Dr. Péter Balázs: Guide to the archives of Hungary (Budapest, 1976)
(Introduction)
the historical study groups of the schools, showing the moire interesting documents on the given subject to the students. As a methodological guide, the script of such occasions has also been elaborated by one regional archives or the other. The source collections on local history, mentioned earlier, are useful means also in the popular education of the archives. The socialist archives have all possibilities to use their material of accelerate the development of the people's economy, to protect the interests of the community and the working men. In order to be able the fulfil the requests arriving to them in the most efficient way, the archives first of all have arranged and described those archival groups (collections of plans and maps, records of the trade associations and Land Boards, etc.) which were the most needed in giving information and help to public organs and private persons. In this way considerable costs of planning could be saved in the restoration of apartment houses, public edifices and factories, in the reconstruction of public amenities or the further development. The archives have made significant data available for the history of the agricultural methods of some regions and of their hygienic conditions. The restoration of art monuments is helped equally with documents by the archives. The search for documents of the developping countries (in Asia, Africa and South America) is supported by Hungarian archives too, but they have little source material on these countries, as Hungary never had overseas possessions. In the scientific use of the archival material the research service of the archives has an important role. In all general archives research is generally possible during the office hours, nay the Budapest archives are regularly, the regional ones occasionally, acessible in the evening too, according to demand. Everybody may do research in the Hungarian archives without charge. Research permit is given to each Hungarian citizen who is at least 18 years old, undertakes to abide with the rules prescribed for archival research and has the necessary knowledge for the study of the archival material pertinent to his subject, demanded by him (e.g. the material of the feudal period needs the knowledge of Latin and paleography). A foreign subject arriving in the frame of an international agreement may have access to any record issued before the 30 September 1944 the research of which is not forbidden. The director of the archives may permit the research to a foreign subject arriving privately in any record issued before the 1 January 1918 which is not otherwise forbidden, by his own authority. The director of the archives may issue the permit in the archival material between the 1 January 1918 and the 30 September 1944 otherwise not for : bidden, only with the preliminary consent of the Archival Board.
