Agria 38. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2002)
Löffler Erzsébet: Egyházi gyűjtemények és múzeumok Heves megyében
Erzsébet Löffler Ecclesiastical Collections and Museums in Heves County The ecclesiastical collections now occupy a more prominent and influential position in the ranks of the public collections. This is thanks primarily to the fact that for the last 12 years the conditions necessary to run the collections have improved significantly. This means they are now able to show their public face to a greater extent than before, with the result that the institutions are much more open both professionally and in terms of their relationship with the general public. Consequently the collections are much better able to meet the necessary requirements, like for example in the fields of record keeping and security, than they were a decade ago when they couldn't keep pace with those institutions enjoying state support. There are three public ecclesiastical collections in that part of the Eger Archdiocese lying in Heves County: the Archdiocesan Library, the Archbishop's Collections, which include the Archdiocesan Museum and its Archive, and the Gyöngyös Treasury. All three are run by the Roman Catholic Church. The Archdiocesan Library is the most significant both in terms of size and importance. The library has a history going back more than 200 years, having being founded in 1793. This is a fact which shouldn't be lost on the Hungarian museum fraternity as it celebrates its 200 th anniversary. The library itself is of both architectural and artistic importance, with fittings which are themselves both protected and of museological significance. Interestingly the library still fulfils the function for which it was originally built. One of the most valuable collections in both the archdiocese and Heves County is the treasury of St Bartholemew's, Gyöngyös. It is also the collection with the most tempestuous history. The building currently holding the exhibitions, the so-called House of the Holy Crown, also deserves a mention. It was once known as Almásy House, built by the keeper of the crown Pál Almásy in 1784. When the crown was put into safe keeping with the impending arrival of Napoleon it found its way into the building on three occasions, once in 1806 and twice in 1809. The collection contains 43 pieces of metal work, 12 of which are medieval liturgical objects. They were once used at St Bartholemew's, the Franciscan Church, St Urban's Jesuit Church and St Elizabeth's. The third collection run by the Archdiocese of Eger in Heves County are the Archbishop's Collections containing the Archdiocesan museum and archives. There is a practical reason why they are run together as both collections are relatively small and best kept in one single building. 86
