Human behind the bar

Have you ever believed that the world was without crime, punishment and prison?

The prison exhibition Human behind the bar, renewed in both appearance and content in the former Veszprém Dungeon, explores such thought-provoking questions through stories of Veszprém and beyond.

The new exhibition will open in November 2023. Interestingly, access will be only by an elevator that takes the visitors directly to the former prison guard post and puts them right in the middle of the exhibition.

The dungeon was in use as the city prison as late as 2003. Visitors will enter a genuinely authentic prison. In the cells to the right and left of the corridor, they will learn about the history of the penal system from a broader historical perspective. The 18 cells in the passage will tell micro-(hi)stories related to Veszprém and the prison itself.

For example, what sounds surround the prisoners at night? What is the cost per year of keeping someone in prison in Hungary? What is "mobilising"? Visitors can interactively experience the passage of time inside closed walls and how it feels to stand on a pillory. The less faint-hearted can also learn about the strict torture rules in the old days or the hangman’s daily chores.

The exhibition guides the visitor through the prison corridors offering a glimpse into the cells. It retains the authentic prison atmosphere and appearance of the actual prison world so that they are "captivated" by a real sense of what life is like behind bars.

The aim is to make the renewed exhibition an out-of-the-ordinary European touristic and cultural programme. Hopefully, it will attract visitors to Veszprém by itself and will be a must for visitors who come here in combination with other programmes.

Notably, the exhibition does not want to tell visitors what to think but rather make them feel and discover the environment. The following layers of content are proposed:

• There is no world without crime, punishment and prisons; 
• The dungeon has been part of Veszprém's life for centuries; 
• The history of punishment, prison and prisoners is the history of a community and human destinies; 
• Prisoners are part of our lives while behind bars and after their release.

The intent is a wish that the leading target group of the exhibition should be high school class groups (ages 14+). Of course, it will be open to anyone interested in history and prisons. Families (with children over 14), couples, individual tourists, local residents or tourists from all over the country, and foreign holidaymakers are welcome to visit.

A museum education area will be set up for high school groups in the back of the exhibition space, where interested classes can participate in guided museum education sessions.

Implemented by: Veszprém 2030 Kft., Laczkó Dezső Museum 

Date: Autumn 2023 

Location: Veszprém 

Partners: Induction Consulting Kft., Balázs Orlai Chief Creative Designer, Stúdió Ránki Építőművészeti Kft., Modellab Stúdió Kft.