125 years Hungarian Geological Survey
CONTENTS, FOREWORD
Contents
Foreword (Gábor Gaál)
PART I (1869-1994)
Kálmán Balogh: History of the Hungarian Geological Survey from 1869 to 1919
Sándor Jaskó: History of the Hungarian Geological Survey from 1920 to 1949
Géza Hámor: Tasks, activity and results of the Hungarian Geological Survey between 1949 and 1991
Gábor Gaál - László Kuti: The Hungarian Geological Survey - the near past, present and future
PART II (1969-1994)
Géza Chikán: Geological mapping
Géza Császár: Achievements in stratigraphy
Zoltán Balla: Basic research
József Knauer: Contribution to mineral exploration
István Horváth: Geochemical research activity
György Tóth - László Kuti - Tibor Cserny: Environmental geological research
Mária Földvári - Róbert Horváth: Laboratories and analytical activity
Márta Csongrádi - Elizabeth Erdélyi - László Kordos: Collections
Károly Brezsnyánszky: Publishing activity
József Hála: Directors of the Hungarian Geological Survey
References
Foreword
The 18th of June, 1869 is of outstanding importance in the history of the Hungarian geology in as well as in the whole world. The King of Hungary Francis Joseph I signed the Deed of Foundation of the Royal Hungarian Geological Institute on this day. By this royal act the Hungarian Geological Survey began its activities - as being the first scientific research institute of the Hungarian state and as one of the earliest foundations of this kind also all over the world.
The fundamental tasks of the Survey were specified by the Deed of Foundation along the following lines:
(a) detailed geological survey of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown is to be carried out, along with the publication of the results obtained corresponding to the demands of the science, agriculture and industry;
(b) geological maps of the territory of the Hungarian state, both of general and detailed character have to be compiled and published;
(c) petrographical and paleontological collections have to be established in order to demonstrate the formations and their features taking part in the makeup of the territory of the Hungarian state;
(d) chemical analyses of soils, minerals and rocks are to be performed for agricultural, mining and other industrial purposes.
Since the 12th of October 1899 the Survey is housed in the present headquarters. This building being an excellent representative of the characteristically Hungarian "secessionist" style has art historical importance and as such it is held in high esteem all over Europe. It is one of the most important works of Ö. Lechner, a renowned architect of the Hungarian "fin de siécle". The building was erected in 1898-1899 by S. Hausmann on the site donated by the city magistrate of Budapest. The financial basis was provided by the Hungarian state and by Mr. A. Semsey a rich landowner who generously offered a considerable part of the enormous sum of money needed.
During its history the Survey has always been acting in the spirit of the aims formulated in the Deed of Foundation, although in the time elapsed since its foundation many of changes took place as the tasks were modified according to the current demands of the society and the national economy. By serving the science the Survey has made every effort, however, to meet the requirements of everyday life as well.
During the 125 years of its existence there were times of success and those of crisis. The past few years were of the latter. We are living in a period of constrained restructuring and reform times, of fundamental changes in the scope of our activities, and we are looking for new directions. Doing our work in the framework of the new organization set up in 1992 we have to reformulate our tasks and to achieve success bearing the burden of the radical cutback of our staff and of the restrictions in our budget since 1993. Accordingly, we commemorate the 125th anniversary of the foundation amid considerable difficulties.
It is essential, even in difficult times, to commemorate, and to recall the successes but also failures. We owe this not only to ourselves but to the posterity as well. And it is essential to have days of celebration, because we are proud of our 125 years old Survey, which has achieved outstanding results in the enrichment of the geological knowledge at home and abroad. We do need the historical retrospection for learning the lesson of the past and for our successful advancement; but we do need also the celebration, in order to strengthen our belief in the importance of our vocation.
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In the first part of the volume four papers summarize the most important events of the 125 years of the Survey's history. The studies of the second part are focused on the activities of the recent 25 years, on the results of the important tasks of the Survey. This part contains also the short biographies of the Survey's directors who were in office in the period under consideration. At the end of the volume there is a detailed list of references in which the published papers and unpublished manuscripts referred to by the authors have been compiled. In this bibliography the emphasis has been on the publications reporting on the most important achievements of the past 25 years.
I have the honour to recommend our present publication to readers of the present time and of the future in Hungary and abroad, both to our colleagues and to all those who are interested in the activity of our Survey. We hope that we might do our work under more calm and more orderly conditions in the coming times serving the interests of the society and the economy of Hungary, and the development of geological sciences both at home and on the international scene. If our hopes come true, the authors will report on more success and less problems in the volume to be edited on the occasion of the next anniversary.
Gábor Gaál
Director