The loans process of the Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery

The Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery will only lend works of art to institutions/organisations that qualify as a transparent organisation according to article 3 (1) 1 of Act CXCVI of 2011.

In order to be able to lend cultural assets, the Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery requires a written contract of fixed duration.

Prospective borrowers planning a loan request from the Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery for a non-museum institution can do so by obtaining the preliminary agreement of the Minister of Culture. The issuance of the petition is the responsibility of the Budapest History Museum (lender). The borrowed cultural assets can only be shipped after the receipt of the permit.

Submitting your formal loan request:

1. The borrowing process starts with the issuance of the loan request (hereinafter: request).

2. Requests need to be issued at least three months before the planned opening date of the exhibition.

3. Requests need to be addressed to the director-general of the Budapest History Museum, written on stamped and dated letterhead paper and sent by post.

4. The request must contain the following:
• identification data of the Borrower (name, address, registration number, person entitled to representation),
• name of the institution/organisation at the premises of which the exhibition is to take place,
• the duration of the exhibition, in which the time of transportation of the work(s) of art from Lender to Borrower and the time of transportation back to Lender are also to be included,
• the title of the exhibition,
• specification of the art work or art works to be borrowed (artist, title, size, inventory number),
• designation of further potential locations,
• data of contact persons (name, position, email address, phone number).

5. The request needs to be supplemented by the following attachments:
• description of the concept of the exhibition
• building security documentation of the institution/organisation at the premises of which the exhibition is to take place.

6. The Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery is unable to fulfil loan requests after the specified deadline.

Loan request decisions:

Loan requests are decided on by the director-general.

The request will be refused if the Ministry of Human Resources does not give consent to lending to a domestic non-museum or to a foreign institution, if the aim of borrowing is not satisfactory, or if it is not seen as guaranteed that the cultural assets lent would be stored in appropriate conditions. The request may also be refused if the time available between the receipt of the request and the planned date of borrowing is shorter than prescribed or needed, or if the amount or the state of the material, or the other works carried out in the museum at the time do not make preparations for the loan possible.

Lending fees and financial assurances:

1. Decree 29/2014 (10 April) of the Ministry of Human Resources specifies that “lending of state owned cultural assets to museum institutions maintained by the state or by a municipality inside our borders is free of lending fees and financial assurances”. Under any other circumstances, the Budapest History Museum Kiscelli Museum – Municipal Gallery will determine a lending fee. In any case, the museum may be entitled to charge for additional costs related to the borrowing, such as packaging, shipping, transport, insurance or security.

2. Compulsory financial assurances:
• If the borrower is a non-museum institution, financial assurances must be stipulated in accordance with the value of the cultural assets to be borrowed.
• The following can be accepted as financial assurances:
• an amount of money proportionate to the insurance value of the cultural assets, tied up and handled separately,
• guarantee or counter-guarantee for the exhibition received from the Minister for National Economy,
• if Borrower is not a publicly financed institution, guarantees or a guarantee contract as to any damages that might occur to the cultural assets,
• insurance contract or
• the provision of other contractual assurances.

3. Exemption from lending fees and financial assurances:
• In the event of lending state owned cultural assets to museum institutions which do not fall inside the scope of point No. 2., and on a reasoned request of Borrower, the minister may grant exemption from the payment of lending fees and from financial assurances with regards to national interests.
• Exemption applications need to be submitted to the Museum Department of the Ministry of Human Resources before signing the lending agreement.

Other costs:

Unless otherwise agreed between the parties, Borrower bears the following costs related to the lending:
• costs of conservation of the cultural assets (making sure cultural assets are in a suitable shape to be exhibited, restauration or framing if needed),
• costs relating to the safety of the cultural assets (escort by a museologist, or police or other armed escort) and
• costs of administration relating to the lending, including postal charges and the cost of printing and photocopying.

Applicable legislation:

1. Act CXL of 1997 on museum institutions, public library services and cultural education
2. Government decree No. 377/2017 (11 December) on lending fees payable for cultural assets overseen by museum institutions and on the designation procedure