53. Dr. Károly Gobbi (1873-1943), military doctor.

... Autographed memoir entitled „Emlékeim Przemysl ostromáról és az orosz hadifogságról” (My memories of the siege of Przemysl and Russian captivity).
519 pages. Undated.
In the second half of the 19th century, the most important defensive fortification system of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was built in Przemyśl, Galicia, to block the main direction of a possible Russian attack. During the First World War, from the autumn of 1914 to the summer of 1915, one of the largest and bloodiest sieges of the entire war took place here on the Eastern Front, comparable only to the Battle of Verdun. A significant proportion of the defenders, victims and prisoners of war of the fortress system were Hungarian. Dr Károly Gobbi – then medical captain of the 8th, later the 7th Honvéd Infantry Regiment, and finally of the 23rd Honvéd Infantry Division – is the historical chronicler of Przemyśl's successful repulsion of its first siege in September 1914. He is a richly detailed documenter of the nearly six-month-long, exhausting, inhuman suffering-filled desperate defence and starvation of the fortress system, which was surrounded by tsarist troops during another attack in November 1914, and its forced surrender on 22 March 1915. At the end of the siege, some 120,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers were taken prisoner. Dr. Gobbi paints a detailed and objective picture of his captivity in Russia: Kazan, Tyetyusir, Samara, Saratov, Balasov, Kamisin, Krasnoyarsk and Chistopol. He carried out medical and dental duties in all his places of captivity, treating not only his comrades but also the civilian population of the settlements. He describes the living conditions and lifestyle of the prisoners and the local population in a naturalistic style of almost literary quality. He recorded everyday life in Russia, characterised all those he came into contact with, noted the changes following the revolution, but also described his gallant adventures. Being an excellent violinist, he also commemorated his concerts. The final section of the notes is an 11-page alphabetical glossary of words borrowed from the Russian language and a collection of common Russian-Hungarian words. Dr. Károly Gobbi – as clearly indicated in several places in the text – wrote his memoirs in the 1930s about the four years between 28 June 1914 and the last days of August 1918. The richness of detail in the memoir, the broad overview of events and participants, the references to precise dates, and the author himself make it clear that the compiler of the memoir relied on his former diary, which he wrote at the time of the events. This unpublished memoir manuscript is an exceptionally rare source of historical information about the events and the period.
Dr. Károly Gobbi, a stomatologist, is a member of the Gobbi family, which originated in Italy and has produced several generations of outstanding musicians in Hungary. His grandfather, Alajos Gobbi Sr. (Luigi Gobbi-Ruggieri), was born in Mantua and moved to Hungary, where he pursued his career as a violinist. His father, Alajos Gobbi Jr., was a violin teacher and director of the National Conservatory of Music. His paternal uncle, Henrik Gobbi, was a pianist who enjoyed the friendship and professional esteem of Franz Liszt and was a teacher at the Academy of Music. The family's artistic reputation was further enhanced by the legendary actress Hilda Gobbi, who was the niece of Dr. Károly Gobbi.


With:
1. Photo commemorating the officers of the 23rd Honvéd Division on the anniversary of the fall of Przemyśl.
On the front of the photo is Károly Gobbi's autograph identifying the 11 participants. Photo marked with Alfréd Pobuda's ink stamp.
Date: 17 March 1928.
2. The Przemyśl Memorial Committee's register of registered comrades.
List of 371 former soldiers who served in Przemyśl. Six-page typescript with Dr. Károly Gobbi's rubber stamp and autograph additions.
No date.
3. Circular letter from the Przemyśl Memorial Committee.
Attached is a list of 328 active and reserve officers who served in Przemyśl Castle. 7-page typescript with handwritten additions by Károly Gobbi.
Date: 22 February 1937.
4. Jenő Lévai: The Secrets of Przemyśl Castle
Budapest, (1932.) Published by Magyar Hétfő (Hungária ny.) 106p.
Original paper, with dr. Károly Gobbi's ink stamp.
 
Starting price: 500 000,-