Die Bischöfe der Donuaumonarchie 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 grandiose encyclopaedia is the result of the work of a complex international project. The participants of the project are: the Institut für Kirchengeschichte an der Katholisch-Theologischen Fakultät der Universität Wien (Prof. Dr. RUPERT KLIEBER) and the Römisches Institut der Görres Gesellschaft,Città del Vaticano (Prof. Dr. ERWIN GATZ); the Diözesanarchiv Wien; the Istituto di Storia Soicale e religiosa in Görz, Ungarische Archivsdelegation beim Österreichischen Staatsarchiv and the MTA-PPKE ‘Impetus’ Church History Research Group and then the Fraknói Research Group. The almost decade-long research aimed to continue the monumental Bischofslexikon-series of Prelate Erwin Gatz, the rector of the Campo Santo Teutonico of Vatican: Die Bischöfe des Heiligen Römischen Reiches. Ein biographisches Lexikon. 1198 bis 1448. 1448 bis 1648. 1648 bis 180,. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1990–2001 (3 volumes); Die Bischöfe der deutschsprachigen Länder. Ein biographisches Lexikon, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1983–2002 (2 volumes). The mega-project, which stretched over several tenders, came to an end on Whit Sunday, 2020. (On the dimension of the organization, see here in connection with the evaluation of an Impetus-tender.) With the coordination of Péter Tusor, on behalf of the Hungarians, Zsófia Szirtes, Krisztina Tóth, István Fazekas and András Forgó participated in the research carried out in an extensive international cooperation. The details of the volume that can be found here give more information. The list of the authors, the important sources used and the list of the secondary literature: here. Can be ordered: here.
The Bischofslexikon is an unavoidable collection of biographies, which places the Hungarian history of the 19th century to the historical processes of Europe and contributes to the Hungarian historians’ becoming more known abroad. The biographies of the bishops are compiled in a volume of a unified structure and approach. The biogramms form a series of studies rather than a collection of data, therefore, the encyclopaedia is more like a sophisticated monograph of church history. It is the first volume of a longer series, which demonstrates that Hungary, therefore, the Hungarian church was also an integral part of the Habsburg Empire. The reaction of the local churches’ heads towards the challenges of the 19th century is brilliantly outlined here. Namely, the episcopal office became the matter of policy at the time, the monarchs and institutions of the Habsburg Empire supported the religious communities in exchange for loyalty. Many bishops worked also as state officials. In the meantime, the prelates set the course for the local churches; therefore, their role and personality were very significant. In this volume, there are 126 bishop-biographies, which mean 169 official periods, as many of them left their dioceses and moved to another one. Several cultural, social historical, economical and national aspects can be found in the biogramms.
As soon as the Verlag Duncher & Humblot of Berlin authorizes, the encyclopaedia will be available in its entirety on the website of the Research Group.