Edina Méri
Hungarian blue dyeing has a centuries old tradition which is attended mainly by museums, scholars and the still working blue dyers. They have remained loyal to the indigo resist blue dye technology and indigo dye despite the development of textile industry and textile chemistry and the appearance of cheap mass production. From the still remaining blue dyeing workshops in Hungary the oldest is the Kluge-plant in Pápa. The Blue Dyeing Museum in Pápa has set its main goal in becoming the center of the blue dyeing trade providing information to all designer artists who are susceptible to the traditions. The closed and the still working workshops were reached and regular meeting are held. Apart from its permanent exhibitions, the museum runs regular temporary and travelling exhibitions and pays a significant attention to passing on the blue-dyeing heritage by organizing workshops, summer day camps and demonstrations. Only seven workshops represent the once blooming trade, and only three out of them are still working. They strictly keep their traditions, maintain the ancient blue printing technique, work with several hundred years old printing blocks, carefully restore and renovate them.