Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 102. (Budapest 2010)
Papp, J.: In memoriam Dr Henrik Steinmann (1932–2009)
6 J. Papp HENRIK S TEINMANN was born in Budapest, on 27 March, 1932. Having earned his university degree he had a short two-year biology and chemistry teacher's career at the Secondary Grammar School of Hatvan. In 1957 he became an aspirant to candidate's degree (comparable to PhD degree) at the Natural History Museum. Dr ÁRPÁD SOÓS, one of the most outstanding zoologists of his time, was appointed the supervisor of his postgraduate studies. HENRIK S TEINMANN evinced his extensive interest in entomology already at this early stage. The anatomy, and in particular the nervous system, of Orthoptera was his chosen subject-matter, something that was rather unorthodox in the 1950s not only in Hungary, but across Europe, actually. Later this became the subject of his candidate's thesis, as well. His thesis was met with recognition, and in 1961 he acquired both the academic degree of Candidate of Biological Science and the university doctor's title. Proudly, but modestly, did he keep telling his closest friends that he had been the youngest (as he turned 28 just then) holder of a candidate's degree back then. His studies of insect anatomy were highly appreciated both by Hungarian and international specialists. Being rich in detailed descriptions and illustrations, his work on the anatomy of insects' nervous system (presenting Acrotylus insnbricus as a sample species of locusts) is of about 150 pages and was published in 1965 by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in English as a volume of a series of mini-monographs. The Hungarian Entomological Society recognised his scientific work by awarding him the Bronze Grade of Frivaldszky Memorial Medal in 1964. As a rule, the Society awards this prize to young talents of entomology. The acquisition of the candidate's degree cleared the way for his future career. His appointment to a research fellowship was just further reinforced by his being commissioned to look after the Natural History Museum's Orthoptera-Neuroptera Collection, one of the collections that had fallen victim to the conflagration of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, actually. In addition to the research of insects' anatomy, he was tasked with remodelling and developing minor entomological orders as well as researching their taxonomy. He carried out this task with great enthusiasm. With a view to enriching the collection, he visited many a Hungarian region where he would pursue collecting work with a resoluteness that was so characteristic of him. Besides, he enriched the museum with valuable collections of insects through trips organized by the Academy on a contractual basis or taken with his family. So his trips took him to a number of Balkan states, Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. bung. 102, 2010
