2025

On 12 December 2025, an international online conference entitled “Unus non sufficit orbis”: Rome and the European Missions in the Late Seventeenth Century was held under the auspices of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani  (INSR), several collaborating Italian universities, and the Fraknói Research Group, and was organised by Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPKE).

The conference was linked to the critical edition of a key report submitted in 1678 by the Secretary of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide, Relazione di Monsignor Urbano Cerri alla Santità di Ns. PP. Innocenzo XI dello Stato di Propaganda. A detailed presentation of the project is available here.

At the international seminar, Péter Tusor delivered a paper entitled “At the Frontier of Missions: The Hungarian–Ottoman Border”. His presentation primarily synthesised the research of Ferenc Galla (1888–1977), the tragically early-deceased István György Tóth (1956–2005), and Antal Molnár, supplementing their published results with data drawn from his own archival research on seventeenth-century bishops conducted in the Archives of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide between October 1997 and May 1998.

By way of introduction, he emphasised that in the 1990s the intersecting research projects of Tóth and Molnár began without knowledge of the fact that Ferenc Galla had already produced a monographic study not only on the missions of Upper Hungary and Transylvania, but also on those of Ottoman-occupied Hungary. Galla’s manuscript, covering the period from the late sixteenth to the eighteenth century, is preserved in the same repository as the Franciscan and Pauline mission histories later published in the Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae (CVH I/2 and I/11). Hungarian historical scholarship thus once again carried out, in the field of Roman and Vatican source exploration and analysis, a task that had already been undertaken by earlier generations. This structural problem is only partially mitigated by the fact that subsequent research has by now substantially surpassed Galla’s findings—although this can be stated in full only for the first half of the seventeenth century.

The concluding synthesis of Péter Tusor’s English-language response paper stated that “the missionary and pastoral activity along the Hungarian–Ottoman frontier constituted an extremely complex and historically unique symbiosis between classical missions directed by the Congregation de Propaganda Fide and the cross-border ‘quasi-missionary’ activity of a previously weakened ecclesiastical structure operating along the Ottoman–Hungarian border. The effectiveness of the latter was significantly enhanced by the preservation of certain elements of Hungarian sovereignty, under international law, in territories belonging to the Ottoman Empire. By the second half of the eighteenth century, this missionary structure was dissolved by the reorganisation—after some 150 years—of the medieval Hungarian dioceses, or, at the parish level, by a partial neo-organisation. The revival, after centuries, of dioceses occupied by ‘infidels’ is not without precedent, but remains a relatively rare phenomenon in church history. Thanks to the earlier, multilayered missionary activity, reconstruction did not have to begin from scratch.”

A long-standing and close working relationship exists between the Fraknói Research Group and the INSR—represented in particular by its Director Gaetano Platania—as well as with the Centre for Central European and Papal History at the University of Viterbo (Professors Matteo Sanfilippo and Alessandro Boccolini). The most significant milestones of this cooperation have been jointly organised international symposia, most recently the conference series Barberini e l'Europa and I Collegi per stranieri a Roma (16th–20th centuries), as well as the scholarly conference held on the occasion of the Fraknói centenary, Protagonisti e Collaboratori – Studiosi provenienti dall’Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918 (see here for its reception in Rome).

The written versions of the papers delivered at these conferences have been published, with the involvement of the Fraknói Research Group, in edited volumes by Edizioni Sette Città (Viterbo) and are available for free download.

(For the complete list of joint conferences: 2007 Rome [proceedings published as CVH I/4], 2013 Budapest, 2018 Budapest, 2019 Rome, 2021 Rome, 2022 Rome, 2023 Rome, 2024 Rome.)

PROGRAM
PPT

The presentations can be viewed here (Péter Tusor’s paper from 2:39:06).

On 28–29 November 2025, an international conference entitled Mohács 500 – Antemurale Christianitatis II was held in Pécs, at the Magtár Visitor Centre.
The English-language event featured presentations by Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Italian and Romanian scholars across three panels. Between and after the panel sessions two roundtable discussions also took place: a Diplomatic Roundtable (in Hungarian) and The International Context of the Transformation of the Mohács National Memorial Site (in English). The symposium was organised by the National Institute of Heritage, with the collaboration of the Fraknói Research Group. Thanks to this cooperation, Antonín Kalous and Gianpiero Brunelli were able to participate in the scholarly meeting; both had previously visited Hungary at the Group’s invitation in 2019 and 2021 on the occasion of the presentations of their volumes La santa impresa. Le crociate del papa in Ungheria (1595-1601) and The Legation of Angelo Pecchinoli at the Court of the King of Hungary (1488–149) (CVH II/8).

In his presentation, The Jagiellonians’ Rule in Bohemia, Antonín Kalous explored not only the often-emphasised similarities in the governance of the Jagiellonians (such as the relationship between the estates and the monarchy), but also their differences. Due to the legacy of Hussitism, the Jagiellonians in the Kingdom of Bohemia were compelled to make religious compromises in addition to political ones. These, in turn, influenced political relations and had the further consequence that Bohemia became peripheral in its relations with the Holy See. A clear indication of this marginality was that, unlike in Hungary or the Holy Roman Empire, Rome did not send separate, independent papal envoys to the kingdom.

In his lecture, Crusades, Italy and Ottoman Policy, Giampiero Brunelli argued for the need to rethink the historiography concerning the topics indicated in the title. According to Brunelli, scholarship traditionally maintains that while crusading ideology survived into the fifteenth century, by the sixteenth century it had persisted merely as a rhetorical tool. This opposition—between political realism and crusading rhetoric/propaganda—is often framed from a modern, moralising perspective and tends to overemphasise national differences. However, a renewed reading of the arenga sections of papal bulls demonstrates that early modern papal political culture and action were shaped simultaneously and inseparably by theology, canon law and politics. Without the history of crusading, therefore, the history of the early modern papacy cannot be adequately understood.

At the diplomacy roundtable, which shed light on the international relations of the period, the Fraknói Research Group was represented by Tamás Fedeles.
 

PROGRAM

On Monday, 1 December 2025, at 5:00 p.m., the Pontifical Gregorian University hosted the presentation of the edited volume Vatican Diplomacy and the Shaping of the West during the Pontificate of Pius XII, published by Studium. The Fraknói Research Group was represented at the event by its Vatican archival research resident, Katalin Nagy.

The collection of studies, edited by Roberto Regoli, Paolo Valvo and Nicholas J. Doublet, examines the diplomatic activity of Pius XII (1939–1958) and its impact on the Western world, with particular emphasis on the decades of the Second World War and the Cold War.

The event opened with addresses by Paul Oberholzer SJ, Dean of the Faculty of History at the Gregorian University, and Marek Inglot SJ, Director of the Miscellanea Historiae Pontificiae series and President of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. The volume was presented by Liliosa Azara and Roberto Morozzo della Rocca, professors at Roma Tre University. The discussion was moderated by Francis X. Rocca, Vatican correspondent of The Wall Street Journal.

