F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1993/1. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1993)

EGYHÁZTÖRTÉNET ÉS MŰEMLÉKVÉDELEM - Lővei Pál: Egyházi személyiségek a magyar műemlékvédelem történetében

Pál LŐVEI CHURCH DIGNITARIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE PROTECTION OF HISTORIC MONUMENTS IN HUNGARY (Paper read on the conference ^Ecclesiastical History and Protection of Historic Monuments" 24th November 1992, organized by the Hungarian Ecclesiastical Historical Encyclopedia Found and the Inspectorate of Historic Monuments) Two of the famous trio, Imre Henszlmann, Arnold Ipolyi and Hóris Rómer, of the great period of Hungarian monuments protection — Ipolyi and Rómer — remained in Church service till the end of their lives. There is no characteristic however making their work basically different from that of the secular colleagues, as the protection of monuments and branches of science in connection with it had always developed and worked according to their own methodology and principles. Their example is important, nevertheless: how could they serve protection of monuments always considered a national issue beside their ecclesiastical profession and what kind of example could they show with this to the predecessors in the Church today. Even the Central-Comission in Vienna had chosen among its assistants Ipolyi and Römer. In 1872 in Hungary the Provisional Committee of Historic Monuments was established which was turned to the National Committee of Historic Monuments with coming into force of the 1881 year act of maintaining monuments. Ipolyi and Rómer were members of the Committee from the time of its formation till their death. At the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th as members of the Committee, Béla Czobor and Rémig Békefi were also ecclessiastical personalities. Their activity in the fields of monuments protection is documented by several of their books and studies. Contrary to the rather well-k^own activity of committee members having always a leading role in the organization of monument protection it is less wellknown, that the Central-Commission, and following its example the Hungarian organization as well, used the assistance of the so called corrresponding or associate members. These were local personalities interested in monuments protection, „dilettanti" in the best meaning of the word. Their task was to fill in the register list serving as a basis for the record of the monuments, to collect data, and to help the work of the members of the committee. Almost half of the persons doing this work was in Church service in 1872. Most of them were Roman Catholic, but there were Lutherans as well. They were canons, parsons, monks, seminary and grammar-school teachers, priests and assistant ministers. Almost two-third of those officially appointed to associate members in 1875 by the Minister were Church personalities, and the same was the case later in 1880, 1889 and 1903. Many of them are well known from the pages of archeological, local historical magazines and are authors of publications and studies of basic importance.