Isten Hozott! Welcome to our new home!

The afternoon was sunny and bright. The Galleria sparkled as it welcomed visitors to the Grand Opening of the Hungarian Heritage Museum. Inside the Museum members of the Board and volunteers were busy finishing their tasks preparing for the guests: plating Hungarian savory snacks, lining up champagne bottles, assembling touch screen computers, setting up chairs, attaching a red, white and green ribbon to the door. 3 p.m. was coming up soon.

The new space needed some serious remodeling, along with new library shelves, and some modern electronic equipment to enhance our exhibits. We were able to procure these updates through a generous grant form the Hungary Initiatives Foundation. After months of unpacking boxes, assembling exhibits, arranging window displays, gift items and shelving books, the Museum was ready for her debut on the First Floor of the Galleria in Downtown Cleveland!

Ribbon Cutting, from left to right: David Clark, Dr. Imre Szakács, Michael Patterson, Valeria Rátoni-Nagy, Otto Friedrich, Hon. George Voinovich

Dignitaries of the ribbon cutting ceremony in front of Museum entrance

Audience waiting for ribbon cutting ceremony to begin.

Representative from the Polish Museum

As visitors poured into the Galleria space outside the Museum’s doors, we welcomed many old friends and many new friends; guests from Columbus, Ohio, New York City and the D.C. area, and local folks who live in Northeast Ohio . Members of the Board passed out the program and helped people find seats. We listened to words of congratulations from Dr. Imre Szakács, Hungarian Consul of National Cohesion, László Bőjtös, Hungarian Honorary Consul, Otto Friedrich, Co-Founder of the Museum 30 years ago, Valeria Rátoni-Nagy, President of the United Hungarian Societies, David Clark, Manager of the Galleria, Michael Patterson, representing Maragaret Wong, a leader in the Cleveland Immigrant Community, August Pust, well-known representative of the immigrant community in Northeast, Ohio, and Former Senator George V. Voinovich. Emcee Elmer Meszaros then introduced the congratulatory proclamations and letters from Congressman David Joyce, member of the Congressional Hungarian Caucus, Senator Sherrod Brown, Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland City Council and Councilman Joe Cimperman, Acting Bishop of the Calvin Synod Rev. Csaba Krasznai, and on behalf of the Hungarian Government, the Consulate General in New York City. President Éva Szabó and curator Andrew Lázár addressed the guests.

Dr. Imre Szakács congratulating Éva Szabó, President of the Museum’s Board, on the Grand Opening.

Otto Friedrich

Michael Patterson, and Honorary Board member Jeanette Grasselli Brown.

Hon. George Voinovich, member of our Honorary Board, and Mrs. Voinovich.

David Clark, Galleria Manager, sharing good wishes of Galleria owner, Werner Minshall

Six scissors and six dignitaries! six snips! and we were open and ready to welcome our visitors! With members of Harmonia playing Hungarian music that all of us  know and love so well, our guests streamed into the Museum, went through the Székely Kapu, and filled our new space to capacity!

Harmonia’s music greeting our visitors.

Guests entering Museum after ribbon cutting

Herend replica of the Crown of St. Stephen on display

Our visitors enjoyed good fellowship, an informative exhibit on the 25th anniversary of the Fall of Communism, and many lovely pieces from our permanent collection. They mingled throughout the Museum, browsing the Library and Gift Shop, finding the towns and villages that mean so  much to them on maps, tasting champagne, and enjoying the sunshine in the Atrium.

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As you can see from the excerpt from the Program handout which is featured below, we were honored with the presence of so many representatives of the Hungarian American community here in Cleveland. We thank them for attending our Opening and thereby lending their support to our our efforts!

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED HUNGARIAN SOCIETIES

American Hungarian Friends of Scouting……………. Bea Tabor

Cleveland Hungarian Cultural Garden………….……. Kori Smith

Cleveland Hungarian Development Panel…Elizabeth Papp-Taylor

First Hungarian Lutheran Church…………………..Ernest Mihaly

Hungarian Association………………………………. Ildiko Peller

Hungarian Cultural Center of NE Ohio…………Mary Jane Molnar

Hungarian Media Foundation……………………………Lorand Csibi

Hungarian School Care Club………………….…Juci Szentkiralyi

West Side Hungarian Lutheran Church………..Rev. Eva Tamassy

World Federation of Hungarian Veterans…………..John Korossy

        Sts. Elizabeth & Emeric Parishes….Fr. Andras Antal

  MEMBERS OF OUR HONORARY BOARD

Drs. Jenny and Glenn Brown

            Joseph Gyorky, President Emeritus, American Hungarian Friends of Scouting

Thanks everyone for coming! A viszontlátásra! Hope to see you again soon at the Museum, the heartbeat of Hungarian culture in Northeast, Ohio!