Museum of Baraolt Basin

The first museum from Barót is related to the name of Gáspár Kászoni, a watchmaker and local historian, who compiled an important private collection through several decades of hard work, and then donated it to the city. In 1979 it was named the Local Barót Museum, placed into the Császár House, and it became institutionalized as an external unit of the Kovászna County Museum (today the Székely National Museum). The local museum was closed after only a few years, in 1984, and then in 1990 the Székely National Museum saved the perishing material by placing it into its storerooms.

The local “Gaál Mózes” Cultural Society espoused the issue of reopening it in 2000. In 2002 the society was able, with the sponsorship of Illyés Public Foundation, to purchase the building which stands in the place of the house where poet Dávid Baróti Szabó was born, while the Kovászna County Council bought the plot for the Székely National Museum. The entire amount of money was covered by donations.

In 2002 three contracts were signed between the Székely National Museum, the local Government of Barót City, and the “Gaál Mózes” Cultural Society in order to found and sustain the Museum of Barót Region. The Székely National Museum undertook the task of obtaining the necessary authorizations, to assure the wages of the employees, and to offer professional assistance for the activities of the museum. The self government of Barót took over the restoration of the building and the expenses of its functioning, contributing to the development of the institution with funds from competitions and other sources.

Museologist László Demeter organized the home coming of the collection of Gáspár Kászoni, and the first exhibition was opened. Besides the heritage of Kászoni many people contributed to expanding the collection. At the inauguration of the museum on November 17 2006 the foundation-stone of a new building was laid, as the present one proved to be too small for up-to-date museology work. The new building would host the permanent exhibition of the Barót region, an exhibition of palaeontology and geology, storerooms, handicraft workshop, library, and conference hall.

The outstanding item of the collection of paleontology and geology is the exceptionally well preserved skeleton of a Pliocene mastodon (Mastodon anancus arvernensis), discovered in 2008 at Felsőrákos.

We have plans also for a permanent exhibition using the private archaeological, mineral, and prehistoric collection of local prominent scholar István Dénes, deceased in 2005.

Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00–16:00

Closed during public holidays.

Contact information:
525100 Baraolt , Kossuth Lajos Street No 158
Covasna county, Romania

Telefon: +40 367 108 497
E-mail: erdovidekmuzeuma@gmail.com
Web page: facebook