2024

After the memorial conference in Nagyvárad and in Rome, as well as the wreath-laying at the Lateran, the commemorative ceremony for the Fraknó Centenary was held in Budapest on November 19, 2024, on the vigil of the 100th anniversary of Vilmos Fraknói's death. The Research Group bearing his name and the Institute for National Heritage organized the event. The ceremony began at 2:00 PM with the unveiling of the restored tombstone of the honorary bishop of Arad, canon of Oradea, former abbot of Szekszárd and Szentjobb, former Secretary-General, and later Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in the Fiumei Úti Cemetery.

The first speech was given by Gábor Móczár, the Director-General of the Institute for National Heritage. He highlighted that alongside Fraknói, other bishops, including Mihály Horváth and Tihamér Tóth, are buried here as well. He reminded the attendees that the preservation of our heritage should not be limited to the transmission of intellectual heritage, but we must also preserve and maintain in proper condition the physical places where we can remember and pay our respects. This was the spirit in which Fraknói’s tombstone restoration took place.

Péter Tusor, speaking on behalf of the Fraknói Research Group, also delivered a speech. Among other points, he emphasized that the renowned Catholic historian's Roman scientific heritage has been embraced for two decades by the initiative at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University, with the support of the Cardinal, which was transformed into a research group with institutional status in 2012, supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and since 2017 has carried Fraknói Vilmos’ name.

László Péter Kollár, Secretary-General of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, remembered Fraknói’s multifaceted relationship with the Academy, particularly his role in overseeing the entire administration of the Academy for ten years. He highlighted that his work was crucial for the modernization of the Academy and for the creation of the structure and role that allowed the institution, which had fallen into crisis in the 1860s but successfully overcame it, to become a defining force not only in historical science but also in other fields of science, remaining unchanged in structure until 1949.

Finally, Marie-Theres Arnbom, a historian and Fraknói Vilmos' distant relative from Vienna, shared her thoughts. In her speech (in German here; in Hungarian here), she emphasized that the memory of the distinguished family member has always been alive among the descendants of Fraknói’s sisters, Carolina and Terézia, who lived in Vienna. His grave in Budapest is regularly visited every year. Several relatives from the extended family attended the commemoration, including Christiane Arnbom, the 89-year-old granddaughter of Fraknói's sister Terézia, born in 1935.

After the speeches, the restored tombstone was blessed by Csaba Török, a canon and university professor, and the parish governor of the Esztergom Basilica, where Fraknói was ordained a priest in 1865. The commemoration concluded with the laying of wreaths. The family, the Institute for National Heritage, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Fraknói Research Group, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oradea, and the Municipality of Miskolc all placed flowers to show respect and homage.

The program continued at 5:00 PM with a scientific memorial session at the Central Seminary in Budapest, an important location in Fraknói's life, where he had been a student from 1858 to 1864. First, the musical piece Consolation No. 3 (Des-Dur) by Ferenc Liszt was performed by István Bácskai, the director of the Gondolat Publishing House, which publishes the Research Group’s books. Liszt composed this piece in 1849, and it was finalized in 1883. (Fraknói and the great composer often met at various salons in Pest.) After the music, members of the Fraknói Research Group read excerpts from the chronicles of Fraknói's last years.

At the opening, Péter Tusor, professor and leader of the Fraknói Research Group, greeted the participants of the full-capacity event. The session was then officially opened by Nándor Birher, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, who reflected on the two decades of research achievements of the Research Group and the Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae series, which includes the Dean's office as part of its accomplishments.

Vanda Lamm, Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for Social Sciences, then gave a memorial speech on behalf of the Academy. She detailed Fraknói’s roles and offices within the Academy and his efforts to preserve his scientific legacy, which the Academy’s Lendület and supported research programs played a key role in. She noted that the achievements of the Fraknói Research Group are a significant confirmation that such programs are not only valid for natural and life sciences. After her speech, László Solymosi, a full member of the Academy and a former secretary of Fraknói’s division, praised the late historian-priest’s role in establishing Hungarian historical science, emphasizing the importance of the Lendület program for continuing Fraknói's Roman scientific heritage.

