The more significant microfilmed genealogical sources preserved in the Microfilm Collection of the National Archives of Hungary are as follows:
Libri Regii:
Libri Regii – (A 57) 1527–1867 years (Microfilm collection:
Libri regii dignitatum – (A 62) 1786–1867 (Microfilm collection:
(Libri regii primae classis – B 18) Transylvanian Royal Books 1687–1848 (Microfilm collection:
(Libri regii dignitatum secundae classis – B 20) Transylvanian Royal Books 1790–1848 (Microfilm collection:
Libri Regii – The National Archives of the Chapter of Gyulafehérvár – (F 1) 1581–1680 Transylvanian Royal Books (Microfilm collection:
The National Archives of the Convent of Kolozsmonostor – Protocolla, libri regii et stylionaria (F 15) 1534–1708, Transylvanian Royal Books (Microfilm collection: boxes 1576–1596.)
Royal Books – Ministry Responsible for the Affairs Concerning the King – (K 19) 1867–1918, Transylvanian Royal Books (Microfilm collection:
Acta nobilium (records concerning proofs of nobility under Charles Habsburg III and Maria Theresa) 1723–1784 (C 30) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1089–1120 and 9384.)
Departmentum nobilitare 1783–1848 (records of the department established to confirm nobility) (C 57) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 968–B1089; the list and the name index are in the boxes B 968–975.)
For county nobiliary records (and county assembly protocols) see the National Archives’ List of Records, Index of Microfilms or the computer database.
Genealogical tables 13th–19th century (National Archives, Section P) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1431–B 1470.)
Genealogical tables 16th–19th century (Archives of the National Government Authorities of Transylvania, the National Archives of the Chapter of Gyulafehérvár) (F 6) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1470–B 1471.)
Genealogical tables 16th–19th century (Judicial Archives) (O 59) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1471–B 1473.)
Károly Pataki-collection 1500–1899 (A 133) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1583–B 1585.)
Peláthy-collection 1500–1899 (R 272) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1534–B 1563.)
Daróczy-collection (Microfilm collection: boxes 40593–40684; the original manuscript is preserved in the Ráday Archives)
Minor Fragments of Family Fonds 1527–1957 (R 319) (Microfilm collection: boxes 47504–47544.). This contains family records and fragments of fonds which cannot be integrated into the family archives of the National Archives. The families are arranged alphabetically.
Domestic crested charters and nobiliary papers 1526–1923 (R 64). Only an insignificant fragment of this is on microfilm (229 selected frames). It was transferred to the custody of the National Archives from the Archives Department of the
Foreign crested charters and nobiliary papers 1541–1882 (R 126). These were transferred to the custody of the National Archives from the
Conscriptio Portarum. Records concerning the preparations of the national censuses of 1715 and 1720, their administration and the modification of tax system carried out on the basis of the census returns. 1695–1720 (N 76) (Microfilm collection: boxes 3149–3152.)
Antiquiores conscriptiones (N 77) (Microfilm collection: boxes 3152–3154.)
The census returns of 1715 (N78) (Microfilm collection:
The census returns of 1720 (N79) (Microfilm collection:
The census returns of 1728 (only the material of some counties preserved in local archives) (Microfilm collection:
Departamentum urbarie 1723–1848 (C 59) (Microfilm collection: boxes 4107–4314, 20667–20702.)
The national census returns of 1828 – Conscriptio regnicolaris (N 26) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1–B 282, 8612, 25389–25404.) Only the heads of housholds are named, the other adult family members (aged 18-60), as well as servants, serfs, and the landless are indicated in points of numbers. The number of major domestic animals is also indicated.
Only the material of some towns and counties survived from the census returns of 1857, mainly fragmented. (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1726–B 1735, B 1751–B 1804, B 1809, B 1811–B 1813.)
The census returns of 1869 are also very deficient and only contain the records of some towns and counties (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1474–B 1533, B 1586–B 1720, B 1735–B 1751, B 1804–B 1810, B 1813–B 1816.)
Dicalis (tax) census returns (Conscriptiones portarum) 1530–1707 (E 158) (Microfilm collection:
Regesta decimarum (church-rates/tithes census returns) 16th–18th cent. (E 159) (Microfilm collection:
Terriers of 1785/1786 (
Urbaria et conscriptiones – U et C (terriers, contracts) 15th–19th cent. (E 156), card-index in the main research room (Microfilm collection: boxes 2201a–2577a, 31537–31538.)
