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

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 84. Budapest, 1992 p. 195-197 Dr. Lajos lehel (1769-1816), the first curator of our museum by G. PAPP, Budapest PAPP, G.: Dr. Lajos Tehel (1769-1816), the first curator of our museum. -Annls. hist-nat Mus. nam. Hung. 1992, 84: 195-197. Abstract - A short biography of dr. LAJOS TEHEL, the first curator of the Cabinet of Natural History and Technology, is given, completed with details of his activities in the museum and with new data on the early history of the Collection. LAJOS TEHEL, the first curator of the Cabinet of Natural History and Technology (Camera Naturae et Artis Productorum) of the Hungarian National Museum died 175 years ago, on 19 November, 1816. LAJOS TEHEL was born in Nagyszombat (now Trnava in Slovakia) on 26 March, 1769 as a son of an ironsmith. Having finished his lower and secondary classes in his home town TEHEL moved to Pozsony (now Bratislava in Slovakia) and became engaged in commerce. Soon afterwards he went to Vienna to continue his studies, and took his first degree as a doctor of philosophy. Having returned to Hungary TEHEL immatriculated at the Medical Faculty of the University of Pest, and got his second degree on 17 December, 1793. Before his curatorship he had been working for more than ten years as the municipal physician of Óbuda (now a district of Budapest). TEHEL came to the museum in 1810, that is at the very beginning of its history. The Hungarian National Museum was created two years before by the Act of Parliament 1808: VIII. on the basis of the National Library, which existed from 1802. According to the "Protocolum Patriophilorum", the first inventory of this institution, minerals were donated to the collection already as early as 1803 by Countess SZÉCHÉNYI-FESTETICS, but regular donations began to be sent only after the plans of the National Museum became public in 1807. A lot of natural objects (mainly minerals) arrived, therefore the natural history collections got a separate room in 1809 in the central building of the Royal Hungarian University, where the National Museum was temporarily accommodated. FERDINÁND MILLER, the director of the Museum urged the appointment of a curator for the natural history collections. Not only this appointment was delayed because of the Napoleonic war, but the whole museum was removed to Nagyvárad (now Oradea in Rumania). The arrangement of the mineralogical collection was begun by TEHEL after the museum had returned to Pest (March, 1810). In his activity TEHEL followed the system of A.G. WERNER (MILLER 1818). On 22 October, 1810 Palatine JOSEPH (the official patron of the Museum) visited the newly arranged collection in the company of Archduke ANTHONY, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. The satisfaction of the noble visitors gave an opportunity to the director for the recommendation of TEHEL. Palatine JOSEPH appointed him to the curator of the Cabinet of Natural History and Technology on 18 November, 1810 with an annual salary of 1200 forints.