Dávid Kaufmann (1852-1899) amassed one of the most important collections of Hebrew texts in the world. Though small in comparison to other collections - it contains 594 handwritten and 1,092 printed volumes - the quality of the works makes it important. The most valuable of the works is a handwritten copy of the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish traditions compiled around 200 CE, but the collection also contains local histories, letters and works on mathematics and medicine.
Aurél Stein (1862-1943) made his home in India from 1887. There he made expeditions in the service of the British Empire. Though a long way from his birthplace, Stein maintained his links with Hungary and the country's intellectual life, returning often and holding many presentations at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, of which he was a member from 1895. He made a rich contribution to the academy in the form of books, handwritten documents and almost 7,000 photographs.
The highlights of the academy's collection from Stein were recently put on display in an exhibition in Hong Kong as part of the Hungarian Cultural Season in China, state secretary at the Ministry of Education and Culture Katalin Bogyay said at the presentation.
"We are curious to see how Hungarian culture has inspired other cultures in the world, just as we are curious to learn what effect many other cultures have had on us," Bogyay said.
Chief rabbi Tamás Raj spoke about the Kaufmann collection at the presentation, and Gyula Wojtilla, a professor at the University of Szeged, showed the objects collected by Aurél, about whom he has written a book.
Source: Múlt-kor