The Fraknói Research Group looks forward to much more from the expanded Lendület program, especially since, despite its results, it is the only research group not yet able to remain within the Academy's exceptional initiative for non-state-run higher education institutions.

The second part of the scientific session focused on the Fraknói Memorial Book published in the  Fraknói Emlékkönyv. Fraknói Vilmos (1843–1924) püspök, történész, a Magyar Tudományos Akadémia főtitkárának emlékezete Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae series (I/24). The volume, edited by Péter Tusor and Viktor Kanász, commemorates Fraknói Vilmos (1843–1924), bishop, historian, and Secretary-General of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The book contains expanded materials from the scientific memorial conference held in Nagyvárad as part of the X. Fraknói Academy.

Péter Zakar, Vice Rector of the University of Szeged and a 19th-century expert, outlined the panoramic landscape of the studies and started an engaging and meaningful discussion about Fraknói’s conservatism. Rev. Csaba Török, a theologian and priest from the ESzHF (Esztergomi School of Theology), also discussed the book in his usual enjoyable and convincing style. His written analysis is titled Fraknói Memorial Book. A Theologian's Reflections.

At the end of the event, Tamás Fedeles, co-leader of the Fraknói Research Group and Vice Rector of the University of Pécs, thanked everyone who contributed to the creation of the memorial book. Gábor Bükösdi also painted a portrait of Fraknói, which was presented during the commemoration. The portrait, based on a photograph taken between 1880 and 1883, depicts Fraknói as Secretary-General of the Academy and the founder of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae. It will be placed on the first-floor corridor of the Central Seminary near the portrait of his friend and mentor Arnold Ipolyi as part of the centenary closing ceremonies on February 26, 2025.

After the centenary memorial session, the Fraknói Research Group hosted a reception in the former chapter hall of the Central Seminary, once a Paulite monastery, to honor and remember their namesake.

Invitation to the Unveiling of the Restored Tombstone

The Poster for the Memorial Session

The Fraknói Memorial Book can be downloaded here

Magyar Kurír 1

Magyar Kurír 2

Nemes Gábor, a senior research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, presented a lecture titled The Role of Cardinals in Late Medieval Papal-Hungarian Relations on October 21, 2024, as part of the lecture series Personal History – Journeys through the World of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, organized by the Department of Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities. In his talk, after a brief overview, he analyzed the activities of the cardinal legates who served in Hungary between 1500 and 1526, as well as the cardinal protectors who represented the Hungarian royal court in Rome. He also paid special attention to the foreign clerics who accompanied the apostolic legates to Hungary, examining their origins, careers, and informal networks.

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.

“La Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae – superando il predecessore di epoca positivista (Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae) – pubblica monografie, studi, regesti e pubblicazioni di fonti complete, repertori e bibliografie rilevanti per il tema della ricerca storica ungherese in Vaticano, senza ulteriori divisioni interne di genere”. Questa semplice descrizione può essere trovata sulla pagina ad Open Access della serie CVH. L’accento è posto sull’elaborazione e l’esplorazione dei documenti vaticani da un punto di vista storico. Il censimento e l’inventariazione del materiale vaticano è un’attività complementare del Gruppo di Ricerca Fraknói. Non è da ultimo porre l’accento sul fatto che il lavoro archivistico apre nuove prospettive nel campo di un’ampia e sostanziale cooperazione scientifica internazionale a Roma.

CVH volume I/23, pubblicato ora, è il primo dei due decenni di esistenza della collana, con l’impronta del luogo di pubblicazione Budapest-Città del Vaticano (non Budapest-Roma) e co-pubblicato con Archivio Apostolico Vaticano (Collectanea Archivi Vaticani 128). Titolo: L’Archivio della Nunziatura Apostolica in Ungheria (1920-1939).

