Enterprise, Culture, Embourgeoisement

This is the bilingual (Hungarian and English) catalogue and accompanying volume of the exhibition to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Gusztáv Heckenast (1811–1878). The event was a joint project of the Res Libraria Hungariae Research Group’s 19^th Century Workshop of NSZL and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Gusztáv Heckenast, born on 2 September 1811, was a publisher and the co-owner of the historical Landerer-Heckenast printing press related to an important chapter of the modern history of Hungarian-language publishing. Our exhibition commemorated this Golden Man of the profession presenting all the areas of 19^th century life (industry, trade, technology, enterprise, politics, culture and science) through his activity as a book seller, printing press owner and publisher. The event also offered a glimpse into the past of Buda and Pest, later unified as the capital city of Hungary, on the road of modernization.

As the career of Heckenast was related to the landmarks of the most splendid century of modern Hungarian history, our book focuses on the cross-sections of his life and that both culturally and economically flourishing period. It shows a detailed picture of the life and profession of Heckenast including his innovations with a selection of illustrations of his environment, typographical tools and publications.