Sándor Apponyi

Count Sándor Apponyi de Nagyappony was (1844–1925) a Hungarian diplomat, bibliofil, bibliographer and a great Hungarian book collector.

He was born in Paris where his father, Count Rudolf Apponyi was a diplomat. Sándor worked also as a diplomat. After his father death he moved to Hungary, and improved his collection. He married Alexandra Esterházy.

He was a Hungarian diplomat in London and Paris. So he could meet there a lot of great bibliofiles who inspired him to collect old printed books. Especially works of foreign writers about Hungary. He purchased books from foreign and Hungarian antiquarians. And he took part a lot of auctions. So he collected a plenty of interesting historical, aritmetical, biological, geographical and philosophical works in a lot of language. For example: German, French, Italian, Turkish, Dutch, English and Latin. This beautiful bibliofil collection name is Apponyi Hungarika. It could be find in the National Széchényi Library contains about 3000 books. There are many interesting topic in this collection. We can read about siege and taking of Buda or Belgrade by the Christian army and about Rákóczi's war of independence. Also there is a book of Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli about the coffee, from the planting of the shrub to the serving of the drink.

Count Apponyi had also a scolar relative, called Isotta Nogarola. She was one of the most famous female humanists of the Italian Renaissance. He has collected books about her era. This small interesting collection named Apponyi Rariora. There can be find the same topics like the Apponyi Hungarika. The difference is: these are about the Italian city, Verona. It counts about 300 works.

He has written a great catalogue about his books. In these we can read his interesting statements about the books beside the bibliographical dates.

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Wikipedia