Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)
Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Vámos, Éva Katalin: Contributions to the History of the Association of Hungarian Chemical Industrials
EVA KATALIN VAMOS* CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HUNGARIAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIALS The Association of Hungarian Chemical Industrials (VEGYOE) was founded 1904, two years after the foundation of the Federation of Hungarian Industrials (GYOSZ). Since 1895 a number of business federations have been founded on the basis of free association: special associations of the sugar-mill and flour-mill owners, textile manufacturers, brewers and malthouse owners. In 1902 the Federation of Hungarian Industrials was founded with the participation of nearly all the branches of the manufacturing industry. Thirteen special industrial associations were represented in it. Moreover, further special associations were founded, e.g. the association of glass manufacturers. According to the records of industrial development of 1904 the number of chemical companies was about 190, the number of workers employed in the chemical industry was over 20 000 and the value of its production amounted to 84 million Crowns. Thus it was quite natural that organizatory work should start in this special field, too. 1 The first step in public was done in May 1904. Ágoston Kohner, president of the board of the Share Company Hungária for Fertilizers, Sulfuric Acid and Chemical Industry convened a meeting in the matter on May 3, where some representatives of different branches of the chemical industry were invited. An appeal was sent off to the Hungarian chemical industrials. The signatories (enlisted in Table 1) 2 expressed their opinion to the effect that an organization similar to the professional association founded in Austria as far back as 1878 could be successful also in Hungary. The future association was meant to be an advocate of the interests of the chemical industry in the fields of customs policy, traffic matters, government contracts and social policy. They thought that the association would be qualified even to determine, in co-operation with the specialists of the chemical industry, the directions of the development of the industry. The commercial administration * Hungarian Museum for Science and Technology 1519 Budapest, P.O.B. 311 (Hungary)