The book maps the scope of Vatican foreign policy in the context of the Second World War and the emergence of the bipolar international order, analysing how the Holy See’s diplomacy contributed to shaping the political and ideological contours of the “West.” Drawing on newly opened fonds of the Vatican archives—especially nunciature reports and documents of interstate negotiations—the contributors explore peace initiatives, strategies vis-à-vis communist regimes, and the Holy See’s relations with Western democracies.

The presence of several contributors and the editors offered participants the opportunity to engage directly with the latest findings of Pius XII research, the new possibilities afforded by the recently opened Vatican archives, and the influence of this period on the Holy See’s contemporary understanding of its own foreign policy. The volume includes a contribution by Hungarian scholar Tamás Véghseő.
 

* * *

On the following day, 2 December, the Rome headquarters of the Istituto Storico Austriaco hosted the presentation of a new book by Alexander Koller, Deputy Director of the Deutsches Historisches Institut in Rom: Santacroce auf der Reise nach Prag. Die Diarien des Pompeo Vizani von 1581 im Kontext vergleichbarer Reiseberichte. The event began at 6:00 p.m. in the Institute’s building at Viale Bruno Buozzi 111–113 and attracted an audience interested in early modern travel literature and papal diplomacy.

Koller’s work publishes and analyses the 1581 travel diaries of the Bolognese humanist Pompeo Vizani, which accompany Ottavio Santacroce’s journey to Prague, placing the text in dialogue with other comparable contemporary travel accounts. This critical edition—complete with commentary and translation—makes available previously unpublished material situated at the intersection of the Habsburg court, the Kingdom of Bohemia and papal diplomacy.

The presentation opened with institutional greetings by Andreas Gottsmann, Director of the Istituto Storico Austriaco, and Riccardo Gandolfi, Director of the Rome State Archive, who highlighted the volume’s significance for research on early modern diplomacy and travel writing. This was followed by presentations from historian Stefano Andretta (Università Roma Tre), Tomáš Černušák, Director of the Czech Historical Institute in Rome (Český historický ústav v Římě), and professor Irene Fosi (Università degli Studi “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti–Pescara), who discussed the main thematic nodes of the Vizani diaries, with particular attention to the representation of the Prague court, Italo–Central European relations, and travel as a practice of observation.

Speakers emphasised that the volume not only provides a detailed account of a single diplomatic mission but also offers a comparative framework for understanding the travel experiences of Catholic diplomats in the late sixteenth century. The publication of the diaries opens a new source base for ecclesiastical, court and transport-history research, while shedding light on the often underestimated network of relations between Bologna and the Habsburg monarchy.

* * *

The Fraknói Research Group maintains regular professional collaboration with both historians. Don Roberto Regoli has participated in the Research Group’s Budapest conferences in 2013 and 2019, as well as its 2025 Rome conference and this year’s book launch. He also delivered a lecture at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in 2016 on the First Vatican Council.
Alexander Koller presented at the Fraknói Research Group’s 2013 Budapest conference and opened the Rome presentation of CVH volumes I/18 (by Tamás Fedeles) and II/10 (by Gábor Nemes) at the Deutsches Historisches Institut in 2022. Both of these active working relationships have developed over the course of the basic archival research conducted by the Group in the Vatican Apostolic Archives continuously since 1996.

On 10 November 2025, Viktor Kanász, research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, delivered two lectures in Nagykanizsa on the Vatican sources of the town’s history.

In the morning, at the Zalai Public Collections Professional Days held in the Thúry György Museum (programme available here), he presented a Vatican pen-and-ink drawing of the 1664 siege of Kanizsa, outlining its historical background together with the related reports found in the correspondence of the papal nuncios. He went on to analyse how the drawing fits into the series of already known visual sources and what kind of iconographic message it conveys. In concluding his lecture, he emphasised that this visual source, along with the nuncial reports, clearly demonstrates that—besides the sieges of 1600, 1601 and 1690—the news of the 1664 siege was also followed with vivid interest in Rome. In addition to delivering his presentation, he also chaired the Late Medieval and Early Modern section.

That afternoon, at the invitation of Edit Kocsis, he gave—now for the second time since 2021—a lecture in the “Military History Evenings” series at the Zsigmond Móricz Cultural Centre, entitled From the Fortress to the Church: Vatican Sources for the History of Kanizsa. The full-house audience first received an overview of the history of research in the Vatican Archives and of how such work is carried out today. He then presented, in chronological order, the Vatican—and other related—archival sources that concern Kanizsa.

Among other topics, he discussed medieval Roman pilgrimages, László Kanizsai's audience with the pope, the nuncios’ reports on Kanizsa, and offered a detailed account of the sieges of 1601, 1664 and 1690, the papal troops involved, and the background of subsidies and diplomatic efforts. He outlined how the Franciscans and Jesuits attempted to provide pastoral care in Kanizsa and its surroundings during Ottoman rule. Turning to the twentieth century, he presented the Holy See’s documents connected to the establishment of the parishes of Felsőváros and Kiskanizsa, which primarily reflect negotiations between the bishop of Veszprém and the local Franciscans. He also addressed when, and under what circumstances, a nuncio visited Kanizsa.

In closing, he stressed that a reliable history of Kanizsa cannot be written without taking into account the Vatican sources, alongside the collections in Budapest and Vienna.
 

Kanizsamediahaz.hu

KanizsaTV (13:17-től)

Interview

On 7 November 2025, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) held a major conference at its headquarters in Budapest entitled
“HAS 200 – Mohács 500. The Latest Research Results in Archaeology, Anthropology, and Historical Studies.” The event, organized in the bicentenary year of the Academy’s foundation by the Pécs and Szeged Regional Committees of the HAS, brought together scholars from across Hungary.

The Fraknói Research Group was represented by Tamás Fedeles, who also took part in the organization of the event, as well as by Tamás Kruppa and Gábor Nemes, both of whom delivered lectures in the historical section chaired by Academician László Solymosi. Tamás Fedeles presented a paper entitled Clerics in Arms: The Ecclesiastical Participants of the Battle of Mohács. In his lecture, refuting the earlier views of István Nemeskürty, he demonstrated how many Hungarian prelates and other clerics took part in the battle and which of them perished. He also discussed the lists of casualties circulated throughout Europe in the months following the battle and emphasized the significant role played on the battlefield not only by individual churchmen but also by the ecclesiastical contingents (banderia) recruited by bishops and major cathedral chapters.

Gábor Nemes, in his presentation Papal Envoys in Hungary (1523–1526), focused on the legation of Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggi, who acted as papal legate from February 1524 to October 1525. His analysis drew heavily on previously unknown archival sources discovered in the Malvezzi Campeggi Archives preserved in the Archivio di Stato di Bologna. Cardinal Campeggi, after participating in the Imperial Diet of Nuremberg and the Regensburg Conference, arrived in Vienna at the invitation of Archduke Ferdinand, where King Louis II had already established contact with him in August 1524.
He reached Buda in December 1524 and remained there until June 1525, working on the coordination of anti-Ottoman preparations, the union of Bohemian Catholics and Utraquists, and the ratification of the truce between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order. During his mission, nearly 450 petitions were submitted to his legatine tribunal, about one-third of them in Buda. Of the seventy petitions concerning Hungary, most were submitted by members of the lower clergy. The legate’s entourage consisted mainly of northern Italian clerics, many of whom possessed humanist education and extensive intellectual networks. Although Cardinal Campeggi was one of the Apostolic See’s most capable diplomats, by his own assessment his legation achieved limited success in resolving the issues entrusted to him.

