Dr. Péter Balázs: Guide to the archives of Hungary (Budapest, 1976)

Szabolcs-Szatmár Megyei Levéltár (Szabolcs-Szatmár County Archives)

SZABOLCS-SZATMÁR MEGYEI LEVÉLTÁR (SZABOLCS-SZATMÁR COUNTY ARCHIVES) 4400 NYÍREGYHÁZA, Benczúr tér 21. Tel. 11-013 Director: Dr. Zsigmond GYARMATHY Prior to 1950 the repository contained only the records produced by the central (county) administration of Szabolcs county and by its jurisdiction (up to 1872); in 1950 it was increased by the addition of Szatmár county records, abolished and united under a common council in this year. The oldest piece is an undated charter from the years between 1290 and 1295. There are continuous series' from the middle of the sixteenth century. The archival material totals 3511 running metres, more than one third of which has been taken over since 1950. The majority of the material and its base is represented by the records produced by county selfgovernment. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries they were preserved in chests in the home of the elected chief of the autonomy, the sub-prefect. As early as in the fifteenth century Szabolcs county employed a notary, bound to draft the records and to draw up the journals. For greater security the records and journals were kept in one of the castles of the county, Kisvárda from the second half of the seventeenth century; later, in 1747, when a new county hall was erected at the then seat of the county, Nagykálló, the archives were allocated in separate premises installed for the purpose. After several removals the repository has occupied its present place in 1972-1973. In the first half of the eighteenth century the arrangement of the records was ordered several times, but in vain. Finally all the records up to 1767 were arranged between 1768 and 1787 on the basis of then modern and efficient principles by the registrator Ferenc SCHEMBERGER, who also arranged the archives of two neighbouring counties, Ung and Szatmár. His successors did not change his very practicable system till 1849, except for minor changes demanded by recent needs. From 1790 the county had a regular archivist, charged with registration and the care of the registry as well. The feudal (pre-1848) archives of Szabolcs county consists of more or less uninterrupted series' from the middle of the sixteenth century. Among