Urban history rarities in the Budapest Collection
The collection has been built since the 19th century. We also have ancient prints (15th century editions) and antiques (16th century prints) among the volumes. The early modern literature on the Turkish struggles, the battles for the recapture of Buda and Hungary is particularly rich. In the collection you can also find 17-19. century travel descriptions, which provide a very diversified picture of the relations between Pest and Buda at the time.
Among many rarities we have a copy of the outstanding Hartmann Schedel World Chronicle of 1493, which contains the first authentic representation of Buda, showing the Matthias-era Buda in a large, authentic and imposing view, accompanied by a text appreciating its significance and beauty.
Urban historical rarities have traditionally been identified by the BV symbol.
In addition to local history literature, Budapest Collection also takes care of other protected materials in the library for stock protection reasons. This stock has been classified into several special collections.
Collection of rarities and manuscripts
Since the beginning of the operation of the library, all ancient, rare prints, manuscripts, and decorative editions that had no local history relevance have been listed here. Today, the collection consists of 9308 volumes, including ancient prints and antiques from various countries, as well as precious Hungarians. The literature on rarities, bibliophilia, bibliomania, and the history of printing and binding were also included here. We hold 20th century books with author recommendations in this unit as well.
The legacy of Earl Jenő Zichy (1837-1906) played a significant role in the development of the collection. In 1911, the library purchased a private collection of ancient prints, aldines, old domestic and foreign prints, and valuable manuscripts. The most notable piece of this is the Italian so-called Zichy Codex, originated in the late 15th century. An online version is available here.
In the 1930s, the stock was expanded with additional antique and auction purchases and the purchase of private collections.
The collection is marked in the catalogs by 09 and 091, respectively.
Manuscript catalogs are also available for researchers of ancient books:
- alphabetical catalog of ancient forms
- list of original forms (booklet catalog)
- place number catalog of 16th century forms
- RMNY place number catalog, chronological catalog until 1800
- place number and alphabetical catalog of manuscripts
A Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár 1601 előtti nyomtatványainak katalógusa : BCB Cat. / kész. Klinda Mária ; [közread. a] Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár, Országos Széchényi Könyvtár ; [... ford. Hegyközi Ilona ...] = Catalogus librorum ante 1601 impressorum, qui in Bibliotheca Civitatis Budapestiensis asservantur : BCB Cat. / composuit Mária Klinda [közread. a] Bibliotheca Civitatis Budapestiensis, Bibliotheca Nationalis Hungariae Széchényiana.- Budapest : FSZEK : OSZK, 2001
Szüry collection
It contains the first editions of Hungarian literary works published between 1719 and 1909, and their early variants. It is based on the private collection of former ministerial councilor Dénes Szüry (1849-1909), who was primarily interested in the literature of the Enlightenment and the Compromise era. He published a catalog of his collection in 1907.
At the end of 1910, our library, with the help of the Lantos Antique Store, purchased the then legacy of about 2,000 volumes, and later developed it with other legacies and purchases. The political and historical works were merged into the library's holdings, and the first edition translations were also removed from the original holdings. Thus, the collection of 5881 volumes today includes only literature works, mainly in Hungarian. A special feature is a collection of nearly one thousand pieces of trade fair tarpaulin booklets from the 18-20 century, in which there are also 20 German-language rarities published in Pest.
In addition to the online and traditional catalogs of the library, its material is explored in a separate alphabetical, professional and geographical card catalog. Symbol: SZ. A separate photo cover catalog has also been prepared for the tarpaulin collection.
A printed list will also help you to get information:
Catalog of the Szüry Collection / [ed. Klinda Mária]; published by] Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár.- Budapest: FSZEK, 1987.-316 p. : ill. ; 29 cm 1 appendix.
Ballagi collection
The library bought the legacy of the historian Géza Ballagi (1851-1907) in 1911. The special collection contains political pamphlets related to Hungary and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, published between the middle of the 18th century and the end of the 19th century. The literature on party struggles, public law and economic issues is particularly rich.
The entire collection contains 4,839 works in 441 colligates (volumes connecting different works). The abbreviation Ball in the catalogs marks these works. The rest of the notation represents the volume number and the serial number of the work within the colligate.
Pamphlet collection
Hungarian and foreign political pamphlets mainly from the first half of the 20th century. Continuation or supplementation of the Ballagi collection. The collection currently contains 4556 works.
P (Pamphlet) draws attention to the special collection on the signs.
The usage rules of the protected collections contain more restrictions than usual. (Terms of Use)
Information
Beiratkozás
Registration for natural and legal persons:
free of charge / 12 months
Administration fee of registration reader card:
HUF 400 / 12 months
Daily card: HUF 1650 / day
Borrowing privileges in one library:
HUF 7800 / 12 months
HUF 5400 / 6 months
HUF 4000 / 3 months
Establishment of membership for using all branches simultaneously:
HUF 10000 / 12 months
HUF 7700 / 6 months
Discounts
Online