A Historical and Archival Guide to Székesfehérvár (Székesfehérvár, 2003)

AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY WRITING OF SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

NOTES 1 These documents were brought back to Hungary at the end of 1960s and were placed in the Hungarian National Archives. 2 The journal titled The Scientific Collection edited bv István Horvát and Mihály Vörösmarty was one of the first to publish the historv of Székesfehérvár. A part of the publications was about the chapter and the diocese. 3 Lawyer Kálmán Csapó of Tagyos (Székesfehérvár, 13 January 1841 Veszprém, 15 February 1931). Son of the first sub-prefect of Veszprém and Aloyzia Hollósy. In 1 859 he took part in the university students' actions therefore he had to suspend his university studies. In 1 865 he graduated as a lawyer. In 1867 he was appointed the first deputv clerk of Veszprém county, later he became a county recorder. In 1878 he was elected MP of Enving constituency. In 1883 he retired from public life and worked as a lawyer first in Balatonfüred, then in Veszprém. 4 Imre Henszlmann: The Result of the Excavations of Székes-Fehérvár. Pest, Gusztáv Heckenast 1864. 5 János Érdv: The Tombs of Béla III. and his Wife Found in Székes-Fehérvár. In: Hungary and Transylvania in pictures 1

sl volume Pest, 1853. 6 Károly Moenich, the learned chief archivist was born in Ciffer in Bratislava county, 24 October 1840. His father Antal Moenich worked as the bailiff of estate. He attended his schools in Mohács, Győr, Nagyszombat and Bratislava. In 1859 he entered priesthood here. He left the Emericanum soon and became the secretary of count Károly Zichy; later he reorganised the count's library, then he worked as farm bailiff. In 1 869 he worked in the National Statistical Office on the recommendation of Pál Hunfalw, the renowned linguist and ethnographer. Due to this work he got in touch with Székesfehérvár and Fejér county in the late 1860s. When the town municipality was instituted on 18 April 1872 he was elected financial office supervisor by unanimous vote, then on 22

nd December the following year he was appointed town archivist. Earlier in 1848 and on the re-election of officials the archivist was elected in a way similar to the chief officials of the town. The post, however, was still not very popular in the 1870s as it was held only for short periods on several occasions. Most of those holding the office undertook the archivist post until they found a better job. At the beginning of his career Moenich chiefly wrote poetry, short stories and discourses on linguistics, mainly for the newspapers of the capital (e.g. Napkelet, Hölgyfutár, Vasárnapi Újság). After the town- and county weekly papers were launched he soon became the principal contributor to the Fejér County Gazette; later, the editor of the same paper for a short time. This society weekly of diverse content was first published on 4

th July 1872, but came out for short time and ceased to exist the same year.