The living room of the fishermen's guild house showcases a prominent stage of fishing in Tihany, but also displays how people lived in the 19th century.
Imagine, it is a December afternoon, and the leaders of the fishermen’s guilds, or as locally known „kompánia” are gathering at the „disznósi” chairman’s house to draw lots, leaving it to their luck, at which fishing place, „vonyó” they will be casting their net. When dividing up the fishing place for under-ice fishing, they always used this method, the so called „cédulázás”. The names of each „vonyó” was marked on reed pieces, distributing the better and worse places equally. This method resembling of the ancient arrow-drawing was used only when determining the spots for under-ice fishing. Otherwise fishing-spots were acquired on a first com-first served basis.
The furnishing of the house takes us back to the 19th century. Every single piece of furniture reflects the detailed work of local carpenters. The layout of the room fol-lows the traditional, so-called angled type. During this period the beds were not placed next to each other, rather joined at the shorter ends. The clothes and linens were all stored in a few decorated dowry-chests. Tihany was a mixed-religion village, as apart from Roman Catholics people belonging to the Calvinist Church lived here. The ornaments in the room reflect this difference/dichotomy – corresponding to the situation within among the guild members.