Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
42 Historical survey ogists and the other was to institutionalize the organization of international ornithological congresses. The early ones were held within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, in honour of the crown prince, in Vienna and then in Budapest, under the chairmanship of VICTOR FATIO of Switzerland. To return to the organizing work of OTTÓ HERMAN, one item in his programme consisted of the sample observations of 1890 and consequent compilation of an observation rulebook. 128 The four main stations were manned by HERMAN at Tótszentpál by Lake Balaton, ISTVÁN CHERNÉL at Dinnyés on Lake Velence, GYULA MADARÁSZ at Hegykő on Lake Fertő, and GÁBOR SZIKLA at Drávatorok. ISTVÁN FÁSZL took part at Sopron in the West Hungarian border region. The observation data, along with historical data on the spring migration, were processed and published by HERMAN. 129 There was a Main Report on the congress itself, in which domestic reports on fauna were coupled with travel reports. 130 The excursion to Lake Fertő, taken as part of the conference, was led by GYULA MADARÁSZ. The participants were the foremost ornithologists in Europe at the time: ANTON REICHENOW, HERMAN SCHALOW, JACOBY WANGELIN, ERNST HARTERT and TIVADAR ZIMMERMANN from Germany, BOWDLER R. SHARPÉ, LULEY PH. SCHLATER and CHARLES DANFORD from Britain, JAN BÜTTIKOFFER from the Netherlands, VICTOR FATIO from Switzerland, and ALEXANDER THEODOR VON MIDDENDORFF from Russia. They travelled by way of Győr, staying the night at Csorna, then crossing the Hanság to Fertő, and finally taking the train back from Nagycenk (FIRBÁS 1890a; LEVERKÜHN 1892; SCHAEFF 1891a, 1891b, 1892 and 1899). It was declared at the Budapest congress for the first time that some natural phenomena take place on a continental scale, so that many seemingly local occurrences have effects felt elsewhere. This recognition amounted to what would now be called a global view. 131 It was a revolutionary idea with dramatic implications that have only been appreciated fully in recent decades. The Budapest congress was such an international success that almost half a century later, the chairman at the Oxford congress of 1934 recalled it as a guideline for all the subsequent gatherings. 132 The third congress was held in Paris in 1900, with OTTÓ HERMAN, ISTVÁN CHERNÉL and 128 CHERNÉL, I. 1891. A II. nemzetközi ornithológiai kongresszus előmunkálatai (Preparations for the 2nd International Ornithological Congress). Természettudományi Közlöny 13:81. 129 HERMAN, О. 1895. A madárvonulás elemei Magyarországban 1891-ig (Elements of Bird Migration in Hungary, to 1891). Budapest. 130 Magyar Ornithológiai Központ (Hungarian Ornithological Centre). 1892. A II. Nemzetközi Madártani Kongresszus, Budapest: 1891. Főjelentés. (Hivatalos rész, 213 pp.; Tudományos rész, 210 pp.) (2nd International Ornithological Congress, Budapest: 1891. Main Report [Official Part, 213 pp., Scientific Part, 210 pp.]) Budapest. 131 NICHOLSON, M. 1987. The New Environmental Age. New York: Cambridge University Press; HATCHER, R.L. 1996. Academic objectives. In NATH, В., L. HENS and D. DEVUYST eds. Textbook on Sustainable Development, 58-80. Brussels: VUB University Press. 132 STRESEMANN, E. 1938. Presidential address. Proceedings of the 8th International Ornithological Congress, 6-22. Oxford.