Senza sottovalutare i risultati dell’inventario in lingua ungherese (CVH I/14) pubblicato nel 2016 – per questo motivo è stato inserito l’attuale frontespizio – è importante sottolineare che il presente lavoro in lingua italiana non è sostanzialmente la sua versione 2.0. Si tratta di un lavoro molto più esteso che segue in tutto e per tutto il metodo usato nei volumi degli inventari vaticani (ad esempio, le nunziature: CAV 42, 64, 82, 97, 112, 124, 125). In tutti i casi, fornisce indicazioni precise con il numero di folio e la data dei documenti. La curatrice del volume, Katalin Nagy, ha eseguito il controllo di tutti i documenti e ha steso il testo dell’inventario, sotto il coordinamento attivo di Péter Tusor, all’interno dei progetti del dipartimento Hungarica dell’Istituto Gyula Moravcsik. Il volume composto di 438 pagine pubblicato in Vaticano è un orgoglio di questo nuovo istituto quanto dell’Istituto di Ricerca Fraknói (Università Cattolica Péter Pázmány di Budapest). È un particolare piacere che questa sostanziale collaborazione con il più importante deposito della scienza storica universale, e anche con uno dei più significativi laboratori scientifici della Sede Apostolica, si sia realizzata proprio nell’anno del centenario di Vilmos Fraknói (1843–1924), vescovo, storico e segretario generale dell’Accademia Ungherese delle Scienze.

Breve descrizione e disponibilità online di CVH I/23 (= CAV 128): link

Under the title "Storia d’Ungheria – History of Hungary," the Fraknói Research Group and the Moravcsik Gyula Institute are launching a new international book series, published by Edizioni Sette Cittá in Viterbo. The primary goal of the series is to publish the results of their own fundamental research and the findings of Hungarian historiography, art and literary history, as well as Italian-Hungarian relations, in either Italian or English. The secondary goal is to publish historical works related to Hungary exclusively in Italian, which may be of interest in Italy.

The editors of the series are Matteo Sanfilippo and Péter Tusor. The editorial board members are Alessandro Boccolini, Tamás Fedeles, Viktor Kanász, Gaetano Platania, Giovanni Pizzorusso, and Kornél Szovák. The launch of this new international Italian series in Hungarian historiography is linked to the Fraknói centenary (1924-2024). The first volume will be published on the occasion of the commemorative conference in Rome on June 6 (Protagonisti e collaboratori. Studiosi provenienti dall'Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918, Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani). The Viterbo-based Storia d'Ungheria, alongside the Vienna-based Publikationen der Ungarischen Geschichtsforschung in Wien, is the second foreign publication series in which the Fraknói Research Group has played a key role.

The forthcoming volume (Vilmos Fraknói’s Heritage in Rome. The Hungarian Historical Research in the Vatican) presents Hungarian historical research conducted in Vatican and various Roman and Italian collections from its inception to the present day. The monograph details the different periods of research history from the Baroque era through the positivism period to the end of the 20th century, with a glimpse into the 21st century as well. Its primary source material is found among the documents in the manuscript archive of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This historiography diagnoses the significant problems of the Hungarian scientific presence in Rome compared to other Western European projects and institutes. The narrative focuses on Bishop Vilmos Fraknói, who passed away a century ago in 1924, and his legacy. The appendix contains official documents from the Roman notarial archive based on which the ownership of the Fraknói villa was registered in favor of the Hungarian state—solely and exclusively for the purposes of a historical institute.

The printed version of the first volume of Storia d’Ungheria – History of Hungary can be ordered from the publisher and is available for download as an e-book here.

      Fraknói Centenary (1924–2024)

The prominent international event of the Fraknói centenary took place on June 6, 2024, at the Aventine headquarters of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani, next to the headquarters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. At the scientific conference titled  Protagonisti e Collaboratori – Studiosi provenienti dall’Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918  (Protagonists and Collaborators - Researchers from Central and Eastern Europe at the Holy See Archives between 1881 and 1918), in addition to members of the Fraknói Research Group, Italian, Austrian, Czech, Polish, and Croatian researchers also gave presentations.

The symposium focused on Fraknói, his Hungarian colleagues, and historians from other nations of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy conducting research in the Vatican archives from the opening of the papal archives by Leo XIII until the end of World War I. Consequently, the conference examined the origins of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae and Fraknói's Hungarian Historical Institute in Rome from a broader perspective and within a wider historiographical context. The studies from the presentations will be published as the second volume of Storia d'Ungheria – History of Hungary by Edizioni Sette Città in 2025. The international historiographical conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Vilmos Fraknói's death was organized by the Fraknói Vilmos Vatican Historical Research Group, the Moravcsik Gyula Intézet (HUN-REN BTK, Budapest), the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani (Rome), and the CESPoM Centro di ricerca CESPoM con sede all’Università degli Studi della Tuscia (Research Center at the University of Tuscia) (Viterbo).

