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

(Special Archives of State Organs and Social Organizations) - A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Levéltára (Archives of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

groups represent one of the most valuable sources for scientific history after the liberation in Hungary. Without knowing it one cannot cope either with the history of the single branches of science, or with the scientific and political activity of our leading scientists. The second section of archival groups embraces the records of the research institutes and the Library of the MTA. The most part (705 running metres) of the material of the institutes is still in care of the institutes in lack of space. Among the materials taken over by the Archives (96 running metres) the most valuable papers are those of the Hungarian Institute for Economic Research, the predecessor of the Institute for National Economy, from 1942 to 1952. It is an invaluable source of Hungarian economic history during the war. The third section of archival groups is reserved for the university research groups of the MTA (30 running metres), the fourth for the associations and societies supervised by the MTA (183 running metres), the fifth for the enterprises and servicing enterprises of the MTA (738 running metres); the records of these are still with the organs. A fragment of the sixth section of archival groups (records of the social institutions of the MTA) is already taken over by the Archives (3,32 running metres). The seventh section of archival groups contains the records of the Hungarian Scientific Council and it subordinate organs (13 running metres). Among them the most valuable ones are the records of the Hungarian Scientific Council, active in 1949, illustrating the socialist-minded reorganization of Hungarian scientific life. The eight section is made up by personal archival groups. According to tradition the Archives of the Academy do not gather the bequests of scholars regularly, they are collected by the Manuscript Department of the MTA Library. Bequests of a personal character come into the material of the Archives only, if the grant was made expressedly for it. (Present volume totals 10,4 running metres.) Beside the records the Archives has a considerable material of illustrations and sound records. The illustrations (portraits and events) total 3455 pieces. Their evaluation happens by punched card system. Sound records (statements made by leading scientists, their unprinted lectures) total 10513 sec. Finding aid, in the form of a card catalogue, is produced parallel with the arrival of the sound records.(A basic catalogue in the order of the records, a subject catalogue and an index of names are at disposal to research.)