É. Apor (ed.): David Kaufmann Memorial Volume: Papers Presented at the David Kaufmann Memorial Conference, November 29, 1999, Budapest.

Greetings - MAROSI, Ernő

the founder - from Ignác Goldziher to the late Professor Alexander Scheiber remained true to this tradition in the most demanding historical circumstances of the 20lh century. This Oriental Collection remains an island of tolerance and of serious historical and philological research work. The term "humanities" has a double meaning: it is not only a pure scholarly term, but also has a moral sense. We can express our gratitude to this institution, which preserves these values. It is a great pleasure for me personally that I was honoured to introduce this afternoon-session dealing mainly with the art-historical aspects of the Kaufmann Collection. I am an art historian and a medievalist myself, but I have to confess to you that I came to learn, not to contribute but with a slight word to the subjects which will be discussed here now. Medieval studies traditionally represent a strong branch of Hungarian art history, and the study of iconography enjoys a long and important tradition as well. We speak about a Budapest School of Iconography, which could be represented by the name of Andor Pigler. But these iconographical studies were, and still are. mainly oriented towards traditional Christian and profane iconography and to studies in iconology. Only through journals are we informed of the new achievements in the archaeology and the history of Late Antiquity and of the discovery of the immense role of the ancient and medieval Jewish tradition. There is a lack of art historical research on the primary sources, which are present in a quite great number in the Kaufmann Collection. For instance, its famous Haggada-manuscript was only exceptionally discussed in an art historical context in Hungary. I could quote only one case here, the survey of Spanish medieval painting written by Tünde Wehli in 1980. So, at first glance, the lectures in this session highlight a neglected field of our art historical studies, both in our universities and in our Academy of Sciences. Art historical studies in Hungary concentrate now on the Middle Ages and later periods, and research works on the cultural and linguistic background are very rare in our studies on the Ancient and Oriental World. The same is valid for the Sections of the Academy of Sciences. Here the Section of Letters and Linguistics is completely separated from the Section of Philosophy and History. The study of Antiquity and of Oriental cultures belongs to the First, archaeology and art history to the Second Section. In this way, their distance in methodology is increasing instead of moving towards a necessary integration. The Oriental Collection could be a model and a workshop for such an interdisciplinary collaboration. Several years ago, we reconstructed the Art Collection of the Academy of Sciences. Sometimes we also have occasions for academic exhibitions. As a dream for the future, I could imagine an exhibition and a succinct catalogue of the art historical treasures of the Kaufmann Collection. Returning to our present meeting, I cannot but express my gratitude again for having the honour to be in your learned circle and I am looking forward to your lectures with great expectations. 12