At least 100 years of protection were given to János Arany's manuscripts

János Arany’s most precious manuscripts and other documents arrived in National Széchényi Library (NSZL) from Nagyszalonta-based János Arany Memorial Museum in February 2018, so as to be restored by experts. Read more about it here.

Marianne Érdi, Head of NSZL’s Restoration and Bindery Department said that documents of the volume of approximately 800 folios had been dry cleaned and each document had been examined as to the extent of the danger of ink corrosion. – The problem was present in most of the documents, and phytate treatment has been applied to them, which can stop this process, said the Head of Department. She pointed out that the copy of the translation of Midsummer Night’s Dream, made final by János Arany’s own handwriting, and the manuscript of Murány ostroma (The Siege of Murány) were in a relatively good condition for their age upon arrival in National Széchényi Library. Torn and damaged pages, and missing ones have been completed, book bindings have been repaired. Luckily, ink corrosion did not evolve on the pages of these volumes. –  Restoration performed according to our current knowledge will prolong the lifespan of the documents with several decades, if storage and repository conditions will meet stock preservation requirements, said Marianne Érdi.

The restored documents were returned to Nagyszalonta on June 22, 2018 by Dr. László Boka, literary historian, Director of Research and Academic Affairs, NSZL, Zsuzsanna Rózsafalvi, literary historian, staff member of the Manuscript Collection of NSZL, and Zsuzsanna Tóth, special restorer of the Library’s Restoration and Bindery Department.