Dr. Kubassek János: Cholnoky Jenő természetábrázoló művészete (Érd, 2002)
Dr. János Kubassek: Jenő Cholnoky - a Hungarian geographer and artist - A public figure under the pressure of social obligation
su —^ o He whole-heartedly rejected totalitarian slogans and the fallacies of communist collectivism. This is why Cholnoky's opinions and geographical studies were not permitted to be published during the German and the Soviet occupation. A PUBLIC FIGURE UNDER THE PRESSURE OF SOCIAL OBLIGATION Cholnoky held several important positions in various professional organisations. This gave him the opportunity to meet influential decision-makers from the local to the highest government level and to convince them of the importance of environmental protection. One of his conspicuous successes is that Badacsony Hill and its unique and picturesque basalt columns at Lake Balaton are still visible today. He used all available means to propagate geography and explain his views of the world affairs of his time. Cholnoky was a popular lecturer not only among geographers. Following his initiative, the Hungarian Geographical Society regularly invited some of the great names of science to lecture (Sven Hedin from Sweden and Aurel Stein, the Hungarian-British geographer for example) . After Hungary lost World War I, he and his family had to escape from Transylvania. Unfortunately, lots of his personal belongings, papers and objects were lost at this time. He and Iiis family were compelled to live in miserable circumstances in railway wagons in Budapest. Cholnoky had to start life anew when he was already 50. He contributed to the preparation of the documents for the peace talks after the war. He compiled maps and papers that demonstrated the geographical unity of the Carpathian Basin. These documents were also published quickly in English and French to meet the deadline of the peace talks. However, foreign politicians did not consider these papers, presented by the Hungarian delegation in Paris, at all. His vision of the future of Europe after the Treaties of Versailles and Trianon has now been vindicated by history: the artificially created states (Czechoslovakia, the USSR and Yugoslavia) did not even survive the twentieth century. Cholnoky foresaw in 1920 that the arbitrary splitting up of the water system of the Carpathian Basin among several countries would make it very difficult to implement any coordinated action on water management. The recurring floods of the Tisza River and the pollution of incoming waters vindicate him yet again.
