Local history researchers can find below a brief guide about what document series they should consult when researching the history of a settlement or parish.

Veszprém Episcopal Archives (VFL I.)

VFL I.1.2. Litterae Circulares. Diocesan encyclicals contain information on priests’ dispositions. (1726–)
VFL I.1.4. Negotium religionaria. Documents of discussions with protestant denominations in Veszprém, Fejér, Zala and Somogy counties about religious matters, mostly about the ownership of the churches reoccupied after the Turkish era. (1721–1790)
VFL I.1.6. Acta parochialia. Special documents regarding the parishes, according to deaneries. (1702–1839)
VFL I.1.7. Acta et fragmenta visitationis canonicae parochiarum. These documents are the supplementary resources of the volumes of Visitatio Canonica. They contain the laws which were exactly and legally stated in the volumes of Visitatio Canonica (see next section). So it contains all the documents which state the legal relations of a parish. It applies to the church building itself, its treasury, the internal equipment and the sequence of church services. Furthermore it covers: the fundus instructus and the library of the parish, the filial churches, oratories, chapels, sculptures, crosses, cemeteries, schools, etc. on its territory, the priest’s earnings, the rights and obligations of the patrons and squires, the legal relations between the priest and the followers, the general moral life of the followers, the priest himself, the laymen in the service of the church and various pious foundations. (1747–1846)
VFL I.1.8. Visitationes Canonicae. Protocols of canonical visitations. About its content, see the series Acta et fragmenta.(1698–1942)
VFL I.1.10. Acta personalia. The personal affairs of the diocesan priests, preliminary documents of dispositions, reports of patrons and deans about the serving priests, followers’ applications in personal affairs, etc. (1742–1832)
VFL I.1.13. Conscriptiones proventuum parochialium. Benefice conscriptions sporadically from 1726 to 1790, grouped by civilian counties from years 1802 and 1848, in bundles organized by parishes from the year 1896. Including the conscription of the parishes below 300 Forints of income from the year 1852, furthermore the statement of the land tax of parishes (1850-1860) and the statement of clerical tithe compensation (1854) and finally the documents controlling the income of the episcopate of Veszprém (1811-1816). Newer conscriptions of the parochial clergy also belong here. (1896–1946)
VFL I.1.14. Conscriptio animarum. Conscription of the population by the parishes, sometimes by filial churches, by families, indicating the religion, age, etc. of the family members. (1745–1771)
VFL I.1.15.a Status impopulationis parochiarum. Population data of parishes. (1769–1776)
VFL I.1.44. Acta Dioecesana. Document series from the year 1834 to present day with running reference numbers, replacing the former thematic order. Each year has its own register-book to assist consulting. The settlement (parish), (clerical) personal name and subject indices also make consulting easier.
VFL I.1.47. Reports on religious life. More recent reports on religious life, statistical findings. (1930–1948)
VFL I.2. Acta scholarum. Reports on the diocesan primary schools and the religious education of the secondary schools on the territory of the diocese. Tables and accounts about the status of the schools, qualification cards of Catholic teachers (1833-1947). Regarding the content, the correspondence with schools also belongs here, which was sometimes treated separately (1878-1900 and 1945-1948), sometimes included in the diocesan register-books (Acta Dioecesana)
VFL I.3.a.16. Testamentaria. (Ex VFL:A 22/16.!) Reports on the deaths of parish priests, assessment of their bequest, cases related to the clerical and lay people’s last wills benefiting pious foundations. (1743–1832)

Veszprém Chapter’s Archives (VFL III.)

VFL III.1.a. Documenta iuris possesionarii. Document bundle related to settlements, estates, partial estates, tithe rights belonging to the chapter. Charters created before 1526 are available for the researchers in digital format, consultability of more recently created documents is considered individually, depending on their physical conditions and the researcher’s Latin language and palaeographic skills. In the early 19^th century, when the series was registered, two chunky, handwritten volumes were written about its content which summarizes the content of each charter in brief, Latin language regestas. (1079 to approx. 1848)

From archives history aspect, a similar document series created in relation to the Veszprém episcopate also belongs here (Documenta iura episcopatus Vesprimiensis tangentia). Its period limits also include the Middle Ages – which can also be researched in digital form – but this series runs only until the end of the 17^th century. It was then that the episcopate’s document management was changed for the above mentioned thematic document management, due to this, the documents from the 18^th century on were classified in such thematic groups.

Before taking the documents in your hand, it is worth familiarizing with the content of the published document inventories, document publications. They are available in most of the major libraries and the new ones also provide besides the Latin text a brief abstract, regesta in Hungarian language. The place name index of each volume may be the basis of commencing the research.

Parish archives (VFL VI.)

In the archives it is also possible to consult the parish archives deposited with the permission of the parishes and maintaining their property rights.

