatsek and Kinsky. Of exceptional value is also a series of 27 photographs of the Capdebó de Bărăteaz family, which reflect the aristocratic life of the historical Banat, as well as the social relations of this family with other personalities of the time.

This exhibition is more than a simple historical retrospective – it is an invitation to discover an aristocratic universe lost but kept alive through its objects. A journey between memory and oblivion, between the splendor of the past and the inevitable social and political transformations.
Schedule: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)

We are waiting for you to discover the fascinating story of the noble families of Banat!

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