The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungarian: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia [ˈmɒɟɒr ˈtudomaːɲoʃ ˈɒkɒdeːmijɒ], MTA) is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. Its main responsibilities are the cultivation of science, dissemination of scientific findings, supporting research and development, and representing Hungarian science domestically and around the world.
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History
The history of the academy began in 1825 when Count István Széchenyi offered one year's income of his estate for the purposes of a Learned Society at a district session of the Diet in Pressburg (Pozsony, present Bratislava, seat of the Hungarian Parliament at the time), and his example was followed by other delegates. Its task was specified as the development of the Hungarian language and the study and propagation of the sciences and the arts in Hungarian. It received its current name in 1845.
Its central building was inaugurated in 1865, in Renaissance Revival architecture style. The architect was Friedrich August Stüler.