The Archive of the Eparchy of Buda (Serbian Cyrillic: Архив Епархије будимске, Hungarian: A Budai Egyházmegye Levéltára) in Szentendre is the central repository archive of the Eparchy of Buda of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The archive was officially established as an separate institution of the Eparchy only in 1990, coinciding with the tricentennial of the Great Migration of the Serbs.[2] It is nevertheless considered by some commentators to be one of the most important Serb institutions outside of Serbia.[2][3]
| Archive of the Eparchy of Buda | |
|---|---|
| Архив Епархије будимске (Serbian) A Budai Egyházmegye Levéltára (Hungarian) | |
 The building housing the archive, museum and the library | |
| Location | Pátriárka utca 5,[1] Szentendre, Pest County,  Hungary |
| Type | central church archive |
| Other information | |
| Website | Official website |
The archive houses its collections in approximately 1,700 boxes.[4] The archival materials from the Eparchy of Buda are organized into various fonds, including administrative, societal, and personal collections.[4] Notably, significant collections include parish registers from 56 churches covering 1725 to 1975, which were digitized in 2011, and a collection of 1,500 inventories from churches and monasteries.[4]
History
editThe initiative to professionally gather, protect, and organize the archival materials of the Eparchy of Buda began in 1970 at a meeting in the Archive of Serbia, attended by prominent scholars.[2] The project officially commenced in 1984, following the signing of the cultural cooperation agreement between SFR Yugoslavia and Hungarian People's Republic.[2] The wider project at the time aimed to preserve records from three crucial Serb institutions abroad: the Serbian Church Community in Trieste, the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos, and the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Buda in Szentendre.[2]
The archive in Szentendre officially began operations in 1990, coinciding with the tricentennial of the Great Migration of the Serbs under Patriarch Arsenije Čarnojević.[2] The Yugoslav Wars in 1991 disrupted this cooperation, but since 1993, with funding from the Buda Eparchy and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, experts from the Archive of Serbia have resumed their work in Szentendre.[2]
Although not fully open to the general public, the Archive attracts significant interest from researchers, historians, and genealogists from Hungary, Serbia and from other countries.[3] The digitization of key collections and the development of informative guides and catalogues have enhanced the archive's accessibility, allowing for more systematic research and study of the Serb community history in Hungary and wider areas of historical Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen.[3]
On December 22, 2023, the Archive of the Eparchy of Buda in Szentendre, Hungary, celebrated the completion of its renovation and official reopening.[5] Its renovation was funded by the Government of Republika Srpska and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia.[5] On July 23, 2024, the Eparchy of Buda and the Archive of Vojvodina announced an enhancement in their collaborative efforts concerning processing, restoration, and promotion of archival materials materials held in Szentendre, especially those in Hungarian and Latin language.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Archives of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Buda". Serbian Church Museum of Szentendre. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stojanović, Ivan (2019). "Српска православна епархија Будимска и култура" [The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Buda and the culture]. Godišnjak Fakulteta za kulturu i medije. 11 (11): 141–158. doi:10.5937/gfkm1911141S.
- ^ a b c "Šta sve krije Arhiv Eparhije budimske". Radio Television of Serbia. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Заштита архивске грађе ван Србије". Archive of Serbia. n.d. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Otvoren Arhiv Еparhije budimske: Zahvalnost Dodiku i Vladi Srpske". Alternativna TV. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ J.S. (23 July 2024). "ZAJEDNIČKA BRIGA O NASLEĐU: Saradnja Arhiva Vojvodine i Eparhije budimske u Sentandreji (FOTO)". Večernje novosti. Retrieved 12 August 2024.