Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 84. (Budapest 1992)

Szujkó-Lacza, J.: Botanical legacy of Lajos Haynald (1816-1891) in the Hungarian Natural History Museum

196 G. Papp At that time the financial basis of the museum was the Museum Fund. This fund accumulated in 1808/9 from the contribution of all the Hungarian counties, Fixed in a few percents of the 1808 war tax. For the expenses only the interest of the fund were allowed to spend on. Therefore the budget was very restricted and individual donations were also drawn on even to the salary of the museum staff. For the salary of the curator of the "Camera Naturae et Artis Productorum" and his helper in 1810/11 three noblemen and the county of Bihar donated a fund of 29,000 forints altogether with an interest of 1740 Ft. Unfortunately the value of this fund and of the whole Museum Fund fell to one fifth after the devaluation of the forint in 1811. This serious blow restricted the activities of the museum considerably. The main task of the curator was to arrange the continuously arriving donations. In this period of the natural history collections the majority of the material received was mineral or fossil. The first botanical objects (disregarding the four dried flowers sent by JULIANNA SZÉCHÉNYI-FESTETICS in 1803) were Transylvanian plants in a herbarium, consisting of three volumes, bought in 1809. In 1811 Palatine JOSEPH donated a collection of Hungarian trees curved to simulate the form of books. The first objects of the zoological collection (donated in 1807/8), were a one-eyed piglet with a horn on its forehead, preserved in spirits, a heron, and an egg of a raven. This strange ensemble illustrates the fact, that in these first years the natural history collection had also a character of a curiosity chamber. The first zoological collection of scholarly character, bought in 1812, contained butterflies and beetles. The technological collection got its first items in 1808. Considering the enrichment of the collections, in 1812 the Palatine permitted the appointment of an assistant for TEHEL, JÁNOS KUTSCHERA-KUTSCHERFELD. After his death (1814), JÓZSEF JÓNÁS, the eminent mineralogist helped TEHEL in the work. In 1813 the present site of the National Museum was purchased and in November among others the Collection of Natural History and Technology was transported from the University into the old building standing on this site. The collection got 12 newly furnished rooms on the ground floor. (TEHEL'S official quarters were nearby in the house). According to a contemporary report, published in the newspaper "Vereinigte Ofner Pester Zeitung", the topographical mineral, rock and coal collection of Hungary occupied the first large room. Another room housed the fossils, mainly diluvial mammal bones (Ossiotheca), whereas three rooms were devoted to systematical mineralogy. The botanical collection (herbarium and dendrarium of Hungary) was stored in one room. The zoological exhibits were arranged in four rooms. The models of buildings and machines in one room and in another one the manufactured products of Hungary represented the technological collection. In the arranging of the collection, in addition to his assistant, TEHEL was supported by two voluntary helpers. One of them, PÁL JÁNY soon became a paid employee, keeper of the zoological collection, the other, FERENC FOJTH was appointed to the keeper of the botanical collection only in 1817. TEHEL had not got much time from fate to spend in the museum. On 5 November, 1816 he had a stroke of apoplexy, and a fortnight later died at the age 47. His twentyyear-long marriage with TERÉZIA ROMBACH was childless. TEHEL was regarded by his contemporaries as a mineralogist. Even though he was a member of the Mineralogische Societät (Mineralogical Society) in Jena, Saxony, he