Before World War II, Szigetszentmiklós had a rich community life; numerous clubs, associations, and study groups operated in the village, which were disbanded and ceased to exist due to the new political regime after the war. The Local History Study Group tried to fill the resulting void as best it could, with great success given the opportunities of the time. The members of the Study Group were from old families of Szigetszentmiklós, who partly used their own family heritage, and collected diligently to create the rich collection of material objects that form the basis of the collection today. The first exhibition of the Study Group was assembled in 1964 for the 700th anniversary of the existence of the settlement, and it was so successful that the Local History Collection was established in its own building next to a local lake called the 'Kéktó' in 1965.
The Collection operated for over twenty years in the Kéktó building, and during this time, the exhibition itself outgrew the space and also visitors requested a new exhibition venue. Due to the creation of the Kéktó Leisure Center, the building that housed the Collection was scheduled for demolition, so the exhibition moved to its current location on Árpád Street thirty years ago.
The new location is more suitable for the Local History Collection in every respect: it is centrally located, and the building itself is larger. The home of the collection is a farmer's house built at the end of the 19th century, with a classic three-room layout, making it ideal for creating a folk art exhibition. For the convenience of visitors, it is also advantageous that the Jenő Ádám Memorial House is just a few houses away, which forms an organizational unit with the Collection.
About the Permanent Exhibition
The archaeological room in the permanent exhibition of the Local History Collection presents the history of Szigetszentmiklós in chronological order up to the period of World War II. After the prehistoric animals, the burial customs and utensils of the first people who lived here can be seen, followed by the remains from the Roman period and the age of migration, and then the material objects left behind by the Hungarian inhabitants of Szigetszentmiklós, who have lived here for over 750 years.
In the middle room, a kitchen can be seen furnished according to the customs of the turn of the century. In the so called 'tisztaszoba', or clean room visitors can also get acquainted with the habits and clothing of the residents of Szigetszentmiklós, such as the customs around conscription, the blue apron, or the wedding customs. On the porch of the peasant house, there are unique carved stones and painted heart-shaped tombstones that are unique in Hungary. In the 70 square meter barn behind the building, visitors can find the tools of agriculture and the equipment of several skilled tradespeople from Szigetszentmiklós.