Bárkányi Ildikó – F. Lajkó Orsolya (szerk.): A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2017., Új folyam 4. (Szeged, 2018)

Történettudomány

Ildikó Tasiné Csúcs

Lest science becomes an unwanted child" - Albert Szent-Györgyi and the Soviets

„Lest science becomes an unwanted child" Albert Szent-Györgyi and the Soviets

Ildikó Tasiné Csúcs

Until now, professional literature considered the connection of Albert Szent-Györgyi towards the Soviets to be either a peculiarity or a sign of temporary ideological self-assimilation. The aim of the present work is to prove that the nature of the scientist’s connection to the Soviet system was purely scientific, its main purpose being the adaptation of the Soviet scientific model to Hungarian conditions. We wish to prove that the most important objective of his public activity was the country’s scientific and cultural alignment all along. For this purpose, he considered the Soviet scientific model an example to be followed, having considered the geographical proximity and economical influence of the Soviet Union with a clear presence of mind regarding real politics. Advancement of natural sciences had a prominent role in the Soviet model, a sentiment

that Szent-Györgyi wished to achieve in Hungary as well. As a result of his effort, he managed to transform the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which had its main focus on the humanities, to an institution where the natural sciences were represented by the same number of departments [2], On the other hand, he was unable to get higher financial support of the natural sciences. In his capacity as a representative of the national assemble and as a scientist he raised his voice against the increase in military spending and the underfinanced state of the sciences. In our work we provide detailed account of these efforts, the unsuccessful nature of which had greatly contributed to the fact that the only Hungarian Nobel prize winning scientist left our country at the end of June, 1948.

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