Page - 363 - in Rudolf Eitelberger von Edelberg - Netzwerker der Kunstwelt

Matthew Rampley Across the Leitha Rudolf von Eitelberger, the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry and the Liberal View of Culture in the Habsburg Empire Introduction In the archives of the Museum of Eastern Slovakia in Košice there is a letter from Rudolf von Eitelberger to the Hungarian art historian Imre Henszlmann (1813–1888).1 It is not dated, but the content makes it possible to establish roughly when it was written. It reads as follows : Hochverehrter Freund ! Mit dem heutigen Tage habe ich die Leit[un]g des österr. Museums für Kunst u[nd] Industrie übernommen ; u[nd] bitte um Ihren Rath u[nd] Ihre Unterstützung, ganz besonders Ungarn gegenüber. Mir liegt daran, 1)  daß mit dem Museum jene Männer in Ungarn in Verbindung kommen, die sich um Kunst u Kunstindustrie verdient gemacht haben ; 2)  daß jene Kunstindustriezweige Ungarn’s in Wien zur Ausstellung kommen, in denen ent- weder einzelne Männer in Ungarn [excellieren ?], oder wo es den Ungarn nützlich ist, daß in Wien ihre Objekte zur Ausstellung kämen […] Hoffend, daß Sie mir Ihre Unterstützung nicht versagen werden u[nd] daß es mir gelingen wird, Sie mit dem Institut in dauernde Verbindung zu bringen.2 1 The research for this article was undertaken thanks to the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust. I would also like to thank Nóra Veszprémi and Andrea Mayr for their help. 2 R. Eitelberger von Edelberg, Letter to Imre Henszlmann, March/April 1864, Museum of Eastern Slovakia, Košice. “My most honoured friend. Today I assumed the directorship of the Aus- tr[ian] Museum of Art and Industry ; and I am asking for your advice and support, especially with regard to Hungary. My priorities are : 1]  that the Museum should come into contact with those men who have made an outstanding contribution to art and art industry in Hungary ; 2]  to exhibit in Vienna those branches of Hungary’s art industry in which either individual men excel, or where it will be useful for Hungarians to exhibit their objects in Vienna. […] Hoping that your support will not fail me, and that I shall succeed in bringing you into constant contact with the institute.” Trans- lations, if not stated otherwise, are by the author.