Miscellaneous census returns (
The census returns of 1750 (
National nobiliary census of 1754–1755 (Cathalogus Nobilium – A 75) (Microfilm collection:
Transylvanian census returns of Jews 1813–1845 (F 46) (Microfilm collection:
Cziráky-terrier 1819–1820 (
Cesuses of Jews 1725–1728–1755 (Acta Judaeorum – C 29) (Microfilm collection:
National census of Jews of 1848 (towns and counties alphabetically arranged) (H 15) (Microfilm collection: boxes B 1721–B 1725, list and index: 31143–31144.)
Census of Jews 1848,
Census of Jews 1827–1853. Original place of preservation: Hungarian Jewish Archives,
Military conscription lists – with some exceptions (e.g. Heves County) 19th century to 1918. (The original list are preserved in the county archives, microfilm copies: Microfilm collection: boxes B 283–B 967.)
Hungarian Royal Chancellery (Acta Miscellanea, Fasc. 5 Genealogy-related records, 17th–19th cent., A 120; Microfilm collection:
Protocols of canonical visitations (Visitationes canonicae) – mainly usable in genealogy in case they include the so called "Lista Animarium" i.e. "census of souls". Arranged by dioceses and deaneries; Microfilm collection: boxes 52, 847–850, 1687-1691, 2591–2599, 4456–4458, 5197–5201, 10491–10498, 13745–13748, 20013–20017, 21076–21086, 21168–21197, 21769–21794, 21937–21964, 23358–23373, 23443–23619, 23717–23749, 23781–23854, 26687–26690, 29061–29067.
Conscriptiones animarium (censuses of souls):
year 1780 | ||
City of | 1693–1776 | |
1770–1785 | ||
year 1774 | box C 541. | |
1778–1783 | boxes 16750–16751. | |
1763–1790 | ||
1795–1833 | ||
1772–1783 | boxes 16752–16754., | |
year 1771 | box C 541 | |
1763–1776 | 20014–20017. | |
" | " |
Parish Registers: arranged in alphabetical order and by denominations. The publication entitled "Egyházi anyakönyvek mikrofilmmásolatai" [Microfilm Copies of Parish Registers]; Budapest, 1977, by Margit Judák; the card-index of the Óbuda Division of the National Archives; the microfilm inventories of Series A, as well as the computer database [1] of the Department of Reprography on the Internet give a bold outline of them. The publication entitled "A Magyar Országos Levéltár Filmtárában mikrofilmen őrzött anyakönyvek katalógusa", I–II. NAH,
The records of the National Board of the Order of Knights (originals in the Archives of War History; Microfilm collection of NAH: boxes 48150–48177.). Order of Knights (üVitézi Rend”) -related records are also preserved in NAH (N 109, Ladula SSS 1921–1944; records of the National Board of the Order of Knights, P 1709, from 1940–1946 but these have no microfilm copies). In
Székely (Szekler, i.e. Magyar of Eastern Transylvania) lustrum registers and nobiliary census returns 1635–1737 (F 136, Microfilm collection:
The employees of the Department of Microfilm Collection and Film Library provide further help and information for researchers in connection with the mentioned genealogy sources.
Finding aids
In 1992, the National Archives of Hungary published the Register of fonds and sub-fonds about the microfilmed sources kept in the institution. An up-to-date version is available on the computers of the Department of Reprography and the Inquiry Office. The files about the sub-fonds are arranged in alphabetical order, and a more or less detailed register was made in connection with the contents of the microfilm boxes.
Last, but not least, we would like to recommend some of our recently released publications:
Magyarország levéltárai. [Hungarian archives.] Ed. by László Blazovich–Veronika Müller. Budapest–Szeged, 1996.
A Magyar Országos Levéltár. Levéltárismertető. [The National Archives of
MOL fondjainak és állagainak jegyzéke I–IV. [Register on the fonds and sub-fonds of the National Archives of Hungary, I–IV.] Ed. by János Buzási.
While the first two books inform us about the archival material only in outline, the last one presents the sources kept in the Archives in full details, actually on the level of fonds and sub-fonds. Its volume 4 contains comprehensive indices of persons, subjects and place names.