Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 94. (Budapest 2002)

Matskási, I.: Bicentenary of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

Another method helps us outline palaeoenvironmental conditions and palaeogeographical changes. 'Today is the key to yesterday' - this is our guideline when analysing palaeoecology. In order to form an idea about their relatives' palaeoenvironment we must have as precise data as possible about the environmental needs of plants and animals of our time (e.g. ferns: humid, woodland environment, coral reefs: tropical, neritic zone). The investigation of one-time living organisms' distribution plays a crucial role in palaeogeographical analyses. Investigations relating to the special historical events of the biosphere, mass extinctions, the annihilation of species are not less exciting either. One of the subsequent chapters discusses these investigations. While development was fairly intensive up to the mid-1970s (remarkable enrichment of collections, a broad variety of subject matters, far-reaching scientific investigations, etc.), the scope of activities has somewhat narrowed ever since, with research becoming more focused for that matter. Thanks to the noteworthy boom in respect of science, museology, and the propagation of general knowledge, the Department of Geology and Palaeontology has become not only an internationally acknowledged workshop of palaeontology research but the centre of geological exhibitions and dissemination of general knowledge as well. Department of Botany As in the case of the other departments of the Natural History Museum, the Department of Botany underwent development within the confines of the National Museum. No sooner than in 1870, however, did it turn into a stand-alone Department, which made this year mark the actual birth of the Department of Botany. GYULA KOVÁTS was the first botanical guardian of the museum, and the first Hungarian palaeobotanist, who got appointed as the Head of the 'Department of Natural Phenomena' in 1850, i.e. at a time when departments were still combined. That is the reason why his name often sinks into oblivion and VIKTOR JANKA enters most people's mind as the first person becoming the guardian of the Department of Botany, or director in today's sense. In that year there occurred an event enhancing the reputation of our museum in Europe; namely, the Hungarian Parliament voted for purchasing the Lobkowitz collection that was offered for sale, and thus had priority over the Royal Court in Vienna as well as several other states and tradesmen who also showed interest. This was the richest and most beautiful geological collection of Austria and Hungary.