National Széchényi Library, National library in Budapest, Hungary
This repository spans several floors within Buda Castle, housing over 8 million items in climate-controlled storage facilities equipped with modern preservation technology for books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, and music scores.
Count Ferenc Széchényi founded the institution in 1802 by donating his personal collection of Hungarian literature. The collection moved to its current location in the reconstructed wing of Buda Castle in 1985, after occupying various locations throughout the capital.
The institution serves as Hungary's memory repository, preserving rare documents including 1,800 incunabula, fragments of the Gutenberg Bible, and the original manuscript of the national anthem through legal deposit requirements for all publications.
Access is available Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Friday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Registration is required for certain collections, and research passes can be obtained on-site with valid identification.
The cartographic collection exceeds 300,000 maps and atlases documenting Hungarian and Central European geography through centuries, while the music archive holds 170,000 scores including autograph manuscripts by Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt, and Béla Bartók.
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