Debrecen: the Dèri Museum

As mentioned in the previous guide to the city of Debrecen, one of the most famous and unmissable places to visit is certainly the Dèri Museum. Located in the center of a small park, complete with fountains, classical columns and statues, it is not far from Kossuth Square and the Great Reformed Church, the heart of the town. Located inside a characteristic building with classical reminiscences, it houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the Hungarians and of Hungary in general, showing some fossils and the traditional customs of this country since the dawn of time. But that is not why the Museum is known as one of the most important in Hungary and visited every year by people from all over the world.

Although modest in size, the Dèri Museum is in fact dedicated to Frigyes Déri, ​​landowner and merchant who lived in the 18th century and recognized for his contribution to the world of arts and collecting. Brother of an artist and an engineer, from an early age he showed an attraction for art in all its forms, and after having enriched himself thanks to the foundation of several silk factories, he began to invest his possessions to expand his collection of books and works of art.

He began to organize his collection inside a museum, after the death of his wife in 1910, and in the end he decided to donate everything he owned to the city of Debrecen because he was fascinated by the structure they had offered him, intending to make culture accessible to as many people as possible.

The Dèri Museum houses, to date, one of the largest and most refined weapons collections in Europe, with weapons from the 15-18th century in excellent condition, admired by the most passionate. In addition to this, the museum houses other perfectly preserved ancient objects, as well as a collection of stuffed animals and the famous Hungarian arches, used since the dawn of time for hunting and warfare.

An area of ​​the museum is dedicated to Japan, with ancient Ming vases, precious fabrics and everyday objects from the Edo era, a rich and certainly the largest collection in the country.

The arrangement of the works on display is also particular, thanks to themed rooms such as the entrance, which does not fail to amaze visitors with a starry sky and stairs carved into a tree, and the Egyptian part, which reproduces the interior. of a pyramid with hieroglyphs and scenes of common life.

The Dèri museum is a must for young and old alike, a hidden pearl in the heart of the city but which will surely leave you surprised if you decide to visit it.

The visit takes a couple of hours but it is worth immersing yourself in this unique and varied collection. The ticket price is just under three euros and the guides in the museum speak English. Booking is not necessary and at the end of the visit you can buy, among the various souvenirs, also magnets made with Hungarian biscuits, unique and surprising!

Sources:

https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/deri-museum

https://www.derimuzeum.hu/

https://visitdebrecen.com/see-do/deri-museum/