One Hundred Years of the Hungarian Geological Institute [antikvár]

HUNDRED YEARS OF THE HUNGARIAN GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTEbyJ. Fülöp, Dr. Ph., Dr. Sc.,Corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences President of the Central Geological Office Director of the Hungarian Geological InstituteFOUNDING "/ consider the geological knowledge of this country to be of great importance for science and, particularly so, for the economy. For this reason, I feel obliged to promote geological surveys and investigations in order that the Nation may profit from these prospective scientific results as soon as possible" Those are the first lines of the letter written on January 16, 1868, by István Gorove, minister of agriculture, industry and commerce, to the Hungarian Geological Societya message urging the establishment of an independent, Hungarian, governmental geological institute.These sentences are a clear expression of the compelling need for both Society and state administrationwhich had just witnessed the Compromise of 1867 with Austriafor exploration, prospecting and for the central registration of mineral resources. Progress in railroad construction, steam navigation, power mills and other industries needed more and more fuel and these needs could only be met by large-scale coal mining developments. In addition, industrial development required an increase in metal production and in the output of other minerals.The level of science and the skill and number of scientists available were promising for the solution of the urgent problems. The Hungarian Geological Society had been functioning for two decades. Under its sponsorship all efforts had been concentrated on geological investigations. The pride of Hungarian geology, Professor József Szabó, joined by his great contemporary, Vilmos Zsigmondy, developed the plan for founding "a geological institute independent of Vienna".In July 1868, I. Gorove, with great competence, undertook the initiative measure: he set up a Geological Department for the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, and pro-9