Dr. Péter Balázs: Guide to the archives of Hungary (Budapest, 1976)

Magyar Ferences Levéltár (Hungarian Franciscan Archives)

MAGYAR FERENCES LEVÉLTÁR (HUNGARIAN FRANCISCAN ARCHIVES) 1024 BUDAPEST, Mártírok u. 23. Tel. 358-594. Archivist: Dr. Károly Konrád SZÁNTÓ The Franciscan convent at Gyöngyös, erected in the 1370s, preserved the archival material of the largest Franciscan province in Hungary, the Salvatorians from 1526 to 1541, later from 1770 to 1900, as Gyöngyös was the seat of the Salvatorian province. In 1900 the Holy See abolished the Salvatorian province and handed over the Gyöngyös convent to the province named after Capistrano. The valuable archival material.in the Gyöngyös convent remained in the same place, but it became the property of the provincial office named after Capistrano. In 1912 the seat of the Capistrano provincial was transferred to Gyöngyös from the Buda convent. Thereby also the records of the Capistrano provincial office have come to Gyöngyös. The archival material of the Franciscan convents, thus that of the BudaViziváros convent and parish, abolished in 1785 by Joseph II, and that of the formerly Augustinian, from 1785 Franciscsan convent and parish at Mártírok Street, were preserved in the library of the convent at Budapest, II. Mártírok Street 23, built in 1833-1836 together with the convent. In 1969 the unification of the material formerly at Gyöngyös and of that kept in the library of the convent at Mártírok Street has given life to the Hungarian Franciscan Archives. The Archives are maintained by the Franciscsan provincial office. The archival material totals 40 running metres. The oldest record dates from 1261, together with this there are 112 pre-Mohacs charters in archival custody. They are mainly papal bulls, related to the foundations of Franciscan convents, their transfer to other provinces and the personal affairs of the friars, but there are also some royal charters on the Franciscans. The largest unit of the Archives is the material of the central leadership, the provincial office of four provinces (the Salvatorian, the Bosnian and mining district province and those named after Capistrano and St. Ladislas) between 1564 and 1900. The archival groups of the provincial offices contain decrees of ecclesiastical and laical authorities, diocesan and provincial circulars, personal tables on the friars, reports and tables on matters of financial nature.