Technikatörténeti szemle 19. (1992)

KÖNYVISMERTETÉS - Papers of the First „MINERALKONTOR” International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Veszprém, 12-16 August, 1991)

or else the complaints of the municipal probator about the methods used by the royal probator, both of them asserting that the other defrauds the King and the citizens, resp. in 1570, King Maximilian issued a new regulation. In the royal mines, assaying was taught within the works, starting as an apprentice, and learning all procedures. The decree pronounces that the probator (the analyst) must take an oath. The text of this oath is very informative: „Schwöret dem erlauchtesten und mächtigsten Herrscher, Maximilian, römischen Kaiser, ungarischen und tschechischen König, österreichischen Erzherzog, unserem gnädigsten Herrn, dass Ihr ihm und seinem Kammergrafen folgsam und treu sein werdet, in Eurer Stellung Euch ehrsam verhaltet und das Gold und Silber eines jeden ehrlich prüfet, damit die rechtmässige Abgabe seiner Majestät ordnungsgemäss bezahlet wird, weiterhin wenn jemand Euch Erze bringt, Ihr diese auch ehrsam prüfet und vor dem Kammergrafen Ihr nichts zurückhaltet und sowohl reichen als armen Ihr ohne Falschheit prüfet, und darin Ihr weder Freundschaft noch Feindschaft kennet, keinen Lohn und kein Geschenk annehmet, Euch nicht täuscht und nicht täuschen lasset." The mining officer school in Selmecbánya, the centuriesold mining cultural centre of Upper Hungary, was founded by Charles HI in 1735, and promoted to the academy status by Queen Maria Theresia in 1763. As early as 1735, students of this school received — for the first time in the world — practical laboratory training. The deed of foundation of the school declares that students shall be taught ..practice et manipulando". The extant curriculum of the laboratory exercises includes the detection of 16 metals in ores, mainly by the blow-pipe technique. The laboratory training at the Selmecbánya Mining Academy served as model for the establishment of the new Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, in 1794. Let me cite from the project prepared by the organizing committee and laid before the Convention in Paris on September 28, 1794 by Fourcroy: ,1a physique et la chimie n'ont encore été montrées qu'en théorie en France. L'école des mines de Schemnitz en Hongrie nous fournit un exemple frappant de l'utüité de faire exercer et pratiquer par les éléves les operations qui sont la base de ces sciences utiles. Des laboratoires y sont ouverts et munis des ustensiles et des matériaux nécessaires pour que tous les éléves y répétent des experiences et voient par leurs yeux tous les phénoménes que les corps présentent dans leur union. Le Comité de Salut public pense qu'ü fallait introduire dans l'école des travaux publics cetté méthode..." The Hungarian example was actually foUowed in Paris, and it was at the Ecole Polytechnique that Liebig recognized the advantage of laboratory exrecises. When appointed to professorship in Giessen, he introduced such exercises at this university, and from there, this method of teaching chemistry spread over to other universities. The first chemical department in Hungary was established at the Selmecbánya Mining Academy in 1763. Its first professor was the Flemish chemist Jacquin who soon left Selmecbánya for the University of Vienna. During his residence in Selmecbánya, he performed his famous studies elucidating the difference between alkali hydroxides and carbonates. Many well-known scientists followed Jacquin in the professorship at the Selmecbánya Academy, and students from all over Europe came in the course of the 18th century, above all to learn analysis.