Reference Type: Book Section
Author: Guitman, Barnabás
Year: 2006
Title: Szilánkok az erzsébetvárosi örmény katolikus plébániatemplom könyvtárának történetéhez
Translated Title: [Fragments of the history of the Armenian-Catholic cathedral of Erzsébetváros]
Editor: Őze, Sándor - Kovács, Bálint
Book Title: Örmény diaszpóra a Kárpát-medencében. I kötet
City: Piliscsaba
Publisher: Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar
Volume: Örmény diaszpóra a Kárpát-medencében. I kötet
Pages: 69-76
Language: Hungarian
Keywords: Armenian minority, history, culture, bibliography, traditions, settlement, education, Catholic Church
Abstract:(En) Erzsébetváros (Dumbrăveni, can be found between Medgyes (Mediaş) and Segesvár Sighiş oara) on the maps in Transylvania. The history of this city has become inseparably entwined with the fate of Armenian people which settled down in Transylvania more than 300 years ago. In this study I would like to introduce the recently rediscovered library in the Armenian-Catholic cathedral of Erzsébetváros. The settlement (earlier called Ebesfalva) occured in documented sources from the first half of the 14th century. The owner of the settlement was the Apafi family. Mihály Apafi, becoming the Prince, gave the first privileges to Armenian people coming to Transylvania in the last third of the 17th century. The 18th century was the age of growth for Transylvanian Armenians as the cathedral was completed by the end of the century. The library with about 2200 volumens was located in the room above the vestry.
An approximately 30 square-meter room keeps the bibliotheque within its 6 cupboards which were made in the 18th century with glass-doors. These cupboards conserved the books in an excellent quality. There are manuscripts, letters and uique Armenian books in the drawers under the selves in a neat order.
The substance of the library consists of theological, devotional, scientific books and coursebooks, these are the bequest of the clerical persons of this church. The foundation of the library was connected to the name of Antal Patrubány archdeacon, as it turns out of the manuscript of János Kabdebó: ‘Descriptio Parochiae Elisabethopolitanae'.
Books were numbered, this way it is likely that a register or a catalogue was made on them.This register is referred by Kabdebó as well in his ‘Iindex librorum', but we cannot find a contemporary register, only an inventory from the 1960's, which consists of 1400 items. If we examine the edition-years of the books, the percents of these can reflect the history of the library. More than 50 percents of the volumes are from the 18th century, the earliest is from the beginning of the 16th century and the latest is from the 20th century.
Let's see facts why we can say that the library is significant: firstly, the numerous and rare Armenian printed volumes and manuscripts are conserved in an excellent condition. Secondly, though the research-team did not find any prominent rarity, the examination of prossesor registries may reflect on numerous and interesting coherency and unknown biographical items so far. This library subsisting properly from the 18th century can mirror realistically the cultural positions of the top intellectual layer in Erzsébetváros.
URL: http://ormkut.btk.ppke.hu/05Guitman.pdf