C. Csapodi, E. Moravek et al.(szerk.): The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1826–1961.

I. The History and Tasks of the Library of the Academy of Sciences

I THE HISTORY AND TASKS OF THE LIBRARY OF THE HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES uring Hungary's struggle for independence in the early decades of the nineteenth century one of the main tasks was the cultivation of the Hungarian language. One of the measures taken to this end, was the foundation of the Hungarian Learned Society at the National Assembly of 1825. In contrast to similar institutions in most countries, it was established not by grace of the sovereign, but by Hungarian society at large. The Hungarian Academy has therefore never been a „royal" one. Its founder was Count István Széchenyi, a great politician of the age of reforms, who offered his one year's income to support the aims of the Academy (Fig. 1). The example of the generous founder was followed by Count József Teleki, the first President of the Academy, who in 1826 presented his library of 30 000 volumes to the Society, and thus laid the foundations of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. (Fig. 3). According to the deed of foundation, he made his donation „filled with enthusiasm by love of his country, to promote the public weal", and for „the use of every citizen." At this time the Széchényi Library of the National Museum, donated by the father of the István Széchenyi who founded the Academy, moreover, the University Library were already functioning. These three large libraries, complementary to one another, took the place of a single national library of general scope in collecting and performed its comprehensive tasks. This situation has been characteristic of Hungarian library system right up to the present. 7