Organized by the Veszprémi Szemle Urban History Public Benefit Foundation, the launch event of the 78th issue of the Veszprémi Szemle urban history journal was held on 26 September 2025 at the Eötvös Károly Library. At the event, Viktor Kanász, research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, delivered a lecture entitled “I Know My Sheep” – Episcopal Visitations of the City of Veszprém from the 18th to the 20th Century.
In his presentation, he outlined the origins of the institution of canonica visitatio, its history in Hungary, and the main stages of its scholarly investigation. He then presented the visitation records pertaining to the Diocese of Veszprém, briefly discussed the 1778–1779 visitations he has edited, and turned to the records surveying the diocesan center itself.
In this context, he explored the historical memory reflected in the visitations of the 18th to 20th centuries—especially the 1552 occupation of Veszprém, the reorganization of the cathedral chapter, and the perception of each era by its contemporaries. He also addressed the rich data contained in these sources, which provide valuable information for archontological and demographic research, as well as insights into the material culture of the time, including local libraries. Furthermore, with regard to the educational history of Veszprém, he examined the role of schoolmasters, and finally demonstrated how the emerging communist dictatorship can be discerned between the lines of these records.
(Photo: Zsolt Zachár & Csongor Cziráki)