Tamás Kruppa gave a lecture entitled The Echo of the Battle of Mohács in Italian Sources. His presentation examined the Italian reception of the Battle of Mohács and its aftermath based on Venetian and Vatican documents. The Kingdom of Hungary was struck by the Ottoman attack in a state of diplomatic isolation, as Europe at the time was absorbed in the Habsburg–Valois rivalry and the Italian Wars. Venetian and papal diplomatic reports provide a detailed picture of the political divisions and military weakness of contemporary Hungary. The interpretation of the battle in Italian historiography—especially in the works of Paolo Giovio and his contemporaries—crystallized in the decades following 1526, portraying the disaster as a cautionary example for Italian readers. Thus, the tragedy of Mohács became not only a Hungarian national catastrophe but also an event of European significance, deeply embedded in sixteenth-century Italian historical thought.

PROGRAM

On October 14–15, 2025, the Gál Ferenc University hosted a conference entitled Holy Years and Jubilees, organized by the university’s Bálint Sándor Research Group for the Study of Religious Culture and the History and Ethnography Section of the Saint Stephen Academy of Sciences.

In the afternoon session of the first day, György Sági, Scientific Secretary of the Fraknói Research Group, participated as a speaker. His presentation, titled Half a Century of Holy Years from the Perspective of Kalocsa (1900, 1925, 1950), offered a brief overview of the measures and decrees issued by the successive archbishops governing the Archdiocese of Kalocsa-Bács during the three ordinary Holy Years in question—György Császka, Count Gyula Zichy, and József Grősz. In conclusion, the lecturer outlined how the jubilee years unfolded within the archdiocese under their leadership.

(Photographs by Adél Lakatos.)

The conference abstract booklet and program are available for download.

On October 2–3, 2025, the University of Hradec Kralové and the University of Pardubice held a joint international conference on the early modern period entitled "Three centuries in the heart of Europe. European Aristocracy in the Early Modern Period".

On the first day of the academic symposium in the Czech Republic, Csongor Cziráki, intern at the Fraknói Research Group and scholarship holder at the CPH Hungarica–Vaticana Research Group, also gave a presentation. The title of his presentation was "Trent Reform, Turkish Threat, Family Building. Catholic Prelate on the Frontiers of the Habsburg Empire (Bishop György Széchényi of Veszprém, 1648–1658)." In it, he presented the pastoral work of György Széchényi at the head of the Diocese of Veszprém through his correspondence with Ádám Batthyány, with particular emphasis on his role in the struggle against the Ottomans. He presented the archbishop's role as a dynasty founder and builder by comparing him to his contemporary, Archbishop Ernst Adalbert von Harrach of Prague, thus placing Széchényi in a European context.

In addition to high-quality presentations and fruitful discussions, on the first day of the two-day conference, participants visited the diocesan episcopal archives in Hradec Králové, and on the last day, they took part in a guided tour of the Pardubice Castle.

The presentations will also be published in written form in the journal of the University of Pardubice (Theatrum Historiae).

The slides from the presentation held in English can be viewed here, and the conference program can be viewed here.

(The photos were taken by Lucie Smolková and Radek Plžík.)

On 8 October 2025, following the Székesfehérvár event, the presentation of the Lexicon of Bishops 1804–1918 (Magyarország egyházmegyéi és püspökei (1804–1918). Intézménytörténeti és életrajzi lexikon I–IV (CST I/7) szerk. Szirtes Zsófia–Tusor Péter–Rupert Klieber, Budapest 2025) took place in the ceremonial hall of the Central Seminary in Budapest. The volume was published as part of the large-scale project of the Fraknói Research Group. The basic research underpinning the publication had already been carried out within the framework of the Lendület programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, concluded in 2017. The first results of this research were published in German in Berlin (Duncker & Humblot, 2020); the present, revised, expanded and updated Hungarian edition represents an advanced continuation of the earlier academic project.

The numerous attendees – including students of Pázmány Péter Catholic University – were welcomed by Bishop-Rector Levente Balázs Martos (Central Seminary) and Dean Nándor Birher (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pázmány Péter Catholic University). Auxiliary Bishop Martos noted that he was able to hold the freshly published volume in his hands on the very day of its release, as the Fraknói Research Group’s Budapest base is located in the Seminary building itself. (In its time, under the presidency of Cardinal Lajos Haynald and through the efforts of Vilmos Fraknói, the Vatican Hungarian Historical Commission also held several of its sessions in the same Chapter Hall.) The bishop emphasized that the exemplary lives of the predecessors presented in the lexicon provide him with true guidance.
Dean Birher highlighted that, as he has personally experienced, artificial intelligence will not be able – for a long time, if ever – to offer such a coherent synthesis and scholarly evaluation of the key figures of 19th-century Hungarian church history as the authors of this lexicon have done.

On behalf of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Zsolt Marton of Vác – former rector of the Central Seminary – also addressed the event. Drawing on the example of his own diocese and its former bishops, he emphasized the lexicon’s significance in deepening and preserving local Catholic identity. He added that unlike most reference works, this volume can be read continuously, since it successfully combines academic precision, synthetic perspective, and readability. Among his examples from the history of the Diocese of Vác, he highlighted the well-crafted biography of Piarist Bishop Konstantin Schuster, namesake of the main square of the episcopal city.

The scholarly merits of the volume were assessed by László Csorba, former Director of the Hungarian National Museum and of the Hungarian Academy in Rome. With an engaging presentation, he placed the biographical entries within the broader context of 19th-century liberalism and Catholicism, the tensions between Catholic autonomy, the liberal state, and royal patronage, as well as the long-debated issue of clerical stipends (congrua). He drew attention to the lexicon’s distinctive arrangement – by ecclesiastical provinces rather than alphabetically – which allows readers to gain an organically structured and historically accurate picture of the Hungarian episcopate of the period.

A speech was also delivered – through the interpretation of Zsófia Szirtes – by Professor Rupert Klieber (University of Vienna), head of the international project. He explained that the revised Hungarian edition of the Bischofslexikon, first published in Berlin in 2020, contains detailed biographies of 128 bishops and outlines 170 episcopal tenures, as every fourth prelate advanced to another, usually more prosperous diocese. This allows, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the Hungarian high clergy, providing valuable insight into the complex structure of the country.
“The lexicon is methodologically outstanding in several respects,” emphasized the Austrian church historian. “It offers a comprehensive overview of various source materials: the diocesan archives located in present-day Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, processed by eminent scholars from all three countries; as well as the records of the central archives in Vienna, Budapest, and Rome, and the press sources of the Austrian National Library, now available digitally and evaluated by researchers of the University of Vienna. Another major merit of the work is that it does not confine itself to state and ecclesiastical politics – such as privileges, foundations, or the recurring debates around marriage and education laws. It also integrates cultural and social-historical perspectives, and makes a conscious effort not to recount history as that of men alone.”

