Museum of Vojvodina Novi Sad
The foundation of The Museum of Vojvodina, a state establishment of special interest, is related to the Matica Srpska cultural institution and the “Letopis Matice srpske” (“Annals of Matica srpska”) where in 1825 an idea was born about the need to establish a museum collection. The idea was realized in 1847, when a decision was made to found either the Serbian National Collection or the Museum, and several decades later in 1933 the collection was transformed into the Museum of Matica Srpska. In its efforts to create the central Museum encompassing the entire Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Museum of Matica Srpska was reorganized and the Vojvodina Museum – Museum of Vojvodina was founded on the 30th May, 1947. The Museum of Vojvodina was assigned to do professional supervision over all museums in the Province and at the same time it was entrusted the protection and maintenance of historical and cultural monuments and natural beauties of Vojvodina.
Finally, on 20th May 1992 the Vojvodina Museum and the Historical Museum of Vojvodina were integrated into the Museum of Vojvodina, composed of several interrelated entities: Archaeology, History, History of arts, Ethnology, the Conservation-restoration workshop, the Library, and the Pedagogical service. The Vojvodina Museum is located in two beautiful buildings in Novi Sad and also possesses three branch institutions: The Applied Art Collection in Celarevo, the Ethno-house in Backi Jarak and the Kulpin Museum Complex – Agricultural Museum located in the Castle of Kulpin in Backi Petrovac Municipality.
The Vojvodina Museum collections contain valuable cultural treasures from Vojvodina areas, starting from the Paleolithic period till the end of 20th century. Over a period of many decades of well-planned activities, the permanent exhibition has been initiated. It was completed in 1990 and six years later some changes were included. The exhibition of Vojvodina Museum is located in the space of 2000m² and includes over 400000 items organized into three thematic groups – archaeology, history and ethnology. The Museum of Vojvodina opened its extensive permanent exhibition to the public, presenting the constant development of eight thousand years of human presence on the present territory of Vojvodina. 6,000 representative exhibits from archaeology (from the Paleolithic period up to the antique), general history and art history (from the 15th century until the second half of the 20th century) and ethnology are all presented in the area of 3,000 square meters. The permanent exhibition offers a comprehensive picture of this area’s millennial past. The exhibited items in Vojvodina Museum demonstrate the duration of human communities and cultures from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods up to the first traces of humans near Irig which date back around 70,000 years ago. They also show Starčevo, Vinča and other Neolithic cultures and cultures from Feudvar site, Kalača site and various layers of Gomolava site. Some items also date from the mythical periods of ancient Greece while some are representative of the beautiful monuments of the Roman Empire. The exhibit of the Vojvodina Museum also includes cultural artifacts dating from the migrations of nations and replacements of ethnic communities – the Slavs, Hungarians, Serbians, and other nations. The second half of the permanent exhibition, which illustrates Vojvodina’s past from mid 19th century until mid 20th century, is housed at the Historical Museum.
The Antique Collection of Museum of Vojvodina is one of the most beautiful collections, displaying numerous artifacts from the numerous archaeological locations in Vojvodina, famous for the three gilded helmets from the 4th century. Museum of Vojvodina constantly organizes various thematic promotions, lectures and interactive presentations which best provide visitors insight into the rich heritage of Vojvodina. Visit to the Museum of Vojvodina is strongly recommended to every visitor of Novi Sad and Serbia.
Agricultural museum in Kulpin, as the sole specialized museum institution in the country, for study and research of agrarian past, was founded on January 20, 1993. The activities lasting several years of many technical and research workers preceded to foundation of the Museum of Agriculture. The result of these activities is that the Agricultural Museum now has its space, exhibits as well as conditions for development, so that in a relatively short period it became an institution of exceptional cultural and scientific significance in research and presentation of agrarian past. Agricultural Museum in Kulpin includes the complex of castles, “Kaštel” and “Old Kaštel”, which are protected by the state as the monument buildings. Within the complex, besides the two castles there is the head office, so called blacksmith shop, horse stable and wheat storehouse. All buildings are intended for museum exhibits and they are gradually adapted for that purpose. By reconstruction of wheat storehouse the Museum has got a unique exhibition and gallery space.