The conference was opened by Gaetano Platania, president of INSR, and László Solymosi, professor emeritus and full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences' Class II – where Fraknói served as class secretary between 1873 and 1879. Solymosi's welcoming words were delivered by Katalin Nagy. The academician concluded his speech with the following thought: "Bernard, chancellor of the French school of Chartres, often said around the year 1100: 'We are dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants, so we can see more and farther than they did.' You are walking in Fraknói's footsteps. I have no doubt that you will see and show more..." Afterwards, the main organisers of the conference, Matteo Sanfilippo and Péter Tusor, opened the conference (the latter's speech in Italian can be found here).

Among the Hungarian speakers, Katalin Nagy spoke first, summarizing the beginnings of Vilmos Fraknói's research in the Vatican Apostolic Archives. Fraknói's surviving research requests indicate that he was in direct contact with the Vatican as early as 1867. In addition to negotiations for organizing the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae project, Fraknói was able to begin his work in the Vatican Secret Archives between May 26 and June 15, 1881. His two requests found in the Vatican Apostolic Archives Prefecture demonstrate that from the outset, he focused exclusively on materials related to Hungary. The presentation offered the audience insights into the early years of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae, primarily following Fraknói's work, which paved the way and established significant pillars of the relationship between Hungarian scientific life and the Holy See, still relevant today.

Péter Tusor's presentation addressed the foundation process of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae, which began in 1881. Fraknói was the key figure, but many others assisted him, including Béla Tárkányi, known from hymnals, who accompanied him to Rome. In Hungary, Cardinal Lajos Haynald, Archbishop of Kalocsa, and Bishop Arnold Ipolyi of Besztercebánya led the project. Almost all Hungarian cathedral chapters and bishops supported the publication series. It included important Vatican sources such as the reports of nuncios from the years preceding the Battle of Mohács and the accounts of papal tax collectors, which contain the earliest historical mentions of many Hungarian settlements. Fraknói did everything to make the Monumenta Vaticana appear as a publication of the Apostolic See as well. The series became a lasting creation of Hungarian Catholicism and academic scholarship. Its acceptance among contemporaries was general, regardless of historical viewpoint, professional conviction, or worldview. With the creation of this series, Fraknói's Roman historical institute began its substantial operations. The organization of systematic Hungarian historical research in the Vatican, combined with other historiographical achievements, made him the most significant Hungarian historian of the era of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise.

Kornél Szovák briefly reviewed the state, methodology, and topics of Hungarian medieval research before Vilmos Fraknói's work. He noted that from the beginnings of Jesuit historiography, there was an interest in exploring sources in the Holy See's archives, and that targeted research often did not yield results (e.g., the Golden Bull). He assessed the significance of Theiner's Monumenta, comparing its quantitative and qualitative attributes with those of the Monumenta series founded by Fraknói. He highlighted the exploitation of Pope Boniface IX's bull registers as a significant example, which proved to be decisive for the development of 20th-century Hungarian medieval studies. Both this and Fraknói's oeuvre focused on post-Constance bull research and the formation of the medieval Hungarian ecclesiastical society's image. He also pointed out the new findings related to the documents of Papal Legate Gentilis and concluded by discussing the influential impact of Fraknói's biographical monographs on subsequent research.

Tamás Fedeles presented the role of László Fejérpataky in Vatican source exploration. The young historian joined the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae project in 1883 at Fraknói's request. He worked on documents related to Cardinal Gentilis de Monteflorum's activities in Hungary, which were published in 1885. During his second research trip to Rome (1885-1886), he worked on the Hungarian data from the 14th-century papal tax collectors' account books, a project started by Frigyes Pesty, resulting in a publication in 1887. Fejérpataky, along with Fraknói and others, was among the first to research the Dataria Apostolica archives, as detailed in his letters from Rome. From 1913 until his death in 1923, he actively participated in the Roman Historical Committee's work under the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His final work on Vatican sources was published posthumously, with his student Antal Áldásy compiling the notes and drafts into a manuscript that was published in 1926, three years after Fejérpataky's death.

