Rózsa György (szerk.): The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1826–1976.
III. Special collections - Department of Manuscripts and Old Books
Department of Manuscripts and Old Books The acquisition of manuscripts was started at the time when the Academy's Library was founded. The way of acquisition of manuscripts was laid down by the General Assembly of the Academy as early as 1832 prescribing 'the acquiring of hidden old Hungarian manuscripts, either, if possible, in original or at least in copies.' The Teleki-library included about 600 volumes of very valuable manuscripts, among others, correspondence and works of eminent scholars in the 18th century (such as Dániel Cornides, József Benczúr and others). Donations of the president József Teleki were adding to all these, among others, one authentic Corvinuscodex De laudibus Matthiae regis by Ludovicus Carbo, some other medieval codices, 76 hand-written volumes of the Kresznerics-collection etc. The Library managed to obtain several linguistic records, such as the Czech-codex, the Guarycodex, the Virginia-codex, a prayer-book of Benigna Magyar, the Érsekújvárcodex etc. Some of them were donated, others were given on exchange for the series of publications 'Old Hungarian Linguistic Records' (Régi Magyar Nyelvemlékek). Deserving special mention among the personal and literary remains of great writers are the correspondence and manuscripts of Ferenc Kazinczy which came first to be among the highly valued possessions of the Department, later those of János Arany, János Batsányi, Dániel Berzsenyi, György Bessenyei, Ferenc Kölcsey, Mihály Csokonai Vitéz, Sándor and Károly Kisfaludy, as well as literary remains of scientists like Ottó Herman, Lajos Katona, Bernát Munkácsi, Ákos Pauler, Salamon Petényi, Antal Reguly, Ferenc Toldy, some works of the two Bolyais and others. The Secretary-General's office has been continuously handed over to the Manuscript Department, hand-written papers which were entered in competitions conducted by the Academy, later on library documents and other official ones concerning the administration of the Academy, as well as copies of works related to Hungary which were made in libraries and archives abroad — the latter activity also being sponsored by the Committee on History. Since the reorganization of the Academy (1949) the Department has an annual budget which enables it to acquire manuscripts regularly, consequently the Department, which earlier obtained new accessions only by donations or accidental purchases, has multiplied its collection. Since 1950 - among others the following very precious literary remains of scholars and scientists have come to the Department of Manuscripts: a considerable amount of the literary remains of Endre Ady, manuscripts of Babits, literary remains of Béla Balázs, Ákos Dutka, Dezső Kosztolányi, Lőrinc Szabó, manuscripts of Árpád Tóth, letters from Romáin Rolland and from Zsigmond Móricz, some writings of Dezső Szabó, the correspondence of the Tevan Publishing House with the outstanding figures of modern Hungarian literature, the literary remains of Péter Veres, Máté Zalka, as well as those of Péter Ágoston, Ödön Beke, Béla Bulla, István Csekey, Sándor Domanovszky, Loránd Eötvös, Lajos Fülep, István Hajnal, Ágost Heller, Farkas Heller, Ferenc Kováts, Imre Lukinich, Erik Molnár, Gyula Moravcsik, Mór Réthy,
