The short history of the Institute

Short history of the Geological Institute of Hungary
Geological research in Hungary started in the 18th century by Hungarian and foreign professionals. Geological mapping of the country was initiated in the middle of the 19th century by geologists of the Vienna Geological Institute (K. K. Geologische Reichanstalt) founded in 1849. The need for establishing an independent Hungarian geological research institute emerged following the reconciliation with Austria signed in 1867. The first step was the foundation of the Hungarian Royal Geological Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Economic Affairs by the Minister István Gorove in 1868. At his initiative the establishment of the Geological Institute of Hungary was approved by the Emperor Francis Joseph I on 18 June 1869. Its statutes addresses the following tasks: detailed geological mapping; compilation and publishing of overview and detailed geological maps; setting up mineral-, rock- and fossil collections; execution of chemical analyses as required by agriculture, mining and industry. It was the first national state research institute in Hungary and one of the oldest geological institutes worldwide. It started its activities under the director Miksa Hantken upon the principles laid down by him and his associates and focused its efforts invariably on scientific as well as practical objectives meeting the demands of the society and economy. The change in these requirements transformed its operation becoming increasingly differentiated. Governed by outstanding scientists as well as ambitious leaders and organisers it has always been able to survive some periodically occurring crises and to revive its activities through the introduction of new scientific, research and analysis methods.
Under the directorship of Miksa Hantken (1869-1882) the institutes rather small but highly qualified staff outlined the main features of the countrys geological setting together with setting up the nomenclature of geological formations and their stratigraphic division within an amazingly short deadline. The geological mapping of Transdanubia started on 1:28 800 sheets, the results were presented on 1:144 000 quadrangles. The Institute performed its numerous national tasks at high level and with great impetus including systematic geological mapping, prompt publication of the results, organisation and development of the library and collections, publication of the Annals Series and the Annual Reports incorporating fundamental and comprehensive papers (the first and latter ones appear from 1871 and 1882, respectively) and ensuring external relations of the scientific work (active and effective participation in international conferences and world fairs).
János Böckh directed the Institute between 1882 and 1908 that experienced a remarkable advance during this period. The work became differentiated (e. g. in 1883 the status of mining geologist and chemist was introduced, in 1891 the Agrogeology Department was established, from 1892 on a specific expert was assigned to deal with the protection of mineral and medicinal waters and the solution of the problems of communal water supply, in 1893 hydrocarbon exploration started in different parts of the country), and the systematic geological mapping of the country continued and substantially advanced (the results were already published on the new 1:75 000 sheets). The Hungarian Geological Society published the 1:1 000 000 geological map of the country in 1896. It was the first domestically produced geological map of the country compiled essentially upon the data collected by Hungarian geologists. Designed by Ödön Lechner and supervised by Sándor Hauszmann the secession style palace of the Institute with Hungarian motives was built between 1898 and 1899 thanks to a considerable grant from Andor Semsey. It was ceremonially inaugurated on May 7 1900. On May 29 the new building was also visited by the Emperor Francis Joseph I, King of Hungary having formerly signed its founding charter.
Lajos Lóczy sen. directing the Institute between 1908 and 1919 put the emphasis on geological unit-based mapping and the multifarious examination of specific areas with their monographic description. Some of his other priorities included the study of coal- peat- and fen districts, exploration of hydrocarbons and rocks for cement production as well as the geological mapping and applied research of the surroundings of the railway track in Balaton Highland. In 1909 the Institutes potash exploration in the Transylvanian Basin resulted in the discovery of the largest known gas field in Europe then. The organisation of the first international conference in the Institute took place also in this period (1st International Agrogeological Conference, 1909) and in 1914 started the publication of a new, important periodical, the Geologica Hungarica series.
For some years after the upheaval caused by World War I and the Hungarian Soviet Republic the Institute had virtually been crippled and anticipated stabilisation without appointed director and comprehensive plan. Its assigned directors between 1919-1923 and 1923-1925 were Tamás Szontagh vice director and Móric Pálfy geologist, respectively. As a result of the Trianon Peace Treaty, Hungary lost most of its mineral resources. Consequently, beside geological and agrogeological mapping the most critical task of the Institute became coal-, precious ore- and hydrocarbon exploration.
In 1925 Ferenc Nopcsa, the world-famous palaeontologist was appointed director. Beside geological mapping he put the main emphasis on scientific work. In order to facilitate the publication of the results he set up an in-house printing office and photo laboratory. He took great care of maintaining international contacts. One of the important related events was the annual conference of the Paleontologische Gesellschaft held in the Institute in 1928 in the last year of his directorship.
