Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)

Historical survey 3 3 Figure 2.14. KÁLMÁN CHERNÉL (1822-1891), a historian with a strong interest in natural history, especially ornithology. He wrote the first comprehensive account of animal life in the Kőszeg district 1998, 'Festetics made an important empirical statement when he defined his genetic laws, published in Brno three years before Mendel was born. They had sufficient theoretical interest to stimulate years of discussion and abortive attempts to find an explanation of heredity, a fitting prelude to Mendel's research.'

109 It became apparent that consistent' inheritance could only be found through carefully conducted inbreeding, which was the path that MENDEL was to explore later. FESTETICS probably did not conduct such genetic experiments, but relied on accurate horse and sheep studbook data kept on his estate since 1807. The clarity of his ideas is apparent in often still-relevant observations on inheritance of quantitative characteristics, on inbreeding, and on mutations.

110 Today there are marble tablets to IMRE FESTETICS on the wall of his family's former mansion at Kőszegpaty and on the wall of the Chernél House in Kőszeg.

111 Earlier accounts of the CHERNÉL family reveal several signs of responsiveness 109 OREL, V., and R.J. WOOD 1998. Empirical genetic laws published in Brno before Mendel was born. Journal of Heredity 89:79-82; WOOD, R.J., and V. OREL 2001. Genetic Prehistory in Selective Breeding: A Prelude to Mendel. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 110 SZABÓ, T.A., and L. POZSIK 1989. I. A magyar genetika első tudományos emléke, II. Festetics Imre (1819): A beltenyésztésről (A természet genetikai törvényei) (First scientific record of Hungarian genetics. II. IF 1819. On inbreeding (Genetic laws of nature). Tudomány 12:45-7; idem 1990. A magyar genetika születése: Festetics Imre elgondolásai a beltenyésztésről és a „természet genetikai törvényeiről" - 1819-ben (Brünn-Brno). Festetics Imre születésének 225. évfordulójára (Birth of Hungarian genetics. IF's ideas on inbreeding and the 'genetic laws of nature' in 1819 [Brünn-Brno]. For the 225th anniversary of the birth of IF). Természet Világa (Természettudományi Közlöny) 121:50-56; SZABÓ, T.A. 1993. Festetics Imre (1764-1847). Vasi Szemle 45:91-6; idem 1997. Genetic laws of nature published by I. Festetics (Brünn 1819). Antecedents of the Mendelian revolution (Brunn 1865-1900) in Western Hungary. 20th International Congress on History of Sciences, Liege, Belgium. In OPSOMER, С ed. Biological and Medical Sciences in Contemporary Period. Sect 8(5):354; idem 1998. Festetics Imre (1764 Simaság—1847 Kőszeg) és „A természet genetikai törvényei". I. Juhtenyésztési viták. Festetics Imre gróf úr további magyarázatai a beltenyésztésről. II. Festetics Imre - a korszerű örökléstan és származástan fényében. (IF [b. 1764, Simaság, d. 1847, Kőszeg] and the 'genetic laws of nature'. I. Sheep-breeding debates. Count IF's further explanations of inbreeding. II. IF—in the light of modern genetics and genealogy). In TOTHÁRPÁD, F. ed. Történelmi és művészeti antológia Kőszegről 11. (Historical and Artistic Anthology of Kőszeg II). Kőszeg: Kőszegi Várszínházért Alapítvány (Foundation for Kőszeg Castle Theatre), 88-93 and 93-8. 111 NÉMETH, M. 1997. Emlékezés az első magyar genetikusra (Memorial to the first Hungarian geneticist). Vasi Szemle 51:677-8.