Fraknói Memorial Book. Remembrance of Vilmos Fraknói (1843–1924) Bishop, Historian, Secretary-General of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (CVH I/24), edited by TUSOR PÉTER–KANÁSZ VIKTOR, Budapest–Rome 2024. xxxviii+872 p., 1 pic. (=912 p.)
The centenary commemorative volume is divided into three main chapters. The first, titled "Chapters from Fraknói's Biography," includes eight studies addressing various aspects of his biography. These studies explore topics such as his family background, early years, ecclesiastical, and academic career the Vatican's rejection of his appointment as Bishop of Pécs, his years in Vienna during the World War and the collapse, and the final phase of his career. The second part, titled "The Historian's Scholarly Path," has the explicit aim of positioning Fraknói on the map of academic scholarship and placing him at the forefront of Hungarian historians. A dedicated study examines his historical perspective, the significance of his Vatican research in understanding medieval Hungarian history, and his role in establishing the modern practice of medieval studies, early modern research, and several sub-disciplines, as well as his contributions to the development of library science. In addition, it covers the heated debates surrounding his textbook and other writings. This chapter, consisting of nine articles, concludes with a scientometric analysis of his journalistic and creative output. Fraknói's European significance is most evident in his activities in Italy.
The third chapter discusses what Fraknói called the "small Hungarian historical school in Rome," including his correspondence with his master and friend Flóris Rómer, related to the foundation of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae. Other articles in the chapter focus on key members of Fraknói's Hungarian historical school in Rome, such as Lipót Óváry, László Fejérpataky, Ferenc Kollányi, József Lukcsics, and Endre Veress ("Italy, Rome, Vatican").
In 2024, a total of 24 studies are dedicated to Vilmos Fraknói (born Frankl until 1874) in volume I/24 of CVH. Summaries of varying lengths are provided in both Hungarian and English at the end of the volume to pique the interest of readers. The detailed analyses and the diverse perspectives of the 22 authors, in some respects, make the volume more valuable than a traditional biographical monograph, though they cannot replace the absence of a full Fraknói biography.
Among the appendices, Fraknói's bibliography of works, compiled by Gábor Nemes for the centenary, holds the first place. This list, containing over 500 entries, is followed by a contemporary press review. The third appendix consists of a selection of visual representations of Fraknói, ranging from caricatures to paintings and sculptures, along with a collection of photographs. After the Appendices, the "Life Path/Chronology" section summarizes key data and milestones of his career, often based on the results presented in the commemorative volume. The Bibliography provides complete or selected descriptions of the volumes in the Vatican’s Hungarian historical series, along with a list of lexicons, biographical literature, and obituaries. The Index is a testament to György Sági’s meticulous thoroughness.