After the departure of Nopcsa, Imre Timkó, geologist was assigned to lead the Institute for a short period (1928-1929) followed by the manager-type Hugó Böckh in 1929 remaining in office until 1931. He focused attention primarily on economic tasks (e. g. hydrocarbon and bauxite exploration) but hydrogeological and agrogeological surveying, as well as geological mapping also proceeded. In the latter field he introduced new methods trying to enhance precision. He promoted the incorporation of the results of geophysical surveying into the geological work and put major emphasis on the execution of exploratory boreholes across different parts of the country. After his death Kálmán Ernszt, chemist was assigned director (1931-1932).
In 1932 Lajos Lóczy jun. was appointed director in office until 1946. Following the legacy of Hugó Böck he considered practical research (e. g. oil-, gas-, coal-, peat- and ore exploration) to be the fundamental task of the Institute but he did not neglect other research fields either (e. g. the first groundwater observation wells in the Great Hungarian Plain were implemented during this period). In 1935 another new publication series was launched entitled Geological Description of Hungarian Regions. During World War II the efforts of the staff of the Institute were essentially directed on mitigating the skyrocketing shortage in raw materials of the war economy.
From the end of World War II the Institute had seven appointed or assigned directors (1944-1946: Gyula Vigh, 1946-1950: Tibor Szalai, 1950: Sándor Vitális, 1950-1952: László Majzon, 1953-1956: Jenő Noszky jun., 1953: Kálmán Balogh, 1956-1958: Miklós Kretzoi). Due to the pressure exerted by the immense, frequently enforced development of heavy industry the main task of the Institute during this period was the intense exploration of energy- and mineral resources (hydrocarbons, coals, ores, building materials, metallurgic accessories, etc.). Consequently, from 1953 the leading role had been taken by the departments of applied geology. As a result the execution of basic tasks had been pushed into the background. Though geological mapping was still practiced it plummeted to a major low. Of the important assets of this period the establishment of the National Geological Archive and the publication of the Geological Map of Hungary (1956, M=1:300 000) can be noted.
Under the directorship of József Fülöp (1958-1969) purposeful in-depth baseline, mapping and methodological research proceeded according to a long-term conceptual framework together with the initiation of systematic processing of the results. This period can be described by focusing the research on specific areas, the strengthening the geological laboratory and the improvement of documentation in the triangle of analysis-synthesis-publication. Activities proceeded within the framework of three divisions (Mapping, Laboratory and Documentation). The Mapping division was subdivided in departments according to regional geological units. They undertook systematic geological mapping, as well as the detailed and comprehensive investigation of the mapped regions. Of the numerous assets the publication of the 1:200 000 Geological Map Series of Hungary should be noted (the first sheet came to light in 1965). The organisation of the first post-war international scientific meeting (International Mesozoic Conference, 1959) took place during this period and in 1969 in the frame of the widely attended centenary commemoration some 629 foreign professionals representing 47 countries and some 249 Hungarian experts participated in the international workshops and the congress organised on this occasion.
At the start of the leadership of József Konda (director between 1970 and 1979) activities were focused on solid mineral resources exploration, industrial, regional and deposit-based raw material resource assessment and complex mineral resource assessment. In the second half of the 1970s hydrogeological, as well as engineering geological activities (mainly water resource and building industrial raw material assessment) got the upper hand. Geological mapping proceeded on a reduced level.
The directorship of Géza Hámor (1979-1991) can be characterised by the synthesis and publication of the results of the preceding two decades, adjustment of the profile and organisation of the Institute to the international practice, the renewal of research fields and an all-inclusive modernisation. The main tasks were formulated as follows: geological basic research, regional geological surveying (mapping, prediction), applied geological target research, as well as strengthening the Institutes role in professional science publication and service provision (laboratory, library, data archive, and collections).
In the new social and economic system emerging after the political change in 1990 the whole national geological institutional system was caught by the float of the national transformation process. In this rather critical situation Director Gábor Gaál (1991-1996) and his associates were obliged to fight for the sheer existence of the Institute. New aims had to be formulated the realisation of which was achieved by setting up program-project units. Five programs (environmental geology, geological mapping, mineral resource exploration and assessment, basic research and geochemistry) were established managed by projects. Notwithstanding substantial budget- and ensuing large-scale staff cutback the associates of the Institute performed effective research work even in this, one of the most critical periods of the institutions history.