Opening hours:
Please note the Orbán Balázs Visitor Centre is temporarily closed.
The Visitor Center is located at Băile Szejke, near Odorheiu Secuiesc.
Balázs Orbán Visitor Center
"The viability and power of nations today is no longer determined by brute force, not only by heroism, but by the degree of education and spiritual development of the peoples."
Balázs Orbán
The Balázs Orbán Visitor Center is located in Băile Seiche, on the north-western border of Odorheiu Secuiesc, near the tomb of the great predecessor. The purpose of the permanent exhibition created in the center is to commemorate the “largest Szekler”.
Walking through the exhibition halls, we get to know the life, work and legacy of Balázs Orbán. Following the life path, the visitor can see the objects used in that time, the photography tools of that time, and gain an insight into the former photographic technology. In addition, thanks to modern technology, "the greatest Szekler" also appears in front of us.
The life and work of Balázs Orbán can be followed in the halls of the Visitor Center, thematically divided.
As a curiosity, we can also find funny anecdotes and spicy stories about the great predecessor. In addition, we can even use the touch screens and scroll through the caricatures published in contemporary newspapers and caricature papers.
Since he played a significant role in the political life of the time, we can get acquainted with the political conditions of his time from his point of view. In addition to the many traditional browsing options we can use modern technology to browse among parliamentary speeches. Using a three-dimensional hologram and animation, we can listen to one of the speeches of Balázs Orbán, listening to his voice.
Balázs Orbán's political career is also uncommon: he had to duel twice in his life. This fact is also a testament to the importance he attached to politicking and the worthy advocacy of the Szeklers.
This time we can recall the events of the life of the traveler of the East and the descriptor of Szeklerland. In addition to the adventurous family history, the events of the time spent on the shores of the Bosphorus, we also learn how the family tried to regain the grandmother’s legacy. Following the childhood dream, the young Balázs Orbán left Constantinople to visit the most important places of the ancient world. This trip inspired him to roam the Szeklerland, which resulted in his greatest work, the description of the Szeklerland. One of the main attractions of the room - in addition to the Egyptian pyramid and other objects - is a contemporary camera. The photographer himself used something similar during his travels. Combining the old technology with today’s modern technology provides a unique experience for visitors.
Balázs Orbán's lifelike puppet can be seen in the same room. The exhibited object was made lifelike by Hungarian filmmakers based on a three-dimensional model designed by the „Legendárium” Animation Studio.
We learn how during his exile on the island of Jersey, he learned the techniques of photography at the time from Victor Hugo and his two sons. At the same time, we can get to know the contemporary retrieval chamber and the photo retrieval procedure at the time.
"And we have to pick up the hammer he put down, because there's still a lot of work to do!"
- János Bányai