Viktor Kanász discussed the life and Neapolitan research of Lipót Óváry. He outlined Óváry's involvement in Garibaldi's army and his subsequent settlement in Naples, where he began historical research in Neapolitan collections. This was significant as no Hungarian-related research had been conducted there before, and Óváry uncovered and published a large amount of important documents. One of the most important segments was the publication of diplomatic documents from the Farnese archives dating back to Pope Paul III. Although Óváry also conducted research in other Italian collections, such as in Venice and Florence, he never researched in the Vatican collections despite several attempts. However, he actively contributed to the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae project.

Gábor Nemes gave a presentation on József Lukcsics. The scholarly priest from the Diocese of Veszprém was tasked by Vilmos Fraknói with editing volumes III and IV of the Monumenta Romana Episcopatus Vesprimiensis, while also examining volumes of the Camera Apostolica archives and collecting Hungarian-related sources. These were eventually published in 2014 as volumes I/10 and I/11 of the CVH series.

Tamás Kruppa presented Endre Veress's role in exploring Hungarian memories in the Vatican and Italy. He emphasized that Veress's extensive published and unpublished oeuvre is indispensable for studying Hungarian-Italian relations. His document publications put the Principality of Transylvania on the map of domestic and international scholarship. Veress's achievements are notable as he conducted his research and publication efforts alone, without securing academic membership or a university chair. His document publications, the Fontes Rerum Hungaricarum and Transylvanicarum, effectively took over the roles of the Monumenta Vaticana Hungariae and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences' Monumenta Hungariae Historica series after World War I.

Foreign presenters reviewed the Vatican research of Theodor Sickel, Ludwig von Pastor, the Czech and Polish Roman expeditions, and several Croatian historians.

Poster

PROGRAM

Videos in Youtube-channel, below

Pictures are available in Galery, below

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In addition to the conference, members of the Research Group continued their research at the Vatican Apostolic Archive, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the notarial archives of the Archivio Storico Capitolino (Archivio Notarile Generale Urbano). As part of the Fraknói centenary, the Research Group laid a wreath on June 4 at the monument erected by their namesake in the Lateran Basilica (see here). Afterwards, the members went on a study trip to Viterbo, Caprarola, and Tuscia (see the gallery here).

Péter Tusor gave a lecture titled "In the Shadow of Saint Peter" – The German-Hungarian College in Rome and Its Students in the Long 19th Century at the Prohászka Conference held on April 6th at the Central Seminary Institute.

Invitation

PPT

In April 17th, in the grand hall of the Nádasdy Ferenc Museum in Sárvár, Viktor Kanász, a research associate of the Research Group, delivered a presentation titled 'Faith and War: Rome and Sárvár in the 16th-17th centuries.'

Following a welcoming address by Gábor Szibler, Kanász delved into the intertwined histories of the Kanizsai and Nádasdy families with Rome, presenting sources from the Vatican Apostolic Archives and the Apostolic Library. He extensively covered Kanizsai László's pilgrimage to Rome and Loreto in 1525 and the circumstances of his death, the centuries-old controversies controversies surrounding Nádasdy Tamás's religiosity, and the previously undisclosed connections between the nobleman and the papal nuncios. He then showcased the Nádasdy-related documents from the Holy See during the Thirty Years' War. Briefly, he touched upon the relevance of the Research Group's latest volume and the research on the Árpás Altarpiece to Sárvár. In conclusion, he emphasized that various sources awaiting exploration in papal collections and the Nádasdy archives could significantly enrich the known history of the Kanizsai and Nádasdy families.

Fotók: Takács-Reichardt Gabriella

On April 16th, the Dies Academicus university day was held in the Pope St. John Paul II Hall at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, where newly appointed associate professors and professors of the Catholic University introduced themselves with their lectures.

