The centenary year organized by the Research Group named after Vilmos Fraknói was built on two main pillars: the commemorative conference held in early May in Nagyvárad and the international symposium in Rome. The annotated version of the presentations from the Nagyvárad conference, supplemented with additional studies, writings, and appendices, was published on October 16, 2024, as volume I/24 of the CVH series. The full version is available for download on the series’ webpage at institutumfraknoi.hu. Its title: „Fraknói Emlékkönyv. Fraknói Vilmos (1843–1924) püspök, történész, a Magyar Tudományos Akadémia főtitkárának emlékezete” (Fraknói Memorial Book. Remembrance of Vilmos Fraknói (1843–1924), Bishop, Historian, and Secretary General of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences).
Although only the third chapter of the volume explicitly deals with Vatican research ("Italy, Rome, Vatican"), due to Fraknói's foundational and key role, his memorial book finds its most fitting place as the successor to the heritage of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae, which he founded in 1882 and officially launched in 1884. This legacy continues in the Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae series (founded in 2002, first published in 2004).
The first section ("Chapters from Fraknói's Biography") addresses various aspects of his life. The second section, titled "The Historian’s Scholarly Path," has a clear objective: to clarify Vilmos Fraknói's significance in the development of modern academic scholarship in Hungary and to redefine his place among Hungarian historians. The appendices include a bibliography of Fraknói’s works, selected documentation about him, and a collection of visual representations. Before the usual apparatus, a chronological overview of his life ties together the divergent threads of the narrative.
The detailed analyses, along with the diverse perspectives of the twenty-two contributing authors—Balázs Rétfalvi, György Sági, Tünde Balla, Attila Lakatos, Attila Hőgye, Csongor Cziráki, Imre Ress, Kornél Szovák, György Rácz, István Fazekas, Zita Lőrincz, Julianna Orsós, Márton Szovák, Róbert Oláh P., Gábor Nemes, Teréz Csécs, Tamás Fedeles, Terézia Horváth, Tamás Kruppa, and the two editors—together with László Solymosi's opening thoughts and the reprinted memorial essays by Gyula Szekfű and Ágnes R. Várkonyi, make this volume, in some respects, more valuable than a biographical monograph. Although it cannot replace a complete biography of Fraknói, it aims to serve as a starting point. As with any collection of essays, some repetition is inevitable, as the Leitmotiv throughout is the same individual: Vilmos Fraknói, who bore the surname Frankl until 1874. Nevertheless, the recurring life details, quotes, and references are presented to the reader in different tones and phrases, offering various perspectives on his full career and life’s work, even through individual studies.
Instead of further editorial commentary, it is time for the volume itself to speak. The printed version will be officially presented on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Vilmos Fraknói’s death, on November 19, 2024, at 5 p.m., at the Central Seminary, where he was a student from 1858 to 1864. The program and invitation are in progress.