R. Gergely (ed.): Microcard catalogue of the rare hebrew codices, manuscripts and anciens prints in the Kaufmann Collection reproduced on microcards

Prof. Ignácz Goldziher's lecture

PROF. GOLDZIHER'S LECTURE The late collector who in 1877 came into Hungary from abroad, worked as a professor and writer in our capital for 22 years ; with his rare talent he mastered our language within a short time and partook of our literature also — to quote only his articles in the Archaeologiai Értesítő (Archaeological Recorder) in 1886, 1887, 1895, and 1897. The splendid gifts of his spirit were combined with persevering diligence. He displayed a many-sided literary activity including important independent works, many papers, and critical essays, which were sought for by the most prominent foreign periodicals. He was only forty-seven years old when death suddenly overtook him at Karlsbad on 6 July 1899. The bibliography of his literary works, compiled by reverential hands, amounts to 546 pieces,

1 including some recognized fundamental works which veritably enrich science. His scientific interest was characterized by far-reaching comprehensiveness ; accordingly, his papers embrace a very wide range of topics, including even natural sciences, inasmuch as these could be connected with philology and cultural history. This is attested among others by a work of his which appeared in 1884 and called the attention of the Viennese anatomist J. Hyrtl

: „Die Sinne. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Physiologie und Psychologie im Mittelalter aus hebräischen und arabischen Quellen." However, in the centre of his work were Oriental, especially Hebrew and Hebrew-Arabic, literatures, the history of the Jews and of medieval philosophy. It is around these fields that move the concentric circles of his studies. And he achieved great fame throughout the world of science by his papers which he, from the age of twenty on, contributed to the extension of these branches of knowledge. He was fortunate to promote his work by the acquisition of a large collection of books. It is this collection which has now, after the decease of his widow, passed, together with all its furniture, into the proprietorship of our Academy by the name of Endoioment of 1 See Gedenkbuch zur Erinnerung an David Kaufmann, edited by M. Brann and F. Rosenthal, Breslau 1900, pp. LVII—LXXXVH. [Additions' to it are contained in David Kaufmann : Gesammelte Schriften III, Frankfurt a/M. 1915, pp. VIU—IX.]. 12