As part of this event, Péter Tusor discussed the origin of the princely title of the Archbishops of Esztergom. In his presentation, he significantly reinterpreted the traditional standpoint represented, among others, by Antal Meszlényi. Based on source criticism, he demonstrated that the claim to the princely title already appears in the time of Péter Pázmány. Péter Pázmány's successors were consistently addressed as "Celsissime Princeps" in the missives. The Hungarian version of the address appears in the case of György Széchényi as "Méltóságos és Nagyságos Fejedelem" (Illustrious and Magnificent Prince). The granting of the princely title in 1714, at the request of Ágost Keresztély, can be interpreted in connection with these precedents. Subsequently, the Archbishops of Esztergom used the title of prince of the Holy Roman Empire (Princeps Sacri Romani Imperii [S.R.I.]) in their own intitulations. Keresztély Ágost himself also used it, who had previously been only Duke of Saxony.

Most of the time, the princely rank, associated with the person of the incumbent archbishop, was linked to the primatial title in the 19th century, particularly with János Scitovszky. From the Middle Ages, the Archbishops of Esztergom were the primates of the country, and following the claim formulated by Pázmány, they were also princes from 1714 onwards. The prestigious expression "Prince Primate of Hungary" was coined in 1855, after numerous informal appearances in the first half of the 19th century, coinciding with the conclusion of the Austrian Concordat. From then on, it became the official title of the Archbishops of Esztergom, and even preceded the archbishopric in informal usage. The concept of "Princeps-Primas inclyti Regni Hungariae" is based on real historical precedents but took its current form during the Romantic and Historicism era, in connection with the defense of Hungarian national and ecclesiastical independence. Its role in preserving historical and national identity became even more significant after the Treaty of Trianon, during the period of the kingdom without a king, and particularly after 1945.

A comprehensive study containing the results of this research ("The Princely Title of the Archbishops of Esztergom from Pázmány to Scitovszky, 1635–1855") will be published in the near future. The detailed exposition of the Pázmány claims was published in 2022. You can listen to the recording of the lecture below, and the PowerPoint presentation can be viewed here.

Invitation

As part of the 2024 Fraknói Centenary Program Series, several members of the Research Group present the latest scientific findings related to the topics investigated by Fraknói and his contemporaries in various lectures. Following Balázs Rétfalvi's presentation, on March 13, 2024, Viktor Kanász discussed the history of Móric Szász's 1552 Hungarian campaign and encampment in Győr.

During his presentation, he emphasized the significance of contemporary nuncios' reports on Hungarian affairs, a point also highlighted by Vilmos Fraknói, as these sources contain valuable information about the geopolitical background and military events of the year 1552. They shed light on the siege of Eger and Szász Móric's encampment in Győr. Additionally, contemporary documents from Italian, Viennese, and Hungarian archives provide further insights.

Using these sources, the presenter first outlined the highly negative historiographical interpretations that emerged concerning Szász's electoral activities. He then juxtaposed these interpretations with the newly discovered sources.

The content of Viktor Kanász's presentation was published in the 2023 issue of Arrabona and can be downloaded from there.

As the next event in the Fraknói Centenary, on April 10th, Péter Tusor will hold the IX. University Workshop Seminar.

'Synodalis consonantia. Konziliengeschichte als Spiegelbild kirchlicher Diskussionskultur und Identitätsfindung' study volume was presented at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce in Rome on March 9, 2024, in the presence of distinguished participants. This grand work celebrates the 70-year-old Johannes Grohe, a professor at the university. Prof. Grohe is the chief editor of Annales Historiae Conciliorum and also holds a prominent position in the Research Project History of the Church Councils. The Fraknói Research Group has been collaborating with the Gesellschaft für Konziliengeschitsforschung for a decade and a half (see here, here, and here). The study in the Grohe volume with relevance to Hungary is titled: 'Councils of Hungary in the Early Modern Period'

Invitation

Table of contents 

February 23rd saw a roundtable discussion titled "Pázmány-lifework in the Mirror of Literature and Politics" held in the ceremonial hall of the Petőfi Literary Museum. Moderated by Ibolya Maczák, the discussion featured insights from Ajkay Alinka, Csilla Gábor, Emil Hargittay, and Tusor Péter, the leader of the Fraknói Research Group. The content of the discussion and subsequent presentations will be published in the upcoming thematic issue of Magyar Napló Literary Magazine

Program

On February 8, 2024, Róbert Oláh P., a scientific assistant of the Fraknói Research Group, gave a presentation at the annual first meeting of the Intelligence History Section of the Hungarian Military Science Society. The title of his lecture was "Hungarian Ecclesiastical Representatives in Rome, 1607-1783." In his presentation, he showcased the historical development of the Hungarian agency in Rome during the 17th century. Following this, he conducted a detailed analysis of the three-decade-long activities of Ferenc Zichy, the Bishop of Győr (1743-1783), who employed agents in Rome during that period. As a conclusion, he specifically focused on analyzing the news value of letters sent from Rome to Győr during the 1769 conclave. The event took place at the Library of the State Security Archives (Állambiztonsági Levéltár - ÁBTL).

