The Apor Vilmos Catholic College has been enriched by the legacy of Dezső Tandori, after the heirs donated more than 6,400 volumes from the library of the Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian poet, writer, translator and his wife Ágnes Tandori to the higher education institution in Vác, the Apor Vilmos Catholic College told MTI.
After Dezső Tandori's death in 2019 and his wife Ágnes Tandori's death a year later, the heirs decided to donate a significant part of the couple's library, 6,413 volumes, to the Apor Vilmos Catholic College. Their request was that the donated books remain together and that the collection be researchable, the announcement reads.
As they write, the institution placed the volumes in a separate room equipped with a lockable shelving system, specially converted for this purpose, which was named the legacy of Dezső and Ágnes Tandori. The location is also symbolic because Ágnes Tandori spent a significant part of her childhood in Vác with her siblings.
"When preserving Dezső Tandori's library, it was an important aspect to keep the library together, as this way we can create a truly complete picture of what books surrounded Dezső, what books he read," the statement quotes Dezső Tandori's heirs.
The books arrived at the college in boxes from the couple's legendary Lánchíd Street apartment. Cataloging is currently underway, which is expected to be completed by next December. The collection can still be visited by prior appointment.
During the cataloging process, many volumes were found that were dedicated to the writer by significant figures of Hungarian literature. For example, Péter Esterházy, János Háy or István Ágh. In one of the volumes, which is about ornamental birds, Tandori's personal notes can be seen, the summary states.
Source: vasarnap.hu / MTI
