Field Service for Cultural Heritage (formerly: State Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Historic Monuments)
Address: 1036 Budapest, Dugovics tér 13-17.  Phone: 430-6000, 250-1522, Fax: 430-6012

ÁMRK was founded in 1993 as the professional background institution to the National Office for the Protection of Historic Monuments in order to conduct the operational tasks of monument protection. As of April 4, 2007 it runs as Field Service for Cultural Heritage (K.Ö.Sz.) Our basic function is the complex research, design and restoration of endangered or exceptionally significant monuments and their environment. We unite the complex interdependent activities of various branches of monument protection, such as art history, archaeology, building diagnostics, architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and restoration. Most of our projects are commissioned by the State. We assist the supervisory work of the National Office of Cultural Heritage with on-site research, survey and consultation. In the case of significant national projects we prepare and assign research, design and restoration tasks on our own expense.

We participated in the millennial restoration programs initiated by the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, called “Royal Cities” and “Small Churches of the Arpadian Era.” We work in close collaboration with other state offices and civil institutions, as well as with various religious bodies, local governments, museums and the Treasury Property Directorate (KVI). As a result of the collaboration between KVI and ÁMRK, several of our castles and palaces are being restored, such as the castles of Csesznek, Füzér, Regéc, Szigliget, Salgó, Tátika and Rezi, the Esterházy palace in Pápa, and the Batthyány-Strattmann palace in Körmend. The completely restored Ozora Castle was handed over in 2003. The Visegrád Palace, the Royal Castle in Esztergom, and the Rákóczi Castle in Sárospatak are being restored in partnership with the Hungarian National Museum. The Trinitarian monastery in Sárospatak was converted into a Music School with the Church of Muses in 2003.

Within the frames of the annual professional program of the National Office of Cultural Heritage the following restoration projects were completed: the church ruins in Zsámbék, the palace gardens of Csákvár and Nádasdladány, the refectory of the Ferenc Markot Hospital in Eger, the Presbyterian church in Szikszó, the Roman Catholic church in Kissikátor, the Presbyterian church in Laskod, the Benedictine abbey in Tihany, the abbey ruins in Vértesszentkereszt, the Benedictine abbey in Ják, the Presbyterian chruch in Ócsa, the Esterházy palace in Sopron, and the façade renovation of the Esterházy palace in Fertod. The restored Presbyterian church in Gyügye was consecrated in 2003.

Our restoration projects receive several international awards. The prestigious Europa Nostra award was given for the restoration of the Presbyterian church in Ócsa in 1995, the chapel restoration of the Esterházy palace in Fertod in 2001, and the restoration of the Presbyterian church in Gyügye in 2004. We were happy to receive two Europa Nostra awards in 2007, both in Budapest: one for the restoration of New York café house, and the other for the refurbishment of Terminal 1 of Ferihegy Airport.

Our Institute also participates in the program directed by the National Office of Cultural Heritage for restoring Hungarian historic monuments abroad. Our Colleagues prepared the research documents and restoration design for the Presbyterian church of Csetfalva as well as that of the Franciscan monastic quarters in Nagyszolos found in the Kárpátalja region (today belongs to Ukrain). The interior restoration of the Presbyterian churches of Kórógy, Szentlászló and Haraszti found in Croatia were also done by our professionals, just like the research and architectural design of the Presbyterian church in Hercegszolos.

Since 1997 we have prepared the art historic and restoration research of approximately 300 churches in Transylvania. The results of this extensive research work are published in two volumes, a third one is on its way.

Our professionals participate in vocational training and many of them obtain the post-graduate degree in the protection of historic monuments. We regularly welcome foreign and local young professionals alike for gaining practical experience, and we organize archaeological summer camps in various research sites.

The creation of our website was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Informatics and Communication through their competition “Monuments for Everyone”. In the first phase we are uploading the projects of our Institute, but on the long run we are planning to involve some other Institutes as well, in order to create a comprehensive database of Hungarian historic monuments. We would like to see our initiatives find interest beyond the professional sphere and reach the general public and tourist organizations.

COLLECTIONS:

Document Archives
Restoration documents are being prepared in the restoration workshops of our current Institute and in its predecessor since 1967. The initial material is rather fragmentary, since systematic collection only started in 1972. In realty it was not until 1990, the establishment of our research room that conditions allowed for the accessibility of the growing material. The main body of the material in the Restoration Department is completed with documents from the other departments ever since 1998 when documentation became mandatory. Since 2001 the Document Archives are housed in a new place, comprehensively organized in alphabetical order. The inventory of our material consists of 1100 items, whose catalogued card index will shortly be supplemented by a digital registry.

Library
The base of the library consists of about 100 books donated to the Restoration Department of the National Office for the Protection of Historic Monuments in 1988 by László Bérci. This called for the creation of a library room within the Department. This material is constantly growing ever since with occasional purchases by the Institute. In 1996 the library of KÖZTI Rt. consisting of approximately 2000 volumes was deposited in our library, while in 1998 the Dercsényi inheritance of 3674 volumes, the property of the former National Office for the Protection of Historic Monuments was bestowed to us. We prepared the digital registry of this latter collection. These books cannot be taken out, however a reading room is available since 2001 for those who wish to use the library.

CONTACTS:

APPOINTED LEAD DIRECTOR: Dr. Gábor Virágos, archaeologist
viragos@amrk.hu
APPOINTED DIRECTOR: Zsolt Szécsi, architect 
szecsi@amrk.hu
VICE-DIRECTOR: Judit M. Kaló, architect 
kalo@amrk.hu
VICE-DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: György Zelena 
zelenea@amrk.hu
HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT: Ágnes M. Juhász, architect  juhasz.agnes@amrk.hu
HEAD OF RESEARCH DEPARTMENT: Csaba László, archaeologist  laszlo.csaba@amrk.hu
HEAD OF RESTORATION DEPARTMENT: Irén Janó Tündikné, restorer 
tundikne@t-online.hu
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT: Dr. Éva J. Szikra, landscape architect  szikra.eva@amrk.hu
COLLECTION ADMINISTRATOR: Péter Sárossy, art historian
sarossy@amrk.hu