Call for Applications for the Post of Director General of the National Museum

Hungary Today 2024.01.05.

The post of Director General of the Hungarian National Museum will be held by Judit Hammerstein, acting Director General, until the appointment of a new Director General, writes Magyar Nemzet.

A call for applications for the post of Director General of the Hungarian National Museum was published yesterday on the official website of the Hungarian Government, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation informed the public. The deadline for submitting the application for the post is February 5, 2024, 5 p.m.

The post of Director General will be filled from March 6.

As Hungary Today reported earlier, in November, Minister of Culture János Csák, in his capacity as employer, handed over a letter of resignation from László L. Simon, Director General of the Hungarian National Museum. According to the minister, the Director General had failed to fulfill his legal obligations even when called upon to do so, and had engaged in conduct that made it impossible for him to continue his employment. The Ministry of Culture and Innovation also recognized Simon’s previous achievements in the field of culture.

László L. Simon. Photo via Facebook/L. Simon László

The likely reason for the incident and Simon’s dismissal is a recent initiative by Dóra Dúró, Member of Parliament and Vice President of the Our Homeland Movement (Mi Hazánk Movement), to prevent under-18s from visiting the highly popular World Press Photo (WPP) exhibition.

She referred to the Child Protection Act in relation to some of the photos on display.

Former director Simon argued that the institution could not legally enforce the request and could not ask visitors for ID cards.

The series of photographs that Dúró might have found problematic was taken by Hannah Reyes Morales, entitled The Gay Old People’s Home, depicting the residents of a nursing home in the Philippines. The caption says: “The Golden Gays are a Filipino LGBTQI+ elderly community, living together and supporting each other for decades in a country where they face discrimination, prejudice, and increased hardship due to their age and socio-economic status.”

Fact

Hungary’s Child Protection Act was passed by Parliament on June 15, 2021, and caused a great stir internationally. The principle of the new law is to preserve the rights of parents in relation to the sexual education of their children. Thus, the law contains various changes, such as extended powers to take action against pedophile offenders. The new legislation obliges media service providers not only to restrict access to pornographic and violent content to minors, as was the case under the previous legislation, but also to limit the broadcasting of programs and advertisements promoting and depicting sexual awareness, gender reassignment, and homosexuality. The law also stipulates that such content may not be shown to minors in childcare, public education, or educational establishments.

National Museum Director Fired for Failing to Protect Underage Visitors

László L. Simon had earned his boss' ire by making a light-hearted joke about the incident.Continue reading

Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image via Facebook/Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum