Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 94. (Budapest 2002)

Matskási, I.: Bicentenary of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

According to the first consolidated catalogue, drafted in 1821, the collection of taxonomy included 4,376, topography 2,075, hard coal 400, and geognosy (petrography, actually) 243 items. Although, by virtue of the Palatine's Decree, the collections of the museum became open to the public in as early as 1811, the first exhibition was not arranged before 1814, actually. Since the old museum building was demolished in 1838, the collections were packed in boxes and stored at the Ludovika Military Academy (Ludoviceum) until 1846. The mineralogy exhibition was re-opened in the new National Museum building in 1850. The independence of the Department of Mineralogy and Palaeontology and the blessed activity of JÓZSEF KRENNER, an employee from 1866 and the head of the department from 1870 through 1919, the year of his retirement, marked the golden age of the mineralogy collection. Though KRENNER had exceptional qualities, the unprecedented progress the collection made during this time could not exclusively be attributed to his own personal merits. A better financial stance of the cultural portfolio generated by the stormy economic development of 'the palmy days of peace', also had a role to play. If it had not been for Mr KRENNER'

s close friendship with ANDOR SEMSEY, a landowner, who funded every area of the Department by an amount far exceeding state subsidies for nearly four decades, as of 1878, all the previously mentioned factors added up would not have been enough. The acquisition of the 40,000-piece LOBKOWITZ collection in 1870 marked the start of an unprecedented enrichment that propelled the institution into the vanguard of European mineralogy. The collection - with the palaeontological material included - counted almost 120,000 items by the end of the period. The exhibition putting thousands of specimens on display was admittedly one of the world's most beautiful mineralogical spectacles. The turn of the 1910s and 1920s saw the end of the unique constellation that had lead to the 'golden age'. The political and economic collapse of Hungary resulted in profound changes both in terms of the social and financial environment of the museum. Though the World War II hardly caused any harm to the Department, the fact that the whole country had bled out white and the iron curtain had been drawn brought about serious indirect consequences. Nevertheless, the real disaster occurred in 1956: the better part of the priceless collection fell prey to the flames Soviet tank shells ignited. A considerable part of the warehouses and studies of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology were completely destroyed, just like collection items, books and files. The two exhibition halls burnt out, too. As a result, the Department almost declined into its pre-KRENNER period state. After rescue work, rubble-