Győr, a királyi város 1271–2011. Válogatás a városi levéltár kincseiből (Győr, 2011)

COMPLIMENTARY

The Archives of Győr City celebrated the anniversary of the Royal Privileges issued by King Stephen V in 1271. The Charter, playing a significant role in the life of the city and obtaining the rights of Székesfehérvár (one of the oldest cities in medieval Hungary), enabled Győr to rise among the free Royal Cities of the country. Tins way it helped to spread the development of literacy. The Archives has existed since that time. The Turkish devastation destroyed almost the complete medieval Archives, only seven charters remained. However, after the city was recaptured from the Turks all the documents have remained since 1598. The documents of the reorganization of the city’s administration, all minutes of the local authority meetings have also survived the forthcoming centuries since 1600. The Archives has worked up these minutes scientifically in seven volumes until 1636 and published them.

After the Turkish period lot of sovereigns issued charters. King Matthias II. signed eight charters on the same day in 1608. Seven out of the eight belong to the collection of the Archives. Vie city founded the Archives as a modern institution in the 19th century, and appointed the first archivist in 1846. Vie duties of the institution were extended significantly at the beginning of the 20th century. Some pieces from the museum were stored in the Archives for a long time. Vie director of the Archives also managed the collection of the public library until the introduction of the council system (in the communist era). The collection of the City Museum was separated from the Institution in 1943 (on the 200th anniversary of the issue of the Charter in 1743); the library