Old Prints of Hungary 1671 – 1685, vol. 5.

Among the relics of our national past and culture, it is the old writings and books that tell us the most. Architectural, artistic and museum antiquities are perhaps more spectacular, but at the same time silent. Old writings and books, on the other hand, speak of the interests, thoughts and problems of the people of the past. This volume, which follows on from the previous volumes on works published between 1473–1600, 1601–1635, 1636–1655 and 1656–1670, is a record of what those who could afford to support the publication of a book in Hungary from 1671 to 1685, and those who wanted to make a living from printing books in the country during this period, considered worthy and useful to print in Hungary.

The national history of this decade and a half is a turbulent one: The establishment of the absolutist state system of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, the failure and reprisal of the Zrínyi-Frangepán-Nádasdy conspiracy, the dismissal of the soldiers from the border castles and the movement of the fugitives in Upper Hungary, the sentence of the court of emergency in Bratislava against more than 300 Protestant clergymen and teachers, their imprisonment and redemption, the Diet of Sopron in 1681 and its resolutions. The movement and reign of Imre Thököly are the main historical events that are well represented in the printed material of the period.

In addition to the formal bibliographical data, the publication also covers the content and scientific aspects of the individual prints. It also explores the holding institutions of the mostly rare copies from beyond our borders. Tables show miniature copies of all the surviving title pages, and ten carefully compiled indices allow quick reference to all aspects.