The Fraknói Research Group, in addition to its basic research tasks (see  here), places great emphasis on scientific popularization. As part of this effort, the Research Group extensively publishes its lectures. In addition to academia.edu, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, it created its YouTube channel ten years ago, where interested viewers can now find 224 videos.

The success of the initiative is evident as the followers of the Research Group's pages and channels continue to grow each year. This year, the total views of all uploaded videos on the YouTube channel reached 12,725 individual views. This is a 107% increase compared to 2022. The viewing time of the videos also increased, totaling 2,038 hours this year, which is a 141% increase from last year.

The most visited period of the year was in August, thanks to the upload of videos from the 9th Fraknói Summer Academy in Kalocsa.

In 2023, the three videos with the most views were:

1. The roundtable discussion on Mohács battle from the 6th Fraknói Summer Academy continued to lead, bringing in 3,607 new views this year.

2.  A conversation with Archbishop Balázs Bábel with 641 views.

3. Péter Tusor's lecture on the Árpás Altarpiece ( 5th Fraknói Workshop Lecture) with 463 views.

The work will continue in 2024, with the Research Group expanding its channels with new scientific content.

The 'Bishop's Lexicon 1804–1918', the first phase of the Fraknói Research Group's extensive project spanning multiple grant cycles, concluded on Pentecost in 2020. The results of the comprehensive international collaboration are encompassed in the impressive volume published by Duncker & Humblot in Berlin: Die Bischöfe der Donuaumonarchie 1804 bis 1918. Ein amtsbiographisches Lexikon, Herausgegeben von Rupert Klieber, Band I: Die röm.-kath. Kirchenprovinzen Gran, Kalocsa, Erlau im Königreich Ungarn, unter Mitarbeit von Péter Tusor, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2020 (xviii + 661 p). Further details and the international dimensions of the research: here, presentations in Budapest, Rome, Vienna. In exploring the 'long 19th century', the Research Group focused on diocesan histories that also encompass foundational research from the Vatican. The project itself has Roman origins, built upon the archival cooperation between the initiating Campo Santo Teutonico rector, Erwin Gatz († 2011), and the editor-in-chief, Rupert Klieber.

The second phase, the Hungarian-language version ('Püspöklexikon 1804–1918'), concluded its main work by Christmas 2023. This edition represents an improved and expanded version. Following the original concept, it includes the ordinaries of the Greek Catholic eparchies in Hungary (which are expected to be separately featured in an 'imperial' volume in the German version). While in the German edition, Rupert Klieber was the ultima manus, here the authors themselves are responsible for the entries. Therefore, the completeness of the research project and its results can only be assessed and interpreted in consideration of the Hungarian edition. During the editing process, Professor Klieber, along with his colleagues, extensively reworked, standardized, and expanded the entries using new archival and printed sources, as well as German academic data. In most cases, Hungarian authors and editors worked further using this material translated back into Hungarian by Zsófia Szirtes. The results of Professor Klieber's approach have been generally retained. In some biographies, the original positions of the authors have been more strongly emphasized. The authors are solely responsible for the entries in the Hungarian edition. Concerning the descriptions of the dioceses, we directly quote Professor Klieber's distinguishable statistical analyses from the German edition. This two-step research concept evolved interactively between Vienna and Budapest during the almost 'longue durée' project, and it was finalized in 2018–2019. The updating of the entries was significantly prompted by the extensive time span of the research before the Hungarian edition. (For details on the textual work, Zsófia Szirtes, the editor-in-chief of the Hungarian edition, provides information.) The academic data reflects the state of 2023. Inevitable errors in the first German edition were mostly corrected. (The detailed Errata & Corrigenda for the German version will be accessible online after the corrected Hungarian edition is printed.)

