Itt-Ott, 1975 (8. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1975 / 1. szám
study; without them there can be no history. It is therefore essential that the documents, printed and manuscript, which record the thoughts and activities of Hungarian immigrants be gathered and placed in an archives where they can be catalogued, preserved, and made readily available for research. It is urgent that this be done before more of these precious materials are lost forever. Ten years ago the University of Minnesota established an Immigrant Archives /recently renamed the Immigration History Research Center/ as part of its library resources to serve as a depository for ethnic materials. Since that time over 20,000 volumes of books, 2,000 reels of microfilm, nearly 2,000 feet /3,000,000 pages/ of manuscript, and 130 newspapers pertaining to twenty-two different ethnic groups from Southern, Eastern, and Central Europe have been collected. These materials have provided the source materials for numerous theses, articles and books about immigrant groups in the United States and Canada and their roles in the history of North America. Presently, the Hungarian American Collection consists of some 300 books /ca. 200 monographs and 100 commemorative publications/, 26 serial titles, newspaper titles /6 currently received/ and 7 manuscript collections: the papers of Balogh Dezső, 1938-1965; the papers of Egri Lajos, 1888- ; the papers of the Baross Gábor Aid Society, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1890-1970; the papers of the Workingmen's Sick Benevolent and Educational Federation, Avene!, N. J. Branch, 1922-1942 /microfilm/; the records of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Cleveland, Ohio, 1890-1944 /microfilm/; the archives of the Hungarian Evangelical Reformed Conventus, Budapest, 1904- /microfilm/; and material on emigration from the Hungarian Prime Minister's Archives, 1895-1917 /microfilm/. A concerted effort is now under way to expand the collection to the size where it will enable scholars to write the authentic history of the Hungarians in North America. Accordingly we are seeking the cooperation of the Hungarian communities in the United States and Canada to help preserve the heritage of Hungarian immigrants. Persons and organizations possessing old records should be persuaded to deposit them in the Immigration History Research Center rather than allowing them to deteriorate or be discarded. "Naptárak," newspaper files, parish jubilee albums, memoirs, private files, family papers, books published by or about Hungarian immigrants — all will be welcome additions to the Hungarian American Collection. One very important type of Hungarian American record in serious danger of being destroyed is newspapers. Because newsprint is so fragile, within a few years many Hungarian American newspapers will decompose, and a primary source of information about the activities of Hungarians in North America will be lost. Anyone having or knowing about materials which should be placed on deposit should contact: Immigration History Research Center University of Minnesota 826 Berry Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 /612/ 373-5581 Joseph Széplaki Consultant for Hungarian- American Collections Acquisitions Division 170 Wilson Library University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. 55455 1612 I 373-7809 38
