The Central Library of the Hungarian National Museum was established in 1950 from archaeological and historical specialist publications previously held by the collection departments. In 1996, its holdings were expanded with documents of conservation and modern history libraries. Based on the scope and composition of its holdings, the library is considered one of the most significant archaeological specialist libraries in Central Europe. Its collection, comprising nearly 280,000 volumes, includes archaeological and historical scholarly literature, periodicals published after 1840, museum publications issued after 1945, as well as specialist literature on conservation and restoration.
You can find more information about our library in the Database of Hungarian Libraries.
Archaeological collection
The Central Archaeological Library is one of the main collection of the Central Library of the Museum and also one of the biggest archaeological libraries of Central Europe. Its history is closely related to those of the Coins Collection and the Departments of History. During the first 150 years of the Hungarian National Museum the Central Archaeological Library’s stock had been collected from volumes arriving from several departments of the Museum. Since 1952 it has been operating as a collection on its own. The historical and archaeological volumes carefully collected and curated for 200 years mainly focus on the Carpathian Basin, however, literature on other regions can also be found in the collection. Most of the historical, archaeological and museology periodicals published in Hungary are available in our library as well as bibliographies or catalogues of historical or archaeological exhibitions.
Solva: Esztergom későrómai temetői
The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Archaeological Collection.
Protection and conservation collection
The history of the library dates back to 1960, when the Central Technological Group for Museology was established. Subsequent reorganisations of the library were closely linked to the structural changes of the Hungarian National Museum itself. Although numerous organisational changes have taken place over the past decades, the library has operated continuously, and its holdings have steadily expanded. Between 1968 and 1972, the Central Technological Group for Museology and the library functioned as the Museology and Technology Department within the Central Directorate of the Museum. In 1974, the Art Conservation and Methodology Centre was established, and the library became part of this new unit. In 1982, the Art Conservation and Methodology Centre was integrated into the Central Directorate of the Museum, after which its library was attached to the Hungarian National Museum. As a result, the collection became part of the Central Library of the Hungarian National Museum and was relocated to the museum building. The collection—comprising approximately 30,000 volumes of books and journals—supports the conservation of archaeological finds and museum objects, as well as the training of conservators and the professional work of museologists. The library holds a significant collection of translated foreign-language works and also preserves university theses produced by students of conservation studies.
As these theses play an important role in the education of conservation students, they are housed at the National Conservation and Conservation Studies Centre on Könyves Kálmán körút in Budapest.
Műtárgyvédelem 2012-2013
The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Protection and Conservation Collection.
Modern Period Collection
The Modern Period Collection is the most recent component of the holdings of the Central Library. Established in the late 19th century, it currently comprises approximately 52,000 items and fulfils a dual function:
on the one hand, it operates as a thematic scholarly library, and on the other, it serves as a museum collection supporting exhibitions—particularly through its holdings of rare periodicals.
As a result of this dual role, the collection is highly diverse. It includes scholarly syntheses and a wide range of document types, such as political party programmes, publications of institutions and non-governmental organisations, cookbooks, fairy tales, and product catalogues. The library also collects fiction, statistical publications, databases, and even telephone directories.
The rare periodicals collection contains a substantial proportion of periodicals published in Hungary. While the library no longer aims to collect these periodicals comprehensively, it continues to focus on identifying, acquiring, and preserving particularly significant or distinctive examples
Nagy Imre "Egy évtized" című kötete a szerző dedikálásával (1954)
The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Modern Times Collection.
From November 2005 our thematic library is open to the public.