Professor Klieber also noted that beyond their often princely lifestyles – marked by summer residences, travels, and medical treatments – the bishops made wide-ranging and socially beneficial use of their considerable economic resources. The main field of investment, understandably, was education: 87% of the bishops supported schools, which in Hungary were largely under ecclesiastical supervision. This was followed by increasingly professional forms of charity (68%). Many prelates also contributed to scientific (34%) and cultural life (27%), while more than half (60%) acted as patrons of architecture. About a quarter placed particular emphasis on spirituality or supported flourishing female congregations, and nearly one third (31%) maintained special closeness with the Pope and the Holy See. (The full text of Professor Klieber’s speech is available here in Hungarian and here in German.)

The event concluded with the words of Péter Tusor, co-editor of the lexicon and head of the Fraknói Research Group, alongside Zsófia Szirtes and Rupert Klieber. Tusor explained that in the title Lexicon of Bishops 1804–1918, the indication “I–IV” refers not to volume numbers but to chapters, corresponding to the ecclesiastical provinces of Esztergom, Kalocsa, and Eger, and to the exempt Archabbey of Pannonhalma. A fifth, separate volume will later cover the Greek Catholic dioceses and bishops, expected to appear in early 2026. This closing volume will also include an alphabetical concordance for all five chapters, prepared by Olivér Kőhalmi.

Among his acknowledgments, Tusor emphasized the key role played by his former student, Zsófia Szirtes, a graduate in history and German studies, in the success of the nearly fifteen-year undertaking. As a member of the Fraknói Research Group – operating at Pázmány Péter Catholic University with the support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) and ELKH/HUN-REN, under the joint leadership of Professor Tamás Fedeles (University of Pécs) – she served as the Hungarian project coordinator of the international enterprise.

Tusor further pointed out that within the broader international ecclesiastical-historical project aiming to compile similar lexicons for the entire Habsburg Monarchy (1804–1918), only the Hungarian volume has so far been completed. In his concluding remarks, he referred to the coincidence that the event, held on the feast of Our Lady of Hungary, followed a public demonstration in front of the university’s main building on Mikszáth Square the previous evening:
“We express our solidarity with the Dean regarding recent and yesterday’s developments. Between 2009 and 2011, a less fortunate turn occurred in the life of the Faculty, and partly in that of the University. We are now witnessing its predictable consequences. In this contrast, today’s book presentation most clearly reveals what the true scholarly identity and mission of the Faculty of Humanities of the Catholic University in Budapest really are,” he stated on behalf of himself and the Fraknói Research Group.

The musical accompaniment evoking the atmosphere of the 19th century was provided by István Bácskai, Director of Gondolat Publishing House, who performed Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3. At the end of the event, the participating authors and collaborators – including student members of the CPH Hungarica–Vaticana research group – received their complimentary copies amid enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Encouraged by the success of the project, and in connection with the recent rise of Mohács-era studies, work has begun under the direction of Professor Tamás Fedeles, in collaboration with the Collegium Professorum Hungarorum, on the Lexicon of Bishops of the Jagiellonian Period (reported earlier here).

The published volume is available for download here.
The German edition can be accessed here.
The full video recording of the book launch and all speeches can be viewed below.

POSTER

INVITATION

Organised by the Hungarian Military Science Society and the “Szülőföldünk” Local History Association, the conference entitled “Győr County in Hungarian Military History” was held in Győr between 29 September and 1 October 2025, with Gábor Nemes and Viktor Kanász representing the Research Group.

On the first day, Gábor Nemes reconstructed the military unit of the Győr Cathedral Chapter on the basis of data drawn from the chapter’s medieval account books for the period 1495–1528. He demonstrated that although the Győr Chapter was not among the landowners obliged to maintain military contingents under Act 20 of 1498, from 1502 onwards it demonstrably employed mercenaries. These included both cavalry (heavy and light) and infantry soldiers, each with their own captain and banner. The payment of wages, as well as the provision of weapons, clothing, and food, placed a considerable financial burden on the canons, who had to cover war expenses not only through the war tax but also from their own private revenues. Nemes precisely reconstructed the process of mobilisation and the division of military responsibilities within the chapter.

On the second day, Gábor Nemes conveyed the greetings of András Veres, Bishop of Győr, after which Viktor Kanász gave a lecture entitled “Maurice of Saxony and the Győr Encampment of 1552.” In his presentation, he explored how Maurice’s 1552 Hungarian campaign was interpreted in an overwhelmingly negative light by both contemporaries and later historians and writers. He examined why King Ferdinand I or the archduke did not lead the forces, how the previously rebellious duke eventually marched to the Hungarian theatre of war as a Habsburg ally, and what is known about his encampment at Győr and the fortification of the town. He also discussed in detail the forgotten raid on Esztergom, analysing its short- and long-term consequences.
(A more detailed treatment of the topic can be found in the 2023 issue of Arrabona.)

Gábor Nemes' lecture

Viktor Kanász's lecture 

On 23–24 September 2025, the conference Western Transdanubia Before and After Mohács took place at the Nádasdy Cultural Centre in Sárvár. From the Fraknói Research Group, Viktor Kanász participated in the organisation; in addition to him, the large audience could listen to papers by Tamás Fedeles, Gábor Nemes, and Tamás Kruppa.

In the first session, chaired by Viktor Kanász, Gábor Nemes presented the military expenditures of the Cathedral Chapter of Győr between 1500 and 1526, based on data from the chapter’s medieval account books. He established that although the Győr chapter was not among the landowners obliged by Act XX of 1498 to maintain a military contingent (bandérium), from 1502 onwards the presence of mercenaries can be documented. Among these mercenaries were both cavalry (heavy and light) and infantry soldiers, each with their own captain and flag. The payment of wages and the provision of weapons, clothing, and food placed a heavy financial burden on the canons, who had to finance the costs of warfare not only through the war tax but also from their own revenues.

Tamás Kruppa delivered a paper entitled The Turkish Threat in Croatia and Slavonia Before Mohács: What Do the Venetian Sources Reveal? Based on texts from a previously unknown codex containing Venetian diplomatic reports, he demonstrated that in response to the outbreak of the Second Ottoman–Venetian War in 1499, the Republic of Venice concluded a triple anti-Ottoman alliance with the Kingdom of Hungary and the papacy in 1501. Within the framework of this league, the Kingdom mobilised its entire military force in the Hungarian–Ottoman border war of 1501–1502. The nearly year-long military operations were made possible by the regular arrival of Venetian and papal subsidies. In the end, due to the war itself, Venetian naval operations, and problems in Anatolia, the Ottoman side offered peace, which was concluded in 1503 and lasted for about seven years. The main strategic goal—weakening and pushing back Ottoman power—was not achieved. In addition to preserving the Banate of Jajca, the greatest achievement was a new treaty under which the Venetian Republic committed itself to pay an annual subsidy of 30,000 gold coins for Hungarian border defence for the duration of the seven-year peace. In practice, these payments continued regularly until 1521.

