Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2016 (96. évfolyam)
2016 / 3. szám - HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT - Fejér László: Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus ... a European scientific co-operation in the 18th century
Historical snapshot Hungarian Journal of Hydrology Vol. 96. No. 3. 2016. The 290 years ago released "Danubius Pannoniéi Mysicus ..." six-volume, historically important natural science monograph, which gives the description of the Hungarian and Serbian Danube section, is a significant example of a 18th century European scientific cooperation. The background and appearance circumstances of the monograph are reviewed by László Fejér, section editor of the Hungarian Journal of Hy drology. Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus ... a European scientific cooperation in the 18th century In 1726, in Amsterdam a beautiful publication was released namely Count Ferdinando Marsigli’s six- volume scientific work on "Danubius Pannoniéi Mysicus..." from one of the print works.. According to the title of the publication, the description of the Hungarian and Serbia section of the Danube was an unique undertaking, as a scientific summary was published from such an area that was liberated from the Ottoman rule only few decades earlier. It was no coincidence of the proud statement of the author Marsigli: "I was the first person, who brought into prominence ...from its barbaric unknown character ... this remote hidden world..." (Deák 2004). A question may immediately arise, how a Northem-Italian Count get to the historical Hungary, and why his epochal work was published in the Netherlands? Marsigli, who inured in the University of Bologna, became officer of the Habsburg armada at young age and because of the unpredictability of wars, he became prisoner of wars and miserable slave of the Turkish army. He was eventually freed by ransom, and - in possession of rich Balkan experiences - he defected again to the imperial army. "I'm a soldier, but in my life I always found the esteem of books and science necessary." His quick military success, thanks to his monitoring, mapping and analytical knowledge, assured him a rapid military advancement. He has used his position in favour of scientific research of those territories he took also possession of. Wherever he turned up, he made notes, drawings and sketched-maps, and he slowly formulated the idea of preparing a monograph on the Danube. All these coincided with the aspiration of the emperor and his surroundings to get better acquainted with and utilize the economic circumstances and resources of the new domain for further wars. Leopold I provided financial support to the preparation of the upcoming scientific works. Marsigli, although in terms of his interest, he was a true Renaissance man, but he was not familiar with the deeper knowledge of individual disciplines. However, he was very good at finding those scientists who helped him in his work with their experiences, working methodologies or carrying out certain measurements and research. He gradually started to operate an international team through correspondence or with his representatives. His most reliable cartographer was Johann Christoph Müller, but he often turned for advice to the outstanding geographer Domenico Cassini. Those who worked for him were Georg Eimmart of Nuremberg and the Hungarian Dávid Rozsnyai, or Paulus Ritter from Zagreb, but he was in close contact with the Newton led the Royal Society, as well. When he measured the flow velocity of the Danube at individual locations, he asked for advice from the famous Domenico Guglielmini. It should be noted that Marsigli carried out these measurements not so much for a definite purpose, but rather for his scientific interest. If the 18th century is considered as the century of adventurers, than Marsigli belonged, in good sense, to the "adventurers" of the science. And why the work was published in Amsterdam a quarter of a century later than the observations and the research were made? Well, the reason was that Marsigli who was not only disgraced, but stripped of his military rank and any of his assets, because of surrendering the besieged Breisach fortress in 1704, in the War of Succession, which took place between Leopold 1 and the King of France, Louis XIV. Under these circumstances, the Emperor withdrew the support, and Marsigli had to stealthily rescue his materials and illustrations on copperplates to his home town Bologna. Here, the finalization of manuscripts began as well as preparation of other maps, and drawings, which work progressed very slowly due to the scarcity of finances. Finally, the finding of right print work, the back and forth secure transportation of the high-value copper plates, and above all, to ensure the authors' rights meant serious, but rather most time-consuming negotiations... Topics of the six large-sized volumes are as follows: I. The peoples of the Danube, as well as its geographical, hydrological conditions, II. Roman relics, III. Minerals, IV. Fish, V. Birds live along the Danube waters and their nests, VI. Various observations.
