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

ORMOS, István: David Kaufmann and his Collection

ISTVÁN ORMOS "Yiddish", a technical term only imported to Europe from the United States around 1910, to designate the "Jewish German" used only in Eastern Europe, and maintaining that the language of the work in question is in fact the colloquial German of the day, with a touch of Jewish colouring at the most.

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6 We are indebted to David Kaufmann for the publication of a number of important original documents which he found on his numerous and frequent visits to archives and libraries in various European countries, but it is well known that a considerable part of the incredible wealth of primary data contained in his publications was received from his well-organized network of "agents", who collected data for him from libraries, manuscript collections and archives all over Europe and in certain areas of the Middle East. This they did partly for friendship's sake, but if it seemed appropriate Kaufmann also knew how to find the right moment and method of material remuneration. It was likewise through his connections and his "agents"

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7 that he managed to build up his exquisite collection of manuscripts and books with the material background of the family of his wife - the important documents published by him came quite often from his own collection. He possessed an exceptionally vast and profound knowledge of bibliographical data, a fact copiously attested to by important publications. His works dealing with the affairs of certain communities, with Jewish archaeology and local history, in which he used the numerous copies he made of tomb inscriptions, are of lasting value. It was perhaps Jewish history that occupied the centre of his interest, and his works in this field surpass considerably those of his contemporaries, thanks to his rich perusal of unknown primary sources. From among his works relating to Hungarian history, mention should be made of the editing and translation of an important source relating to the recapture of Buda from the Turks in 1686 - he published this work from a manuscript in his own possession:

4* Die Erstürmung Ofens und ihre Vorgeschichte nach dem Berichte Isak Schulhofs (1650-1732) (Megillath Ofen). Trier 1895. 62 + 32 pp.

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9 - and of the treatment of an interesting episode from the past of the small Moravian city of Ungarisch Brod™ close 4

6 Oral communication by Ádám NÁDASDY

. See also Bettina SIMON, Jiddische Sprachgeschichte. Versuch einer neuen Grundlegung. Frankfurt am Main 1993. 7-65, 212-218. 4

7 Cf. e.g., Eugen MITTWOCH, Briefwechsel zwischen David Kaufmann und Paul-Georg von Möllendorf = Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums 76 (1932) 401 quoted in SCHMELZER'S contribution to this volume on p. 119 above. 4

8 Its present shelf-mark is MS Kaufmann A 349. 4

9 This work appeared in Hungarian translation recently: SCHULHOF Izsák, Budai krónika. [Buda chronicle]. Translated from Hebrew by László Jólesz. Budapest 1981. See also KAUFMANN Dávid, Budavár visszavívásának egy szemtanuja és leírója. [An eyewitness and chronicler of the recapture of Buda Castle] = Az Izraelita Magyar Irodalmi Társaság Evkönyve [Yearbook of the Israelite Hungarian Literary Society] 1895. 63-92. 5

0 Present-day Uhersky Brod in the Czech Republic. 136