page_title: Klimo Library
section_title: The foundation of the library
hierarchical_section_title: Klimo Library / History / The foundation of the library
caption_attribution_description: Magyar: Klimo Könyvtár termei (Pécs)
context_page_description: The Klimo Library, Klimo Collection or Episcopal Library established in 1774 is the first public library of Hungary. It was established in Pécs by György Klimó, Bishop of Pécs and it is still operating. Although Klimó could not establish a university in Pécs, he still opened the library for the public. Until the Great War, the library was operating constantly under the episcopal see. After that, the building of the library and its collection were given to the university by Bishop Gyula Zichy for eternal use.
  From 1924, the library was the main university library of the University of Pécs until 2010, when the most of the university's collection was migrated to the University Library of Pécs and Centre for Learning. During this period, it was also a special library for political science and jurisprudence. Now the library contains historical documents and items and hosts an exhibition about the history of the university.
context_section_description: The predecessor of György Klimó, Bishop Zsigmond Berényi, who was the head of the episcopal see from 1736 until 1748 had a private library with around 3000 volumes, mostly theological, liturgical, legal and history works. With around a thousand volumes of the Chapter of the Cathedral, also in the same subject, the sum thereof constituted the basis of the library to which Bishop György Klimó added his own collection. After the extension of the episcopal see, a new wing was built for the library. When it was ready in 1774, Klimó opened the library for the public. Journals of that time – such as the Pressburger Zeitung and the Wienerisches Diarium – wrote that the collection of the library contained about 20.000 volumes. Researchers agree that this number was much lower, between 10–15.000 volumes.
  He collected books systematically, considering the needs of the faculties of the future university, which was not established in his lifetime. The most important and basic work of every discipline of the 18th century could and can be found in the library. Various fields, such as catholic and protestant theology, history, natural sciences and medicine, mathematics, linguistics and works of contemporary banned authors. Most of these books were purchased in Austria and Italy by his friends and agents. When Bishop Klimó died in 1777, the library had about 15.000 volumes. His successor, Bishop Pál László Esterházy increased the collection of the library, mostly with Hungarian and French contemporary works. Their successors did not take care of the library, no new purchases were made, therefore the institution finished operating as a public library.
  After them, Bishop Ignác Szepesy, who was Bishop of Pécs from 1827 until 1838 cared a lot about the library. He is also called the “second founder” thereof, as he continued developing the library, and had it arranged according to the most modern ways of that period. The current classicist building of the library was built in 1830 by József Piacsek after the bishop’s order. The previous collection was merged with Szepesy’s own private collection and it was placed in its present place in 1832. The books were and still are placed in an unusual way, according to their bindings. The most ornate, gold-plated volumes are placed in the Golden Hall (“Aranyterem” in Hungarian), and the works in the white-coloured parchment are placed in the so-called Membrane Hall (“Hártyaterem”). Between these two there is the former ornamental hall, named after Bishop Szepesy (“Szepesy-terem”), in which his collection is located. At that time, the library had around 33.000 volumes. The manuscript catalogues consisting of six folio-volumes were made in the 1830s. They give an alphabetic and classified order of the books for the visitors.
  After the death of Szepesy, his successor, Bishop János Scitovszky (from 1838 until 1848), the library was carefully expanded. After that, the library was increased mostly only by presents bequests, mainly by books according to the interest of the priests in the episcopal see.
caption: View of the Golden Hall from the Szepesy Hall
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