Location

• Alba Iulia Strada Mihai Viteazul 21, Romania
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Languages

• German
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Romanian

Website

• http://gyfl.ro/hu/leveltaraink/erseki-es-fkaptalani-leveltar/fondjegyzek/120-vi-szemelyi-hagyatekok.html

Name of collection

• Áron Márton Memorial Collection in Alba Iulia

Provenance and cultural activities

• The Áron Márton Memorial Collection in Alba Iulia was founded already in the 1990s, though not in its present form. A part of the collection was in Áron Márton’s Wertheim safe, the second part in the bishop’s drawer, whereas the third part lay unarranged in the central archives. Its arrangement has taken place only in recent years thanks to the work of the papal prelate, provost, university professor, and heritage curator József Marton and the chief archivist Rita-Magdolna Bernád. The personal legacy representing the memorial collection belongs in its entirety to the Archiepiscopal and Capitular Archives within the Archdiocesan Archives in Alba Iulia. However, only a part of the collection can be found in the archives as the other part has been placed in Áron Márton’s room, in the former episcopal residence now housing the Áron Márton Museum.

  The memorial collection can be found in the Sixth Fonds group of the Archiepiscopal and Capitular Archives, among the personal legacies, bearing the label “VI. 22. Márton Áron (1896–1980)”. The material classified in nine sub-units measuring 6.2 linear metres comprises personal records from 1906–1981, private and semi-official correspondence dating from the interval 1931–1978, the bishop’s speeches from 1938–1978, his notes (letters), his inaugural speeches, greetings, photographs, printed materials (publications), press reviews, translations, typed manuscripts, photocopies of the records relating to Áron Márton kept in the Vatican Archives and dating from between 1927 and 1949, and posthumous documents from the period between 1981 and 2016. 

  The collection is in part processed, and in part blocked. The inventory work is linked to the name of József Marton. The possibility of carrying out research is limited mainly due to the beatification procedure approved by the Vatican in 1992, so research requires not only the authorisation of the archival institution but also that of the postulator of the cause.

Description of content

• The memorial collection can be found in the Sixth Fond group of the Archiepiscopal and Capitular Archives within the Archdiocesan Archives in Alba Iulia, among the personal legacies, bearing the label “VI. 22. Márton Áron (1896–1980)”. The materials amounting to 6.2 linear metres have been classified in nine sub-units. The first box of sub-unit VI. 22/a. contains in twelve files the personal documents directly linked to the bishop, from excerpts from the birth and baptism registers to his death certificate (1925–1980); school certificates (1906–1928); ecclesiastical appointments (1924–1938, 1991, 2013); documents related to his imprisonment (1949–1976); his medical records (1955–1974); testaments and documents related to his death and succession proceedings (1975–1981); his family tree and blazon; testimonies of ecclesiastical and secular contemporaries about the bishop; his own pocketbooks, his own mass-intention registry (1968–1979), and the bishop candidates in a sealed envelope. The second box of sub-unit VI. 22/a. stores records relating to the Holy See (1939–1980), the third box contains documents concerning legal matters (1948–1978), the fourth box holds documents relating to the Department of Religious Affairs in Bucharest and the state authority (1948–1968), while the fifth box stores circulars (1939–1979). The latter documents were published by József Marton in the eleventh and twelfth volumes of the series entitled Áron Márton’s Legacy.

  The three boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/b. comprise the material of the bishop’s private and semi-official correspondence from the period 1931–1978. In this respect, the boxes store records linked to the personal matters of priests, the protestation against the deportation of Jews, copies of court sentences concerning priests, records related to the visits of Cardinals König and Döpfner in 1970 and 1971 respectively, etc.

  The seven boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/c. contain speeches, notes, and letters of the bishop from the time interval 1938–1978. The materials in the first and second boxes of this sub-unit, comprising fifty files, and a part of files no. 51–66 of the third box were also published by József Marton in the already-mentioned Áron Márton’s Legacy series. The seventh box deserves special attention, since it contains copies and transcriptions of the documents from 1932–1975 in the Áron Márton legacy stored in the Batthyány Library.

  The seven boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/d. comprise inaugural speeches and greetings addressed to the bishop. Sub-unit VI. 22/e. contains the two large albums of the collection and eleven boxes of related photographs. The three boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/f. hold papal encyclicals, printed matter of circulars of the Holy See, and newspaper clippings, whereas the six boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/g. comprise the bishop’s translations (Gaudium et spes I-II, De ecclesia, Lumen gentium, Pacem in terris), notes, and typed manuscripts. The three boxes of sub-unit VI. 22/h. contain copies of the documents kept in the Vatican Archives with reference to Áron Márton from the period 1927–1949.

  The six boxes of the last sub-unit, namely, sub-unit VI. 22/I, hold posthumous records from the period between 1981 and 2016. The first three boxes contain beatification records (witness depositions, unsigned protocols of deceased and living witnesses) dating from 1990–2015, the fifth box holds documents relating to exhibitions and events linked to the bishop from the period 1987–2016, while the sixth box contains photos and video footages of the exhumation (on 1 September 2016) of bishop Áron Márton, Servant of God.

