Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
Historical survey 3 9 PIERS. However, the tasks CHERNÉL undertook for the Hungarian Ornithological Centre left him less and less time for the museum. In 1916, two years after the death of OTTÓ HERMAN, CHERNÉL was appointed director of the Centre. He died at his home on February 21, 1922. The young OTTÓ HERMAN (18351914) had enjoyed the patronage of KÁLMÁN CHERNÉL while he was working in Kőszeg as a photographer. He had free entrance to the CHERNÉL home and its library and did preparations for his patron. The elderly bird enthusiast recognized HERMAN'S talent and gave him a letter of recommendation for SÁMUEL BRASSAI at Kolozsvár (Cluj), where he gained the advertised post of preparer at the Transylvanian Museum. 121 Through the work of ISTVÁN CHERNÉL and OTTÓ HERMAN, especially on bird migration, it was realized in 1891, at the 2nd International Ornithological Congress, held in Budapest, that an international organization for bird and nature protection was needed. Of course there had been significant scientific and diplomatic work done beforehand, but although it is somewhat peripheral to the subject of this book, the importance of this development makes it worth looking at in more detail. An Act on the Preservation of Seabirds had been passed in England in 1869. Then in 1875 came a Déclaration adopted by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Italy on the protection of songbirds, t. 5-3 . \ K(lU»(IY KI,KsiY,VI MAIIVU! KU!. M1XISTKI! К1ЛDVANYAI. MAUYAJ! oiíMTUOUMílAl KÖZPONT. MAGYARORSZÁG MADARAI GAZDASÁGI JELENTŐSÉGÜKKÉ. í:ilKIiNKl.UÁZI CHKÍS.4KL ISTVÁN. tKCBK« ISTViíi Figure 2.19. Title page of ISTVÁN CHERNEL'S main work, a two-volume study of the birds of Hungary (Budapest, 1899). It is considered the first comprehensive ornithological account of birds in the historical area of Hungary written by a Hungarian author although its significance was more diplomatic than practical. In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, ornithology received effective encouragement from Crown Prince RUDOLF, the heir apparent, who was himself an ornithologist. 122 His patronage led to the First International Ornithological Congress being held in Vienna in 1884, where the crown prince's intervention after a long debate ensured that the next congress would be held in Budapest in 121 LAMBRECHT, K. 1933. Herman Ottó élete (Life of OH). Budapest: „Magyar Könyvbarátok" Kiadása; CSABA, J. 1958. Herman Ottó kőszegi kapcsolatai (Kőszeg relations of OH). Vasi Szemle 12:122-3; idem 1964. Herman Ottó Vas megyében (OH in Vas County). Vasi Szemle 18:556-62. 122 HABSBURG, RUDOLF, E.F. HOMEYER and A. BREHM 1879. Zwölf Frühlingstage an der mittleren Donau. Journal für Ornithologie 27:1-83; HABSBURG, RUDOLF 1887. Fünfzehn Tage an der Donau. Jagden und Beobachtungen. 255 pp. (He went bird-watching on the Danube with the young ALFRED BREHM, EUGEN F. HOMEYER and EDE HODEK.)
