György Lukács, 1885-1971.
Author of History and Class Consciousness, one of the great Marxist philosophers of the 20th century
Ignoring international protests, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences has closed the Lukács Archive and Library
Update for: Urgent Petition, Save the Lukács Archives
Statement from the Lukács Archive International Foundation (LANA)
Budapest, 17 June 2018
The Lukács Archive and Library (LAK) has been de facto closed.
After the earlier removal of books and manuscripts, on May 24 2018, the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (LIC), the owner of LAK, closed down the Archive indefinitely — until the end of planned renovation of György Lukács’ flat, which hosted the LAK — and expelled the last expert research associate. The LIC has not yet provided any relevant information, either on the reopening or on the starting date of planned renovation.
The LAK still exists de jure, and at the meeting with the delegation of LANA on 6 June 2018, László Lovász, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), denied that the HAS would like to close LAK. LANA does not consider this as a result, but hopes that the leaders of HAS will assess the damage to the cause of science and the prestige of the HAS which they threaten to bring about if they are not able to deliver clarity within a reasonable period.
This remains the case even if proposed legislation, reported recently in the news, unexpectedly threatens the whole network of academia: the government wants to take relatively independent academic bodies under political control. LANA continues the struggle to preserve the LAK as a site of research, just as the HAS still stands by freedom of research.
LANA continues negotiations with the HAS, but is unable to succeed without the support of the domestic and international community of scholars. We therefore ask you to follow, observe, and support our struggle.
Ágnes Erdélyi
Chair of the Board
No comments yet.