The Agricultural Museum in Kulpin is surrounded by magnificent park of 5 hectares which presents a natural monument-arboretum of rare plant species. The basic aim of Agricultural museum is to preserve and save from disappearance the material evidence of rich agrarian past. The most important task of museum is collection, museum treatment, saving and protection as well as exhibiting of the material collected.
History of hop growing : In Bački Petrovac region hop growing was performed over 250 years. The history of hop growing and beer production is presented at the exhibition by documents, objects and photographs.
History of hemp growing : Hemp was traditionally grown in our country. The origin of hemp was presented at the exhibit and through the maps, photographs, documents and tools for processing of that plant. The growing of hemp and its processing in handcrafts was described.
History of broom-corn : Besides the presentation of history of broom-corn growing, the brooms of different materials from all over the world are presented at the exhibit. The visitors may see all phases of manual manufacturing of broom-corn.
History of wheat growing : The exhibit contains the following segments: origin and spreading of wheat growing, selection of wheat, technology of production of wheat through the history, traditional harvesting and threshing, storage of grain throughout history. Besides documents and photographs the exhibit contains certain agricultural tools.
History of cattle production : In a very instructive way, the history and development of cattle production was presented through the origin of cattle, dairy and beef breeds as well as their models and traditional method of breeding also. There are presentations of modern breeding, reproduction of cattle.
History of milk production was presented from prehistoric times till now. All species of milking animals in the past and present times are presented. Technology of milking and milk processing is followed by documents, photographs, dishes and milking machines intended for milk production and processing.
Pig breeding of yesterday, today and tomorrow : The exhibit is devoted to pig producers and all those which are directly or indirectly bound or intend to do that, for our country very important branch of economy. On 30 panels containing 254 photographs by initial texts and legends, history, development, economic significance, possibilities and prospects of pig production are presented.
History of Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad (1954-2004)
By means of important documents of establishment and photographs, the history and development are presented from its establishment till today.
Other activities – In the gallery space the exhibits of fine arts are organized, where the artists from the whole country present their work. The space of Kaštel” enables organization of chamber music, fine arts exhibits, book promotions, literary evenings and concerts. Various concerts and theatrical manifestations are organized in the park during summers.
‘The Park was erected on the surface of 4,5 hectares with the concept similar to numerous old parks around castles of Vojvodina. The area on which the park is located used to belong to the elite estate ownership of the Stratimirović Family which got it as reward in 1745 from the Queen Maria Theresa. However, merits for the artificial formation of the space by erecting the park belongs to the Dundjerski Family. The Park features eclectic or mixed style which is particular combination of the French geometry of the garden architecture and the English landscape style. The castle is positioned in the highest point of the terrain and dominates the entire space by its size. On the approach to the castle there was a ground lever with cut hedgerows and flowery roundels that provided open insight to the facility. The back or inner part of the park used to have two parts – the restrained area of the nature with horse back riding trails and soft walking trails, combined with open grassy areas. On the very edges of the park space was ‘wild nature’ that were parts of the park intersected with trails with grassy parts and the orangerium – the winter garden for exotic plants. The entire park complex was by the high wall fence separated from the surrounding space. There are neither data on constructors of the park, nor the plans that would document the state of the original park appearance. Only the existence of the high centenary trees and their order in the park helps us reconstruct the visual appearance of the space. In 2005 the mapping of dendroflora resulted in 680 plant examples, that were 32 plant types and 19 plant families. Highly striking is presence of the semi-parasite ligneous plant – the invasive liana Ivy – Hedera helix L. As the parasite liana existing on plants, the Ivy is also found on buildings and remains of the fences. The 20-meters long and more than 10 cm-in diameter wide lianas spread to the highest branches of the trees. The greatest problem of the park trees is their actual leaning on the ivy liana making them to continue vegetation exactly thanks to ivy. Removal of the ivy would cause immediate decline of those oldest trees of the park. Especially significant are examples of the trees of Sophora japonica, Aesculus hippocastanum, Taxus baccata”…. Majda Adlešić
