LECTORI ŞI LECTURI LA BIBLIOTECA BATTHYANEUM DE LA ALBA IULIA PE PARCURSUL SECOLULUI AL XIX-LEA
Readers and Readings at the Batthyaneum Library in Alba Iulia during the 19th Century

Summary/Abstract: The idea of such research came to us when we were looking through a library register and found an index of the library's readers since 1800. To this were added two more pieces of information found (about the registers of the visitors of the libraries in Florence, also the will of Bishop Ignác Batthyány, who, in this bequest, speaks about the situation and the status of the founded library). These were the starting points of the study. The index was kept by Andras Cseresnyés, the librarian of the library at the beginning of the 19th century. The main activity of A. Cseresnyés was to produce catalogues for the library's holdings at the death of the bishop-founder. In parallel with this work, during his time as a librarian, A. Cseresnyés also took care of readers. The Batthyaneum Library also keeps other registers of readers and their readings throughout the 19th century in its holdings. In the first part of the century, the readers were mostly local, being teachers, students or officials who were in Alba Carolina/Alba Iulia; in some cases, some local servants were also added. For the second half of the century, we meet famous historians such as W. Fraknói, V. Bunyitai or F. Zimmermann. The registers of the Batthyaneum lecturers draw attention to the importance the library enjoyed in the 19th century.

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