The Intangible Cultural Heritage and Traditions of the Banat in a Database
Project identification
- Jems code: RORS00227
- Project name: Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region – securing the easy access for tourists and experts
- Project acronym: Banat Heritage Portal
The Institute for Hungarian Culture in Vojvodina
The Institute for Hungarian Culture in Vojvodina is a regional institution; its activities cover the whole of Vojvodina, including the preservation of the cultural heritage and living culture of the Hungarian national minority – for this purpose it was founded by the Hungarian National Council in 2005. It has been a state institution since 2008, co-founded by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
It implements its projects in partnership with the Hungarian Cultural Association of Vojvodina. It co-operates with institutions and organizations in Vojvodina which are active in the same fields. Its task is to take over the Hungarian national community in Vojvodina, together with cultural organizations in all areas of culture and science where independent minority institutions cannot be established (libraries, museums, archives, monument protection, etc.). Management and assistance of the ongoing work, namely with a public cultural counseling and service system covering the whole region is also its task.
The Museum of Highland Banat in Reșița
The Museum of Highland Banat in Reșița was founded in 1959 through the initiative of the local community and the workers of the Reșița steelworks. The institution aims to preserve and promote the historical and cultural heritage of Mountain Banat. Its first collections were created through donations and later enriched by archaeological and historical research. In 1968 the museum became the county museum, and since 1997 it has carried its current name. The present building, inaugurated in 1987, was inspired by the architecture of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The museum also carries out cultural and scientific activities and publishes the journal Banatica. Its collections contain around 65,000 objects. These include archaeology, history, ethnography, art, numismatics, and industrial technology collections. The archaeological heritage illustrates the evolution of communities in Mountain Banat from prehistory to the Middle Ages. An important section is dedicated to the industrial and mining history of the region. The museum also preserves objects reflecting everyday life and the multicultural character of Mountain Banat. Through its activity, the institution represents an important space of memory and cultural dialogue in the region.
Banat
The Banat is a cross-border region, a multiethnic and multireligious area whose historical heritage and cultural diversity are of great significance in the history of Central Europe. Through the project, the partners become active participants in raising awareness of cultural heritage. The aim of the application is to highlight and promote the historical cross-border region of Banat and the identity of the people living there, as well as to connect local characteristics with the European framework. The Banat region is a geographically and socially cohesive area inhabited by many ethnic groups, and despite this diversity, the traditions of the past have sometimes led these communities to share similar cultural customs.
The purpose of the database
The goal is to create a cultural and local history digital public collection database covering the Banat region by integrating the VMMI's database and the digital content of the Resita Montan Museum, in order to provide valuable cultural content for those interested in research, education, and tourism.
The project seeks to address cultural challenges. The main objective is to create a cultural and local history database (Banat Heritage Portal) that is easily accessible, understandable, and enriched with additional information for both users and tourists, by integrating the digital database content of the Hungarian Cultural Institute of Vojvodina and the Resita Montan Museum. This portal will present a cultural cross-section of the Banat region, showcasing its traditions and intangible heritage, which have been archived for decades in tangible, written, or other formats.