On the second day, Viktor Kanász gave a lecture entitled The Nuncio Would Return: Giovanni Antonio Burgio’s Mission to Hungary in 1527. He presented the nuncio’s activities, with special emphasis on his little-known attempt to return to Hungary in 1527, using several previously unknown Burgio letters preserved in the Vatican Apostolic Archive and the National Archives of Hungary. He also discussed the diplomatic mission of Tamás Kamarjai, sent by Ferenc Batthyány to Italy, during which he visited Venice and Rome and came into contact with Burgio. Kanász placed these events in the broader context of post-Mohács relations between the Holy See and Hungary.

In his lecture The Lord of Németújvár on the Southern Frontier, Tamás Fedeles focused on Lőrinc Újlaki, a former lord of Németújvár (today: Güssing, A) who actively participated in the defence of the southern borderlands. After presenting the prince’s military contingent (bandérium), he examined Újlaki’s first documented anti-Ottoman campaign in the early 1500s. He then discussed in detail his activities as co-Ban of Belgrade (1510–1513) and his participation in the military events of 1521–1523 Zvornik, Nándorfehérvár, Szávaszentdemeter (Zvornik, Belgrade, Sremska Mitrovica).

The written versions of the conference papers will be published in the spring of next year.

PROGRAM

As part of the Fraknói Centenary, a major international event took place on 6 June 2024 at the headquarters of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani (INSRI) on the Aventine Hill, in the immediate vicinity of the Palace of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. At the scholarly conference entitled Protagonisti e Collaboratori – Studiosi provenienti dall’Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918 (“Protagonists and Collaborators – Scholars from Central and Eastern Europe in the Archives of the Holy See between 1881 and 1918”), alongside members of the Fraknói Research Group, Italian, Austrian, Czech, Polish, and Croatian researchers also delivered papers.

The conference proceedings, published under the title Protagonisti e collaboratori. Studiosi provenienti dall'Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918 , are now appearing as the second volume of the Storia d’Ungheria series (Viterbo, Edizioni Sette Città).

This work is the result of scholarly cooperation between the Fraknói Research Group, the Gyula Moravcsik Institute / Collegium Professorum Hungarorum, the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani (INSR), and the CeSPoM research center of the Università della Tuscia.

Under the title “We have not come to celebrate, but to pay the tribute of reverence …”, an academic conference on the Battle of Mohács and its age was convened by the Municipality of Székesfehérvár, the Institute and Museum of Military History, and János Kodolányi University within the framework of the Royal Days of Székesfehérvár, held on 18–19 August 2025. Bringing together many of the foremost figures in Mohács scholarship, the conference represented a landmark contribution to ongoing research into one of the pivotal moments of Central European history. The Fraknói Research Group also participated, presenting under the chairmanship of Péter Tusor a dedicated panel on the ecclesiastical dimensions of Mohács on the morning of the second day. (The full programme of the conference is available here.)

The first paper of the session was delivered by Tamás Kruppa, Hungarian–Ottoman Peace Negotiations and Peace Initiatives before Mohács (presentation available here). Making use of both well-known and previously overlooked Venetian diplomatic reports, he provided a nuanced survey of the diplomatic interactions between the court of Buda and Istanbul from 1500 to 1526—offering fresh perspectives on late medieval diplomacy at the intersection of East and West.

In his lecture, Tamás Fedeles examined The Role of Ecclesiastical Army in the Hungarian–Ottoman Wars of the 1520s (see presentation here). He demonstrated how, in the Jagiellonian era, the ever-growing Ottoman menace along the southern frontier prompted substantial innovations in the organisation of national defence, inevitably shaping the involvement of the clergy. The decisive turning point, however, came with the decree of King Wladislas II in 1498, whose 20th article required ecclesiastical prelates and institutions to provide a total of 6,900 armed men. Fedeles illustrated through numerous case studies how ecclesiastical contingents participated in the campaign for the recapture of Belgrade (1521), in smaller Hungarian victories in Syrmia (1523), and, most fatefully, in the Battle of Mohács (1526). At Mohács, roughly 20% of the entire Hungarian army consisted of ecclesiastical troops—an impressive proportion underscored by the fact that half of Hungary’s high clergy perished in the encounter, including two archbishops and five bishops. These findings reinforce the conclusion that ecclesiastical military forces were integral to the anti-Ottoman struggles of the Jagiellonian period, not merely marginal auxiliaries.

Gábor Nemes, in his paper The Papacy’s Struggles against the Ottomans before 1526, provided a broader transnational perspective, situating Mohács within the evolving history of papal diplomacy and crusading ideology. He analysed the papacy’s seminal role in the emergence of the crusading ideal and the transformations it underwent in the Renaissance era, particularly under the impact of humanism. From the 1440s onwards, and especially after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the struggle against the Ottomans became a primary objective of papal diplomacy. Nemes highlighted the crucial roles played in Hungary by cardinal legates such as Giuliano Cesarini, Juan de Carvajal, Pietro Isvalies (1500–1503), Tommaso de Vio (1523–1524), and Lorenzo Campeggi (1524–1525), whose interventions reveal the international embeddedness of Hungary’s anti-Ottoman wars.

Advancing chronologically, Viktor Kanász presented Money, Horses, Arms. Papal Assistance in the Anti-Ottoman Struggles in the Decades after Mohács (presentation downloadable here). His paper examined the multifaceted forms of papal assistance—diplomatic, financial, and military—in the aftermath of Mohács. He stressed that such efforts should be seen as a natural continuation of medieval precedents, even though papal objectives ultimately went unfulfilled, due largely to the altered geopolitical realities of both Europe and the papacy. Yet these endeavours paved the way for later developments: half a century later in Gianfrancesco Aldobrandini’s campaigns, and ultimately, in the late seventeenth century, in the decisive achievements of the Holy League under Pope Innocent XI, which culminated in the liberation of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In his lecture The Memory of Archbishop Pál Tomori in the Archdiocese of Kalocsa (from the Early Twentieth Century to the Present), György Sági offered a case study in ecclesiastical memory politics. He traced how Tomori, who had fallen heroically at Mohács, was remembered by his successors over the course of more than a century, often held up as a model of steadfastness. From church commemorations to secular memorial initiatives, Sági demonstrated how the figure of Tomori remained a reference point for local identity and collective remembrance. (presentation available here)

The concluding session, presented by Viktor Kanász and Katalin Nagy, addressed In the Shadow of Burgio. The Papal Nuncios in Budapest and the Memory of Mohács (presentation available here). Their study analysed the role of papal nuncios in the commemorations of the 1920s and 1930s, situating them within the wider field of transnational memory studies. At the centenary commemoration in 1926, Nuncio Cesare Orsenigo, acting as patron, received considerable public attention, yet deliberately distanced himself from the political dimension of the event. His successor, Angelo Rotta, likewise declined to participate in subsequent commemorations, citing other commitments. This deliberate reserve reflected the nuncios’ awareness that the commemorations were largely organised by political actors and offered little in the way of genuine diplomatic or pastoral opportunities. Their involvement thus remained passive, largely representative, and emblematic of the papacy’s cautious diplomacy in interwar Central Europe.

