Béla’s estate includes several thousand items including publications, scientific manuscripts, folk music publications, original collection work, photographs and video and sound recordings.
As one of the initiators of the dance house movement and its first lead fiddler he spent more than four decades as an active musician, ethnographic researcher and teacher. He championed the cause of Hungarian folk culture and the dance house movement and left a significant oeuvre. His estate consisting of ethnographic research, manuscripts, photographs, part of his library and his violin were purchased from his heirs by the Hungarian Heritage House in 2014. From the moment these items arrived to the institution, the work of processing this huge amount of material began.
The work led by folk music researcher Péter Árendás and colleagues of the Folklore Document Library and Archive in the Hungarian Heritage House took a year and a half. Information about the process and content of the Halmos estate can be found on the website. Purchase of the Béla Halmos estate and the processing work was supported by the Hungarian National Cultural Fund.
During the 2016 spring season many events will celebrate the memory of this legendary fiddler and key personality of the dance house movement - who would have turned 70 this year.