Own-library of Dean of Kolozsvár, of Michael Szathmárnémethi Mihály (1638–1689)

Abstract

Michael Szathmárnémethi was a Calvinist preacher living in the 17th-c., and was famous for many of his bestsellers. He studied in Sárospatak and in the Low Countries. He was the most prolific writer of the second half of 17th-c. in Hungary, he wrote in many genre (i. e. Hebrew Grammer, Controversy, prayer-book, festive Sermons, explications on Psalms). He died in Cluj Napoca (Klausenburg / Kolozsvár) as Dean, and therefore his books remained in that place and were preserved in Republici Româna Academiei.

It was known that the preacher had left his library to the Reformed Church in Kolozsvár, but there were none of other issues until now. I delivere there a list of books with a precise documentation of bibliographical items. I’m plannig to prepare a whole analysis of these books, e. g. bookbinding, possessors, provenance of items, datas of saling, and yet bibliophile custums of owner: all this matter should be published in a substantive monography before long.

As I can mesure it, book-list contains 261 publications in 143 volumes, and scarcely 25 books printed in Hungarian context and/or language (these are the so-called RMK-books). Language of that list is generally the latin, there is in part of other cultures, of Hungarian, Holland literatures, and of the Sacred languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic and Greek). Substance of that personal library is a synthesis of contemporary theological and philosophical knowledge, its origin comes from international basis, and a remarkable amount derives beyond that from the renaissance presses. In sum I establish that the Transylvanian book-owner in the 17-c. was a well-educated theologian who had got a typical library.