Beyond its presence at this conference, the Fraknói Research Group maintains multiple ties to Mohács-related scholarship. In September 2025, further results will be presented at a conference in Sárvár (see here), while under the leadership of Tamás Fedeles, the compilation of the Bishops’ Lexicon of the Jagiellonian Period continues (see here for earlier reports). Both initiatives testify to the Group’s role as a reference point in ecclesiastical historiography and as an active contributor to international scholarly exchange.

Full videos of the presentations are in preparation.
 

The scholarly legacy of Vilmos Fraknói in Rome is today embodied by the Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae—the series that revived the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae in 2002/2004. These volumes, which present the results of ongoing fundamental research, are published under the imprint “Budapest–Rome.” From the printing press in Pest, they are sent directly to Rome, where the CVH has had a home for over two decades in several prominent academic collections, including the Accademia dei Lincei (Palazzo Corsini), the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, the libraries of the German and Austrian historical institutes in Rome, as well as the Pontifical Hungarian Institute and the Saint Stephen House.

At both the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archives, CVH volumes are placed on open-access shelves—alongside the original Monumenta Vaticana edited by Fraknói himself (see photos below for the latter). The most significant works are often introduced to the international scholarly community through dedicated symposia. Most recently, in 2022, one such presentation took place at the Deutsches Historisches Institut in Rom.

The regular and default venue for the Roman presentation of each new volume is the studio of Vatican Radio. Thanks to the attentive and generous collaboration of the Hungarian editorial department—particularly Father László Vértesaljai—news of the Fraknói Research Group’s ongoing Vatican-based scholarship is broadcast urbi et orbi, directly from within the Vatican.

In keeping with this tradition, Péter Tusor and Gábor Nemes gave an interview to Vatican Radio during the 2025 Institute Week. In conversation with Father Vértesaljai, they discussed the Vatican research of Vilmos Fraknói and his contemporaries, prompted by the publication of the Fraknói Memorial Volume (CVH I/24, available for download here), and reflected on the life and legacy of the renowned Bishop of Arbe.

Péter Tusor’s commentary on Fraknói, his centenary, and the commemorative volume can be heard from 12:10 [here], while Gábor Nemes's remarks, focusing on the Vatican research of József Lukcsics, begin at 12:00 [here].

Earlier that month, on June 7, Miklós Jávor—external research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group—appeared on Hungary’s national television channel M1, where he presented the history of the Csíksomlyó pilgrimage (beginning at 17:50 [here]).

The public defense of Tamás Kruppa’s doctoral dissertation for the title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (DSc), entitled From the Jagiellonians to the Szapolyais: Two Decades from the History of the Kingdom of Hungary (1519–1541), was held on 12 May 2025 in the Ceremonial Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, located at 13 Teréz Boulevard, Budapest. The official opponents were Pál Ács, Tibor Neumann, and István Tringli.

Tamás Kruppa has been closely involved with the Fraknói Research Group since 2017. As a senior research fellow, his work focuses on the relations between Transylvania and the Holy See during the Báthory era, as well as on the systematic exploration of Italian diplomatic sources from the first half of the sixteenth century, with particular emphasis on Hungarian–Papal relations under the Jagiellonian and Szapolyai dynasties. In addition to Vatican archives, he also conducts thorough research on relevant Venetian diplomatic reports.

He contributes to training the next generation of scholars by sharing his research experience in Rome and by conducting early modern Italian palaeography workshops.

In the history of the Fraknói Research Group, this is the third academic DSc title awarded to a member, following those of Péter Tusor (2014) and Tamás Fedeles (2022).

Between May 16 and 18, 2025, the Pongrácz Saint Stephen History Competition was held for the second time in Gyulafehérvár and Alvinc. Viktor Kanász, research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, participated as a jury member alongside Teréz Oborni, Rev. Botond Bátor (Pauline friar), Viktor Dávid Körősi (chief consul), art historian Enikő Hegedűs, and archdiocesan chief school inspector Rev. László Gál.

The theme of the competition was the life and times of Cardinal George Martinuzzi (Fráter György). Participants visited the well-known site of the Bishop of Várad's death—the now-ruined castle of Alvinc—where Teréz Oborni and Viktor Kanász explained the causes and consequences of the murder committed on December 17, 1551, as well as the details of the lengthy investigation conducted by the Holy See.

Kanász also pointed out that the primary sources for this case are preserved in the Vatican Apostolic Archive, while copies of some of the nuncial documents can be found, among other places, in the Batthyaneum Library in Gyulafehérvár.

The awards ceremony took place in the St. Michael's Cathedral of Gyulafehérvár, where, following the Holy Mass, Teréz Oborni and Viktor Kanász offered their assessments of the participants’ performances.
 

(Photos: Zsolt Geréd/Foto Marco, Adrian Dicu and Zsófia Kanász-Bellovics)

The Hungarian Medieval Studies Research Group, together with the National Archives of Hungary and the Archives of Pest County, organized the Medieval Book Fair on May 9 this year. As per tradition, the Fraknói Research Group participated in the event, where visitors had the opportunity to become acquainted with its latest publications, including the Fraknói Memorial Volume and The Centuries of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa. Among the new releases, the fair was the first occasion where attendees could hold in their hands the freshly printed source publication The Medieval Account Book of the Cathedral Chapter of Győr (1495–1528), issued jointly by the Diocesan Collection Centre of Győr and the Research Group.

Following the presentation in Kalocsa, on April 8, 2025, the Párbeszéd Háza (House of Dialogue) hosted the launch of the volume A kalocsai érsekség évszázadai (Centuries of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa), which contains the written versions of the lectures delivered at the 9th Fraknói Summer Academy. Published as Volume 6 of the series Collectanea Studiorum et Textuum I, the collection of studies was introduced by Rev. Tamás Véghseő. After presenting the previous volumes in the series and their relevance to diocesan history, Véghseő proceeded to review the individual studies included in the volume. He drew particular attention to the creative arrangement and titling of the connecting chapters, which provide coherence to the collection. He emphasized that even researchers in church history who have no specific ties to Kalocsa may find not only knowledge but also inspiration in these pages. He concluded his remarks by raising several topics worthy of further reflection.

Following this, a roundtable discussion was held with the participation of Gábor Bánkuti, Rev. Máté Gárdonyi, Rev. Edvárd Kajtár, Gábor Kiss, Andor Lakatos, and Gergely Mózessy, in connection with a volume published by the Archdiocesan Archives of Kalocsa in 2024: A Kalocsai Főegyházmegye plébániáinak jelentése a II. Vatikáni Zsinat utáni liturgikus reformok végrehajtásáról (1967) (Reports of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa on the Implementation of the Liturgical Reforms Following the Second Vatican Council (1967), edited by Gábor Kiss and Andor Lakatos (Kalocsa, 2024).

