Discover the life of József Mindszenty and exhibitions about the persecution of the Church during the communist dictatorship.
József Mindszenty born as József Pehm is considered to be one of the most important figures of the Hungarian Catholic Church in the 20th century. He arrived in Zalaegerszeg in 1917 and from October 1919 served as the parish priest of the Mary Magdalene Parish Church for 25 years. Later he was ordained the Bishop of Veszprém, the Archbishop of Esztergom, and Cardinal, becoming the last Prince-Primate of Hungary.
The new building of the Mindszentyneum , József Mindszenty Visitor Centre commemorates the former parish priest of Zalaegerszeg and presents his life and legacy.
On five levels the museum features three permanent exhibitions, a temporary exhibition space, conference rooms, a gift shop, a café and the museum offer education programs for children.
Exhibitions:
1st Floor – “I Brought Love Here Too”-An exhibition presenting the life of Cardinal József Mindszenty, Prince-Primate and Archbishop of Esztergom. The exhibition’s main goal is to introduce the life and personality of József Mindszenty, one of the most influential and iconic figures of 20th-century Hungarian history and church history, whose sacrifice has been interpreted in many different ways over the past decades.
2nd Floor -Persecution of the Church During the Communist Dictatorship (1945–1990)Visitors can learn how victims connected to the churches survived the hardships of this era and how they managed to withstand the organized struggle against them. The exhibition shows that they were ordinary people with different personalities who corresponded to the anti-church policies of the dictatorship in different ways.
Basement Level – From Brick to Church
A selection of medieval relics from Zala County. During the archaeological excavations preceding the construction of the Mindszentyneum, kilns used for medieval brick-making were uncovered. These remains may have played an important role in the architectural history of Zalaegerszeg.