In the case of entries authored by Slovak contributors for the dioceses in the Felvidék (territory of present-day Slovakia), at Professor Klieber's suggestion, we have translated the German version and focused only on checking the data and expanding the bibliography. Slovak authors only partially used the Hungarian academic literature, particularly the older sources. Interpretations significantly differing from the perspective of Hungarian historiography will be commented on in the introductions of the online edition, except for the introductions to two dioceses. Despite experiences gained during the international research conducted from 2006 to 2008 and effectively launched in spring 2009, detailed discussions about our distinct and interpreted shared history with Slovak colleagues through Vienna have not yet taken place. It is of great significance that in 2020, on the 100th anniversary of the Trianon tragedy, we managed to ensure, despite certain tendentious and one-sided claims, that Hungarian history is fundamentally present as Hungarian and not as any other history in the prestigious international publication released in Berlin. This goal was achieved through numerous compromises, which inevitably encountered failures in the search process. Such was the case with our request concerning the histories of the Nyitra and Besztercebánya bishoprics. The presentation of the history of these two dioceses remained somewhat one-sided in the German edition. (See point 4 of the editorial documentation dated March 5, 2019, addressed to Vienna, for historiographically intriguing editing details.)

Behind this extensive research are no ERC millions. However, the significance of the results in understanding and comprehending the history of Central Europe has been acknowledged at the highest level by international scholars, from Joachim Bahlcke to Andreas Gottsmann and Thomas Winkelbauer. (Further reviews and presentations can be found here.) Apart from the initial capital provided by Erwin Gatz, this was achieved solely through the  Austrian Science Fund (Österreichisches Wissenschaftsfonds) and the MTA Lendület Program (as well as a fraction of the Fraknói Research Group's budget between 2017 and 2024). Initially, in 2024, the introductory text by the project's most esteemed author, Gábor Adriányi, and individual dioceses will be published separately in e-fascicules. In the case of the latter, the biographies of all bishops of the respective diocese will be available. Following the publication of all e-fascicules, the volume will be released digitally (e-lib.) and in print in 2025. Currently, on Epiphany 2024, alongside Gábor Adriányi's introduction, the entries for Székesfehérvár, Győr, and Pannonhalma will be made Open Access.

The Hungarian edition is the result of the editorial work by Zsófia Szirtes, Péter Tusor, and Rupert Klieber, with contributions from István Fazekas and András Forgó. The editorial tasks are carried out by Zita Lőrincz. Special thanks go to Margit Balogh for the diocesan introductions and her valuable advice. Adrienne Tengely's meticulous professional editing and augmentation of the entries authored by Slovak contributors, the rewriting of the entries for Eger and Szatmár, and the verification and update of all (!) Greek Catholic entries by Tamás Véghseő are also acknowledged. And gratitude is extended to all authors from Székesfehérvár, Szombathely, Pécs, Szeged, Eger, Nyíregyháza; from Gyulafehérvár, Kolozsvár, Marosvásárhely; from the Felvidék/Slovakia, Transcarpathia; and of course from Vienna and Budapest. Among the authors, Gheorghe Gorun from Nagyvárad, László Bura from Szatmár, and Balázs Csíky, a Bolyai Fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, unfortunately did not live to see the completion of the Bishop's Lexicon.

The Bishop's Lexicon 1804–1918 marks the beginning of the millennial historical dimension project of the Fraknói Research Group, the Moravcsik Gyula Institute, and the Collegium Professorum Hungarorum. Following the example of the German research spearheaded by Erwin Gatz, a lexicon of Hungarian bishops from 1001 to 1993 will be prepared. The planned volumes include: Bishop's Lexicon 1918–1993; Bishop's Lexicon 1711–1804; Bishop's Lexicon 1605–1711;1526–1605, Bishop's Lexicon 1458–1526; Bishop's Lexicon 1302–1458; Bishop's Lexicon 1001–1302. In anticipation of the Mohács anniversary, the manuscript of the lexicon of the Hunyadi–Jagelló era is nearing completion. Refer to the  report by editor-in-chief Tamás Fedeles for details on this and the entire project.