Meghívó

On March 21, 2025, a dual book presentation was held in Kalocsa at the Astriceum Archiepiscopal Museum. The event was organized by the Archdiocesan Archives of Kalocsa in collaboration with the Fraknói Research Group.

The attendees were welcomed by Balázs Bábel, Archbishop of Kalocsa-Kecskemét. In his opening speech, he emphasized the particular significance of presenting these volumes in the archiepiscopal see, given that their content primarily pertains to the history of the archdiocese. As such, the information published in them is of heightened relevance to the present local community.

In his remarks, the prelate recalled the IX. Fraknói Summer Academyi, held in Kalocsa in August 2023, in which he had also participated as part of a panel discussion led by Péter Tusor. The lectures delivered at that event form the basis of the book Centuries of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa (A kalocsai érsekség évszázadai) , edited by Viktor Kanász and György Sági, which was the first volume presented on this occasion. The archbishop specifically noted that one of the editors, György Sági, also contributed a study to the book as an author.

Regarding the second volume presented—a source publication entitled Reports of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa on the Implementation of the Liturgical Reforms Following the Second Vatican Council (1967), edited by Gábor Kiss and Andor Lakatos—the archbishop shared a personal reflection. He recalled how he had experienced the transition to the vernacular liturgy at the time. He spoke of his enthusiasm for attending Masses celebrated by priests who had begun practicing this change in Hungarian. He also touched upon the resistance to the introduction of versus populum altars, which was particularly evident among the older clergy.

Following Archbishop Bábel's introductory remarks, historian Miklós Jávor, an external research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, took the floor. He introduced volume I/6 of the Collectanea Studiorum et Textuum series. After making general comments on the structural division of the volume, he provided a detailed discussion of the individual studies, occasionally pointing to possible directions for further research. His presentation offered the audience a comprehensive picture of the ecclesiastical, general historical, educational, and cultural-historical complexity of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa.

The task of presenting the source publication was undertaken by József Szakály, titular provost and parish priest-dean of Topolya, thus ensuring the representation of the historical Archdiocese of Kalocsa-Bács’s region that now belongs to Serbia. In his lecture as a liturgical expert, he addressed the multilingualism of the southern region, referring to a speech given by the late Bishop Mátyás Zvekanovity of Szabadka (Subotica, SRB) at the Second Vatican Council, in which he argued in favor of the exclusive use of Latin. His reasoning was that transitioning to vernacular languages would create confusion in his diocese. Eventually, the issue was resolved by holding multilingual Masses and later increasing the number of Masses. The parish priest of Topolya also reflected on generational differences among clergy, highlighting how various groups responded to the liturgical reforms. He illustrated his points with examples and practices of priests, some of whom he had personally known.

At the conclusion of the book presentation, Archbishop Bábel expressed his gratitude to the attendees for their presence and to the experts for their insightful presentations on the volumes.

Invitation

Magyar Kurír

kalohirek.hu

Hungary’s Dioceses and Bishops (1804–1918). Institutional History and Biographical Lexicon I–IV, eds. Zsófia Szirtes, Péter Tusor, Rupert Klieber, Budapest 2025 (xxvi+832 pp. + [90] pp. annotated black-and-white and color image supplement).
 

The first phase of the "Bischofslexikon 1804–1918," a mega-project of the Fraknói Research Group initiated within the framework of the MTA Lendület pProgram and spanning multiple funding cycles, was completed at Pentecost 2020. The results of this extensive international research collaboration are presented in an impressive volume published by Duncker & Humblot in Berlin: Die Bischöfe der Donuaumonarchie 1804 bis 1918. Ein amtsbiographisches Lexikon, edited by Rupert Klieber, Volume I: Die röm.-kath. Kirchenprovinzen Gran, Kalocsa, Erlau im Königreich Ungarn, with contributions from Péter Tusor, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2020 (xviii + 661 pages). Further details on the research’s international dimension are available here, along with presentations in Budapest, Rome, and Vienna. The research focus of the Fraknói Research Group is diocesan history, which, in studying the "long 19th century," also incorporates fundamental Vatican research findings. The project itself originates in Rome, whether considering the role of its initiator, Campo Santo Teutonico rector Erwin Gatz († 2011), or the Vatican archival roots of the decade-and-a-half-long collaboration with chief editor Rupert Klieber.

The second phase, i.e., the Hungarian-language edition (Püspöklexikon 1804–1918), was largely completed by Christmas 2023. This Hungarian lexicon is a revised and expanded edition. While in the case of the German lexicon, the ultima manus belonged to the Viennese chief editor, Professor Rupert Klieber, in the present edition, it is the individual article authors who hold that final authority. To metaphorically reflect the milieu of the Dual Monarchy, one might say that while the German version 1.0 was shaped by Vienna, the Hungarian 2.0 edition was shaped by Budapest—following mutual professional consultations. The research project and its results can only be fully evaluated and understood with reference to the Hungarian edition. During the editing process, Professor Klieber, with the assistance of his colleagues, undertook an enormous effort to standardize, revise, and expand the lexicon entries with new archival and printed sources, as well as German scholarly data. In the vast majority of cases, Hungarian authors and editors continued their work using the materials developed by Klieber, with texts translated back from German by Zsófia Szirtes. The results of Klieber’s editorial work were generally retained, though in some biographical entries, the original perspective of the authors prevailed more strongly. In the Hungarian edition, the authors are solely credited with their respective entries. Regarding diocesan descriptions, Klieber’s clearly delineated statistical analyses are directly cited from the German edition. This two-stage research concept evolved interactively between Vienna and Budapest over the course of what has become an almost longue durée project, reaching its final form in 2018–2019. The necessity of updating the lexicon entries before the Hungarian edition was largely dictated by the extended time span of the research itself. (Details on the textual work are provided in an introduction introduction by Zsófia Szirtes, the chief editor of the Hungarian edition.) The bibliographic data reflect the state of research as of 2023. Every effort was made to correct the inevitable errors of the first German edition, a common challenge in such large-scale scholarly undertakings. (The detailed Errata & Corrigenda for the German edition will be made available online following the publication of the corrected Hungarian edition.)

