MEASURES TAKEN TO SAVE THE ARANKA AND CSEREY COLLECTIONS

Abstract

Among the various activities of Count Mikó Imre, collecting and processing of historical sourcesfrom Transylvania merits particular attention. This endeavorwas driven by dual objectives: first, the preservation of these documents, which were at risk of deterioration; and second, the dissemination of these primary sources to the public at large. He regarded the preservation of cultural values as his paramountresponsibility, and thus, he took actions to ensure the survival of these collections, even purchasing the Aranka and Cserey libraries to safeguard them and make them accessible to the public. The purpose of this article is to provide a concise historicalaccount of the development of these document collections, their acquisition context, and, whenever feasible, their subsequent history.