Content

• grey literature (regular archival documents such as brochures, bulletins, leaflets, reports, intelligence files, records, working papers, meeting minutes): 1000-
• manuscripts (ego-documents, diaries, notes, letters, drafts, etc.): 1000-
• other artworks (that cannot be classified by other filter categories such as paintings, sculptures, graphics, etc.): 10-99
• photos: 1000-
• publications (books, newspapers, articles, press clippings): 1000-
• video recordings (including oral history recordings): 0-9

Operator(s)

• Archdiocesan Archives of Alba Iulia – Archbishopric and Chapter Archives

Owner(s)

• Archdiocesan Archives of Alba Iulia – Archbishopric and Chapter Archives
• Márton, Áron

Stakeholder(s) of the collection

• Marton, József

Geographical scope of recent operation

• international

Topics

• alternative forms of education (e.g. flying universities)
• democratic opposition
• human rights movements
• minority movements
• religious activism

Founder(s)

• Márton, Áron

Date of founding

• 1920

Place of founding

• Alba Iulia, Romania
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Creator(s) of content

• Márton, Áron

Collector(s)

• Archdiocesan Archives of Alba Iulia – Archbishopric and Chapter Archives
• Márton, Áron

Important events in the history of the collection

• The Publication of the Áron Márton Memorial Book on the Hundredth Anniversary of His Birth. Marton, József, ed. 1996. Kolozsvár: Gloria Kiadó

Featured items

• Márton, Áron. 2015. Körlevelek – 2 (Circulars – 2). Drawn-up and notes added by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print Könyvkiadó
• Márton, Áron. 2016. Egyház – Állam (Church – State). Drawn-up and notes added by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print Könyvkiadó

Access type

• parts are closed to the public

Publications

• Márton, Áron. 2005. Házasság, család (Marriage, Family) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 1], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2006. Bérmálás (Confirmation) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 2], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2007. Keresztség, hit (Christening, Faith) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 3], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2008. Oltáriszentség, Krisztus Király (Eucharist, Christ the King) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 4], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2009. Papság (Clergy) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 5], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2009. Húsvét (Easter) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 6], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2010. Karácsony (Christmas) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 7], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2012. Nevelés (Education) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 8], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2013. Nyolc boldogság (Eighth Happiness) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 9], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2014. Miatyánk (Lord's Prayer) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 10], edited by József Marton. Marosvásárhely: Mentor Kiadó.

  Márton, Áron. 2015. Körlevelek – 1 (Circulars – 1) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 11], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

  Márton, Áron. 2015. Körlevelek – 2 (Circulars – 2) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 12], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

  Márton, Áron. 2016. Egyház – Állam (Church – State) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 13], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

  Márton, Áron. 2016. Egyházi belső ügyek (Religious Internal Affairs) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 14], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

  Márton, Áron. 2017. Eszmék harca (Battle of Ideas) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 15], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

  Márton, Áron. 2018. Alkalmi beszédek (Casual speeches) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 16], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.

Author(s) of this page

• Jánosi, Csongor

References

Bodeanu, Denisa. 2014. “A Maros és Uránia dossziék: Márton Áron püspök megfigyelési iratai.” (The Maros and Uránia Files: Observation Documents of Bishop Áron Márton) In Állam és egyház kapcsolata Kelet-Közép-Európában 1945 és 1989 között: Intézmények és módszerek (The Relationship Between State and Church in Eastern and Central Europe Between 1945 and 1989: Institutions and Methods), edited by Zoltán Mihály Nagy and István Zombori, 145–152. Budapest: METEM.
Domokos, Pál Péter. 1989. Rendületlenül… Márton Áron Erdély püspöke (Tenaciously… Márton Áron Bishop of Transylvania). Edited by Máté Hídvégi. Szeged: Eötvös K. and Szent Gellért Egyházi Kiadó.
Márton, Áron. 2015. Körlevelek – 2 (Circulars – 2) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 12], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print Könyvkiadó.
Márton, Áron. 2016. Egyház – Állam (Church – State) [Legacy of Áron Márton – 13], edited by József Marton. Csíkszereda: Pro-Print Könyvkiadó.
Marton, József. 2014. A Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Egyházmegye a 20. században (The Roman-Catholic Diocese of Alba Iulia in the 20^th Century). Csíkszereda: Pro-Print.
Ozsvát, Judit. 2003. Erdélyi Iskola. Antológia, repertórium (Transylvanian School. Antology, Repertoire). Csíkszereda: Státus Kiadó.
Virt, László. 2002. Nyitott szívvel: Márton Áron erdélyi püspök élete és eszméi (With an Open Heart: the Life and Concepts of Transylvanian Bishop Áron Márton). Budapest: Teleki László Alapítvány.

Marton, József, interview by Jánosi, Csongor , August 08, 2018. COURAGE Registry Oral History Collection