THE LUKÁCS ARCHVÍUM IN BUDAPEST IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING LIQUIDATED. THIS CENTRE IS THE HUB OF CRITICAL MARXIST THOUGHT AND ACTIVISM IN HUNGARY. PLEASE SIGN (EMAIL) AND SHARE THIS PETITION WIDELY AMONGST YOUR NETWORKS
Dear colleague,
As it is of public knowledge, on the instruction of the director general of the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA LIC), the removal and transfer of the manuscripts held at the Lukács Archive began on 15 January 2018. The manuscripts will be taken over by the Department of Manuscripts & Rare Books of the LIC, and the process will last a couple of weeks. The manuscripts will thus no longer be researchable at the Lukács Archive. Further information to be found in German language at:
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/325401.reaktion%C3%A4re-neutralit%C3%A4t.html
In the light of the imminent dismantling of the Lukács Archive, we shall send the protest letter below to both the President of the Academy and the Director General of its Library, asking them to cease and desist such plan. If you agree with the contents of the letter, and are willing to give your signature (academic title, name, country and academic institution), please answer this mail as soon as possible; in a couple of days it will be sent to the Academy.
In the case you know of someone who identifies with the contents of the letter and has not received this e-mail, please do not hesitate in forward it, asking him/her to send the signature information to this address (fgchicote@gmail.com).
Best regards,
Dr. Francisco García Chicote
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Argentina
To the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA)
elnokseg@titkarsag.mta.hu; lovasz@cs.elte.hu
To the Director General of the Library of the MTA
We the undersigned, who have had the opportunity to work at the Lukács Archive and/or enjoy the support and help of the Archive during our research, and for whom access to the printed and written manuscripts held at the Archive will continue to be an ineluctable necessity in our future work, were appalled to learn that despite the earlier promises and reassurances, the Library of the MTA is preparing to remove the manuscripts from the Lukács Archive. Such a step would destroy the independent character of the Lukács Archive—which should also be important for the MTA to maintain—and would cause inestimable damage to research. This is why we ask those responsible for the MTA and the Library of the MTA to stop this plan, in the interests of research.
22. 01. 2018
An den Präsidenten der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (MTA)
elnokseg@titkarsag.mta.hu; lovasz@cs.elte.hu
An den Generaldirektor der Bibliothek der MTA
Wir, die Unterzeichnenden dieses Briefes, die die Gelegenheit hatten, im Georg-Lukács-Archiv arbeiten zu dürfen, und/oder während unserer Forschungsarbeit durch das Archiv unterstützt wurden, und für die der Zugang zu den im Archiv bewahrten handschriftlichen Materialien auch in Zukunft eine unumgängliche Bedingung ihrer Arbeit ist, haben mit Erschrecken die Nachricht empfangen, dass trotz vorheriger Versprechen und Beteuerungen die Bibliothek der MTA dabei ist, die Manuskripte aus dem Archiv zu entfernen. Ein solcher Schritt würde die Einzigartigkeit des Archivs, die eigentlich der Akademie teuer sein sollte, zerstören, und der Forschung einen kaum schätzbaren Schaden zufügen. Daher bitten wir die Verantwortlichen der MTA und der Bibliothek der MTA im Interesse der Forschung das Vorhaben fallen zu lassen.
22.01.2018
Al Presidente de la Academia de Ciencias de Hungría (MTA)
elnokseg@titkarsag.mta.hu; lovasz@cs.elte.hu
Al Director General de la Biblioteca de la Academia de Ciencias de Hungría (MTA)
Los abajo firmamentes, quienes hemos tenido la oportunidad de trabajar en el Archivo Lukács y/o recibimos apoyo y ayuda del Archivo durante nuestras actividades de investigación, y para quienes el acceso a los manuscritos y documentos impresos que se encuentran en el Archivo continuarán siendo una necesidad ineludible en nuestra labor futura, nos hemos horrorizado al saber que, a pesar de todas las promesas y garantías anteriores, la Biblioteca de la Academia de Ciencias está preparando la remoción de los manuscritos del Archivo Lukács. Tal medida destrozaría el carácter independiente del Archivo Lukács –que por cierto sería beneficioso incluso para la Academia– y causaría un daño inestimable a la investigación. Es por esto que pedimos a aquellos responsables de la Academia y su Biblioteca que cesen en este plan, en aras de la investigación.
22.01.2018
