Dr. T. Tóth szerk.: Studia historico-anthropologica (Anthropologia Hungarica 21. Budapest, 1990)

ANTHROPOLOGIA HUNGARICA XXI. 1990 p. 5-10 The beginning of modern trends in Hungarian anthropology In memóriám of J. Nemeskéri (1914-1989) By T. TÓTH (Received October 17, 1989) The modern trends of natural historic (physical) anthropology took shape some seventy years ago. The activities of the International Institute of Anthropology (IIA, 1920-1937) and the subjects of the first three international anthropological-ethnological congresses (London 1934, Copenhagen 1938, Brussels 1948) (COMAS 1956) provided an indisputable basis for this statement. By 1950 all the fundamental aspects of the possible and necessary activity emerged and the conditions were laid down for the creative work up to our days. The subjects of further eight international congresses of anthropology confirmed this. Between 1930 and 1940 the favourable simultaneity of Hungarian and international tendencies ensured the predominance of the dualism of adaptation and originality in the activities of an enthusiastic group of students and research workers (research students, assistants and principal assistants) in the Institute of Anthropology of the Faculty of Arts, Pázmány Péter University, Budapest. The doctoral theses and papers of Irma Allodiatorisz, Erzsébet Stein, Miklós Fehér, Imre Lapp, Pál Lipták, Mihály Malán and János Nemeskéri are all of a high methodological as well as taxonomical level in analyzing the craniological and somatological aspects of their subjects. The late János Nemeskéri scientific consultant of the Demographic Research Institute of the Central Statistical Office was one of the most energetic members of this scientific group when choosing a creative path of life for himself. We may form a vivid picture of an important period of our discipline's history when outlining the results he achieved in the first part of his career (between 1937 and 1965). János Nemeskéri was born in Budapest, 9th April 1914. He was a student at the Faculty of Arts of the Pázmány Péter University, Budapest. At that time he was already a research student of the Institute of Anthropology (1934-1936). The subject of his doctoral thesis was the anthropology of Hajdus (1938). At the same time he became a member of the staff of the Anthropological Collection in the Hungarian Ethnographical Museum (1937-1939). Then he continued his work as Curator of the Craniological Collection in the Archaeological Collection of the Hungarian National Museum until the end of 1944. He played an important role in removing collection from the National Museum to the Hungarian Natural History Museum. He was the person who obtained the support of the authorities for the move. His energetic interdisciplinary organizing aptitude realized the establishment of an independent department (Anthropological Department) in this museum, that became extraordinarily rich by obtaining the skeletalized remains of nine thousands individuals. In recognizing his scientific activity he was awarded the scientific degree of candidate of biological sciences. He worked out extensive international connections as the head of the Anthropological Department in the years 19451965. These were reflected in the successful organization of two Hungarian anthropological symposia (1959, 1967). He played an important part in the organization of two permanent anthropological exhibitions (1955, 1962) of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. There he demonstrated some