As part of a project funded by the Eötvös Loránd Research Network Secretariat (ELKH Secretariat), four research projects focused on filling knowledge gaps are launching in 2023 at humanities and social sciences research sites within the network. The research sites involved are the Institute for Literary Studies and the Institute of Archaeology of the Research Centre for the Humanities, the Institute for Historical and Uralic Linguistics of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics, and the Institute for Legal Studies of the Centre for Social Sciences. In 2022, on the recommendation of the humanities specialty college of the Scientific Council, the ELKH Secretariat requested specialized research site heads to review and gather previously neglected or unfinished research topics of both domestic and international interest within the scope of their research site's competence. After a comprehensive professional analysis of the proposals received, the ELKH Secretariat selected the topics for which it provides financial support within the project framework.
Miklós Maróth, president of ELKH said: “The aim of the initiative is to promote Hungarian research that has not previously been carried out or has been left incomplete in the fields of classical philology, linguistics and history, literature, philosophy and art history and that is of international interest. Research related to national history and identity is of paramount importance for both science and Hungarian society as it contributes to the successful transmission of our cultural heritage to future generations by uncovering previously unknown areas of science.”
A brief summary of the projects launched in 2023:
- The goal of the three-year project led by the Institute for Literary Studies of the Research Centre for the Humanities is the comprehensive exploration and analysis of the unknown 18th-century Hungarian Latin literature, as well as its publication in the Library of Neo-Latin Poets series. Researchers from the Eötvös Loránd University and the University of Szeged will also take part in the research.
The long-term objective of this fundamental research, which is significant for Hungarian literary history and culture, is to revive the corpus of Hungarian Neo-Latin literature, particularly its poetry, which was once renowned and highly acclaimed throughout Europe but has since been forgotten.
The current project includes the publication of the first three volumes in an English-Hungarian version to promote them internationally. Another important objective is the creation of a bibliographical database of all 18th-century Neo-Latin literature and the preparation and publication of a manuscript catalog of the work of 17 additional authors required to continue the series on a website.
- The Institute of Archaeology of the Research Centre for the Humanities is leading a three-year project aimed at continuing the processing and publication of artifacts from the period of Hungarian migration, utilizing new theoretical and practical methods. The goal is to publish the artifact corpus both online and in print. The project will also involve researchers from the Eötvös Loránd University, the University of Szeged and the Hungarian National Museum.
The project aims to collect and process 4th-11th-century Hungarian archaeological material in its entirety and create an artifact corpus related to the Migration Period. The research will also include the publication of archaeological material from iconic sites archeological evaluation of which could be crucial to future research.
In close collaboration between the institutions, ten new volumes are being prepared for publication in the following corpus series: Hungary’s conquest-era and early Árpád-era tombs, the German and English-language Monumenta Avarorum Archaeologica, Monumenta Germanorum Archaeologica Hungariae, and Monumenta Archaeologica Barbarorum inter Pannoniam Daciamque. The project also includes the preservation and publication of material from previous volumes in a database.
- The Institute for Historical and Uralic Linguistics of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics will undertake a five-year project to integrate the study of the historical phonology of the Hungarian language within the framework of current phonology models and recent theories related to sound change.
Researchers will apply new perspectives to the analysis of phenomena related to innovation, phonologization, and morphology to re-introduce the details of Hungarian historical phonology in relation to sound system changes to the international scientific discourse, which has recently gained momentum.
The project's findings will be presented in English-language journal articles and summarized in an English monograph, which will offer a comprehensive overview of the topic to the scientific community. The related digital database will also provide a unique visualization of the most significant processes and data from Hungarian historical phonology.
- The aim of the three-year project to be the completed by the Institute for Legal Studies of the Centre for Social Sciences (TK) is to explore, interpret and present the concept of historical constitution, constitutional arrangements, unpublished scientific works related to the era, and the relationship between historical constitution and the current constitutional arrangements using legal methods. In addition to enriching public law history knowledge, the research significantly contributes to the evaluation of specific constitutional dilemmas.
The project prioritizes the publication of scientific works and public law and constitutional summaries, including manuscripts and studies of legal scholars such as Polner Ödön, Csekey István, Szontagh Vilmos and Buza László, which have been preserved in their literary estates and are largely unknown until now. The publications will include a comprehensive analysis and presentation of the historical constitution-related practices of the Constitutional Court. The results will be published in domestic and foreign language studies, journal articles, and summary volumes. The compilation of a handbook presenting the historical constitution of Hungary, which can be utilized for educational purposes, is also considered a significant contribution.