Before 1860, the documents were written In Latin with scratchy handwriting, after this date they were also handwritten but in Hungarian language. Of course, the languages used may overlap some periods.
It is also worth seeing the vital records at the parish, if it is not possible, they are also available on microfilms in the county or national archives. At the parishes there is a historia domus, which, if kept scrupulously, contains the history of the parish from the 19^th century.

Recommended literature

Before commencing the research it is worth reviewing the following books. They are mostly related to local studies research but they can be connected to the parish history. (Items 4-12 contain demographical data.)
(0. Any local studies publication about the settlement.)
1. Ortvay Tivadar: Magyarország egyházi földleírása a XIV. század elején I–II. [Ortvay, Tivadar: Ecclesiastical land survey of Hungary in the early 14^th century I-II.] Budapest, 1891–1892.
2. Csánki Dezső: Magyarország történeti földrajza a Hunyadiak korában. [Csánki, Dezső: Historical geography of Hungary in the Hunyadi era.]
3. Vályi András: Magyarország leírása. [Vályi, András: Hungary’s description.]
4. Fényes Elek: Magyarország geográfiai szótára. [Fényes, Elek: Geographical dictionary of Hungary.]
5. Az első magyarországi népszámlálás (1784–1787). [The first Hungarian census (1784-1787).] Központi Statisztikai Hivatal Könyvtára Művelődésügyi Minisztérium Levéltári Osztálya. 1960.
6. Ludovicus Nagy: Notitiae politico-geographico statisticae inclyti regni Hungariae, Partiumque eidem adnexarum. I. Budae. 1828.
7. Magyarország Helynévtára. [Gazetteer of Hungary.] A különféle kormányzati ágak szerinti beosztás kimutatásával mint az 1863. év elején fennállott II. [With demonstration according to the different administrative branches as it was at the beginning of the year 1863. II.] A-K. B.- R. – A.- P.
8. Magyar Korona Országainak Helységnévtára. [Gazetteer of the countries of the Hungarian Crown.] Edited and published by the Royal national Hungarian Statistical Office.] Bp. 1873.
9. A Magyar Korona Helységnévtára. [Gazetteer of the Hungarian Crown.] A Főldmivelés-, Ipar- és Kereskedelemügyi M. K. Minister Úr Ő Nagyméltósága Megbizásából és Az Orsz. Magyar Kir. Statistikai Hivatal felülörködése mellet szerkesztette Kollerffi Mihály. Bp. 1877.
10. A Magyar Korona Országában az 1881. év elején végrehajtott népszámlálás föbb eredményei megyék és községek szerint részletezve. [The main findings of the census of 1881 in the countries of the Hungarian Crown detailed by counties and settlements.] A Földmivelési-, Ipar- és Kereskedelemügyi Magyar Királyi Miniszter megbizásával szerkesztette és kiadja Az Országos Magyar Kir. Statisztikai Hivatal. II. Kötet. Bp. 1882.
11. Magyar Korona Országainak Helységnévtára. [Gazetteer of the countries of the Hungarian Crown.] Ed.: Jekelfalussy, József. 1888.
12. Magyar Korona Országainak Helységnévtára. [Gazetteer of the countries of the Hungarian Crown.] A Nagyméltóságú Magy. Kir. Kereskedelemügyi Minister Úr Rendeletéből. Ed.: Jekelfalussy, József. Az Országos M. Kir. Statisztikai Hivatal. Bp. 1892.
13. Pfeiffer János: A veszprémi egyházmegye történeti névtára (1630–1950). [Pfeiffer, János: Historical directory of the diocese of Veszprém (1630-1950).]
14. Pfeiffer János: A veszprémi egyházmegye plébániáinak rövid története. [Pfeiffer, János: A brief history of the parishes in the diocese of Veszprém.] (Manuscript in the Veszprém Archiepiscopal Archives.)
15. Magyarország történeti helységnévtára Veszprém megye (1773-1808). Bp. 1994. [Hungary’s historical gazetteer, Veszprém county] (1773-1808)
16. Ila–Kovacsics: Veszprém megye helytörténeti lexikona. [Ila–Kovacsics: Veszprém county’s local history lexicon.] Bp. 1964.
17. Entries of the Magyar Katolikus Lexikon [Hungarian Catholic Lexicon] on certain parishes.
18. Vanyó Tihamér: A plébániatörténetírás módszertana. [Vanyó, Tihamér: The methodology of writing parish history.] Pannonhalma. 1941. (Special print from the volume 1940-1941 of “Regnum Egyháztörténeti Évkönyv" [Regnum Church History Almanac]
19. Parish history themed theses written at the Veszprémi Hittudományi Főiskola [Veszprém College of Theology] – methodology and basic books can be studied from them.