Bendefy László: Mikoviny Sámuel megyei térképei, különös tekintettel az Akadémiai Könyvtár Kézirattárának Mikoviny-térképeire. 1. köt (A MTAK kiadványai 71. Budapest, 1976)
Angol kivonat
summary The County Maps of Samuel Mikoviny With Special Regard to the Mikoviny-Maps which Are in the Possession of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences The members of the Mikoviny family were country gentlemen who dwelled in Zemplén County at the surroundings of Tokaj. According to archival data,an offspring of the family,born at the end of the 16th century, wanted to be appointed as head of a customs office at Tokaj or at Ungvár in the year 1607. His request had been supported by high-placed intercessors. Samuel MIKOVINY, the author of the county maps discussed in this volume, was born in the year 1700 in the community of Abelova, as a son of an Evangelic pastor.He absolved his lower schools at Abelova, and studied then in a school probably at Besztercebánya (Banska Stiavnica) . It is well known that, at this time,the celebrated Mathias BÉL, the first descriptor of the geography of this country worked there. The young MIKOVINY became one of his closest friends and he produced even two excellent copper engravings to be used in the work "Hungáriáé Antiquae et Novae prodomus" by BÉL. MIKOVINY continued his university studies at Jena in Germany. He obtained a degree in mathematics and mining engineering and allegedly spent a short time at the court of the Prince of Saxonia and Jena as an architect. Then, he travelled extensively all over Europe for several years for gaining more experience. Returning to his native country, several jobs had been offered to him. He accepted the invitation of Pozsony County to be a sworn engineer there. However, two years later (1729) he was appointed as an engineer of the Court Camera at Vienna. In fact, he was the only engineer at the staff of this institution. His tremendous state of overworking was the consequence of this unique position. In order to make use of his services in the field of military cartography he was nominated to be a major on the general staff. Later on, he obtained the rank of a lieutenant-colonel. Being the only mining engineer on the staff of the Camera, he was commissioned to organize the School of Mining Officers at Selmecbánya. This Institution became later an Academy of Mining and Forestry and was developed into a Mining University at Miskolc and into a University for Forestry and Timber Industry at Sopron.