For the articles authored by Slovak scholars on Upper Hungarian dioceses, we have followed Professor Klieber’s recommendation to translate their German versions, limiting our intervention to data verification and bibliographic expansion. This decision was made because Slovak authors made only partial use of the—mainly older—Hungarian historiography. The critical reading of Slovak interpretations, which often diverge significantly from Hungarian historical perspectives, is left to the knowledgeable Hungarian readership, with the exception of the introductory sections for two dioceses. The professional discussions conducted through Vienna regarding our shared history, which is perceived and interpreted in almost entirely different ways by Hungarian and Slovak scholars, remain an issue yet to be addressed in detail. It is an extremely significant achievement that in 2020, the centenary of the Trianon tragedy, we succeeded in ensuring that the prestigious international volume published in Berlin—despite certain tendentious, one-sided statements—presents Hungarian history fundamentally as Hungarian history. That is, it is largely free from the regrettably frequent attempts to retroactively project the present status quo into the past or to historically justify it. Achieving this goal required numerous compromises, and in the process, we inevitably faced failures as well—such as our request regarding the historical presentation of the Dioceses of Nyitra and Besztercebánya (Nitra and Banská Bystrica). The depiction of these two dioceses in the German edition remains, to put it mildly, one-sided. (See the historiographically intriguing editorial documentation, specifically the letter sent to Vienna on March 5, 2019, point 4)

This extensive research project has not been supported by hundreds of millions in ERC funding. Nevertheless, its significance for understanding and interpreting Central European history has been recognized and highly esteemed at the highest levels of international scholarship, from Joachim Bahlcke to Andreas Gottsmann and Thomas Winkelbauer. (Additional reviews and presentations can be found here.) Beyond the initial funding secured by Erwin Gatz, the project was realized solely through the support of the Österreichisches Wissenschaftsfonds (Austrian Science Fund) and the MTA Lendület Program, as well as a small fraction of the Fraknói Research Group’s budget from 2017–2024. In the first phase, during 2024, the Introduction by the project’s most distinguished author, † Gábor Adriányi, along with individual diocesan studies, will be published separately in electronic fascicles (e-fasciculus). These will include the complete set of episcopal biographies for each diocese. Following the structure of the German edition, bishops who served in multiple dioceses are listed under their final diocese.

After the publication of the individual diocesan studies, the full volume will be released upon the conclusion of the Fraknói Centenary on February 26, 2025.

The Hungarian edition is the result of teamwork by Editor-in-Chief Zsófia Szirtes, as well as Péter Tusor and Rupert Klieber, who were joined earlier by István Fazekas and András Forgó. The editorial tasks were carried out by Zita Lőrincz. Special thanks go to Margit Balogh for the diocesan introductions and her useful advice. We also thank Adrienne Tengely for the careful professional proofreading and bibliographic augmentation of the entries on Slovak authors, the rewriting of the entries on Eger and Szatmár, and Tamás Véghseő for the review and update of all (!) Greek Catholic entries. The Greek Rite Roman Catholic dioceses (V.) will be published in a separate volume. Thanks are also due to all the contributors from Székesfehérvár, Szombathely, Pécs, Szeged, Eger, and Nyíregyháza; from Gyulafehérvár, Kolozsvár, Marosvásárhely; from Upper Hungary/Slovakia, Transcarpathia; and, of course, from Vienna and Budapest. Among the authors, Gheorghe Gorun from Nagyvárad, László Bura from Szatmárnémeti, as well as Balázs Csíky, a researcher at the Fraknó Research Group, who was awarded the Bolyai Scholarship, and the late Gábor Adriányi, unfortunately, did not live to see the completion of the full Bishop Lexicon. According to Adriányi Gábor's own statement made during the proofreading phase, his introductory study to the lexicon is his final published work.

The Bishop Lexicon 1804–1918 marks the beginning of a project with a historical dimension spanning millennia, undertaken by the Fraknói Research Group, the Moravcsik Gyula Institute, and the Collegium Professorum Hungarorum. Following the example of the German research led by Erwin Gatz, a biographical lexicon of Hungarian bishops from 1001 to 1993 will be created. The planned volumes are as follows: Bishop Lexicon 1918–1993; Bishop Lexicon 1711–1804; Bishop Lexicon 1605–1711; Bishop Lexicon 1526–1605; Bishop Lexicon 1458–1526; Bishop Lexicon 1302–1458; Bishop Lexicon 1001–1302. In preparation for the anniversary of the Battle of Mohács, the manuscript of the lexicon for the Hunyadi–Jagelló period is nearing completion. See the report by Editor-in-Chief Tamás Fedeles on this and the entire project.

The complete volume, with an index and other apparatus, can be downloaded here.

The completion of the "Bischofslexikon 1804–1918" project, spanning multiple grant cycles and culminating in the fulfillment of one of the key commitments of the 2012 Lendület Program, was achieved in the spring of 2020 by the Fraknói Research Group. The results of this extensive research, conducted through a wide-ranging collaboration within Hungary, the Carpathian Basin, and internationally, have been published in an impressive volume by the Berlin-based Duncker & Humblot publishing house: Die Bischöfe der Donaumonarchie 1804 bis 1918. Ein amtsbiographisches Lexikon, hg. von RUPERT KLIEBER, Band I: Die röm.kath. Kirchenprovinczen Gran, Kalocsa, Erlau im Königreich Ungarn, unter Mitarbeit von PÉTER TUSOR, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2020 (XVIII + 661 p).

The German-language Berlin edition of the Bischofslexikon 1804–1918 is now fully available as an Open Access publication on the Fraknói Research Group's website as of January 6, 2025. See the link here!

Work on the corrected, updated, expanded, and revised Hungarian edition of the lexicon is nearing completion. Following the release of preliminary publications containing complete biographical series by diocese, published as e-fasciculi, the editorial process for Magyarország egyházmegyéi és püspökei 1804–1918 I–IV. Intézménytörténeti és életrajzi lexikon" (Collectanea Studiorum et Textuum I/7, Budapest 2025) has begun. The material covering the ecclesiastical provinces of Esztergom, Kalocsa-Bács, and Eger, together with Pannonhalma and an introduction by Gábor Adriányi, comprises 791 printed pages (B/5 format). Additional sections include a Roman-numeral-indexed table of contents, a foreword, and various supplementary appendices. (The material on the Hungarian Greek Catholic episcopate will be published in a separate volume as Chapter V.)

Hungarian historiography suffers from a marked lack of modern handbooks and syntheses authored domestically. The Fraknói Research Group's extensive and internationally collaborative undertaking, which has exceeded the bounds of its resources, aims to address this deficiency while also serving as an example for larger institutions equipped with more substantial resources and favorable conditions.

The announcement includes, alongside the cover page of the Berlin German edition, several illustrations (portraits of prelates and other photographs) that do not appear in either the volume or the chapter-by-chapter publications.

The following 1–12 images are: portraits of Sándor Bonnaz, Bishop of Csanád; János Pauer, Bishop of Székesfehérvár (in both priestly and episcopal attire); and Imre Bende, Bishop of Besztercebánya and later Nyitra. The next three photographs relate to Abbot Ipoly Fehér (his procession into Pannonhalma and then Budapest in 1892, and his departure for the 45th anniversary celebrations of Franz Joseph’s accession). This is followed by the ceremonial carriage of Primate Kolos Vaszary (1895). Lastly, there are various photographs of Count Károly Emmánuel Csáky, Bishop of Vác; Ottokár Prohászka, Bishop of Székesfehérvár; Gyula Glattfelder, Bishop of Csanád; and Antal Fetser, Bishop of Győr.