Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 7. (Győr, 1965)

Uzsoki A.: The history of Archaeological Collection and research in the city and region of Győr

the arch-abbot of Pannonhalma, even the part of his valuable collection not given by him to the museum in his life, was acquired for the same after his death. His collection of archaeology, numismatics and natural history totalled several thousand objects, regarded as a significant one even by national standards. Nándor Fabry (1831—1904) made his appearance as a collector of archaeological objects at Győr in 1865. He executed the rescue excavation of ,a cemetery of Celtic and Árpádian graves, situated to the South of the Győr Gas Works; he has given a report on his work, but the revised second version of his descprition has been handed down to us as a defective manuscript only. Both in collection and research his real subject was numismatics. He bequeathed his precious collection of coins and gems to the Magyaróvár Museum. József Hercz (1815—1889), born at Győrsziget, busied himself with the gathering of coins. Embracing numerous coins of local origin, his medal cabinet has been transferred from Győr to Sopron, since the owner, a canon of Sopron chapter, bequeathed his collection to the Benedictine grammar-school of the latter city. Lajos Kálóczy, descending from a family of Győr county, advocate, later subprefect and member of parliament, joined the collectors of archaeological and numismatical objects in the 1870-s. He possessed a collection of prehistorical finds and coins of local significance, the fate ot which is unknown to us. István Miháldy, parson at Bakonyszentlászló, gathered prehistorical and Roman archaeological objects to the South of Győr, along the Rába river in the 1860-s; they were brought to the Hungarian National Museum and the Veszprém Museum later. Miklós Rosos collected numismatic objects at Győr in the 1850-s and 1860-s, until his transfer of domicile to Zirc in the 1870-s. History of the Museum and Archaeological Research at Győr 1. The Activity of Flóris Romer, Founder of the Museum, 1857—1861. The founder of the Győr Museum, Flóris Romer was born at Pozsony in 1815. He became a teacher in the Benedictine grammar-school at Győr in 1838, and a professor of the royal „upper school" at Pozsony in 1845. In the fight for Hungarian independence of 1848—1849 he was among the most enthusiastic warriors. He was sentenced to eight years' confinement in chains in a fortress; regaining his liberty, he returned to Győr in 1857. He arranged the collection of natural history of the Benedictine grammar-school and he gave much impetus to its development through his agitative articles, becoming the usual features of the newspaper „Győri Közlöny". Encouraged by Arnold Ipolyi, he turned to archaeology, setting the foundations of a small collection. Romer endeavoured to enliven the cultural activity of the city too. Helped by his students, he developped the small collection of natural history of the school, raising it to a level of a collection of natural science and archaeology of several thousand pieces. In the course of his archaeological surveys he travelled not only in the surroundings but also in the Bakony mountains, in Transylvania and Southern Hungary, enriching the collection with a mass of finds. His success and the proposition of the teaching staff of the grammar-school made him a corresponding member of the Central Committee for the Preservation of Art Relics of the Monarchy (Kaiserliche Königliche Central-Comission zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale); the rights attached to this position have made the grammar-school a centre for the collection and preservation of art relics in the Győr region. Thus in 1859 the Museum has been founded, and authorities named Flóris Romer to be its first director naturally. The official establishment of the museum and his appointment gave a new impetus to his activity he roved the surroundigns of the city with a renewed vigour, and he succeeded in raising the collection of archaeology and natural history, situated in the building of the grammar-school, to the level of more than ten thousand objects. The museum has been opened to the public on the 29th May 1860; at this occasion Ede Reményi, the world-famous violinist and Rómers's friend, gave a concert to the benefit of the institution. 93