Vajk Éva szerk.: Textil-és Textilruházati Ipartörténeti Múzeum Évkönyve (IX) 2001 (Budapest, 2001)

Jeszenszky Sándor: Dr. Endrei Walter (1921-2000)

Being highly accomplished in several fields, Endrei recognized that, owing to its interdisciplinary nature, the history of sciences and technics did not conform to the traditional organisation of the Hungarian Academy of Science. He played an important role in establishing the Academy's Complex Committee of History of Sciences and Technics he was president of until his death. Also, he was the one to initiate establishing of the Co-ordination Centre of Research on History of Technics, an organisation of the Hungarian Academy of Science at Loránd Eötvös University, and he was head of this organisation. He set up there a computerized databank on history of technics — the first one of such type in the country. He always considered the accumulated knowledge and collected historical relics as well as museum objects related to the textile industry as an integral part of the nation's cultural heritage and in this sense he initiated the establishment of the Textile Museum in Budapest. He took part actively in collecting its relics and in organising its exhibitions, as a result of which the Museum opened its doors in Gogol Street in 1986. In this 3500 m

2 area the museum objects were arranged very clearly and logically, thus Endrei often gave lectures to his students on history of technics in the Museum. Unfortunately, the first building of the xMuseum became a victim of privatisation in 1992. The building was sold and the Museum lost its chance to function. The objects were put in storage rooms. Still, Professor Endrei and his colleagues assumed the task of re-establishing the Museum. He untiringly went from office to office and got even the Parliament to deal with the question. Finally, his efforts yielded a result: the Textile Museum opened again in 1998 in a building which had belonged to the former Goldberger factory in Óbuda and had been, two hundred years ago, the home, office and first workshop of the founder of the later factory. Though its area there is smaller, the Museum still represents the same high level. In fact, without Dr. Endrei's work and activity the Museum of which he was the intellectual leader until his death, would not exist today. He was a kind man of good humour. He helped everybody and everybody liked him. He appreciated every valuable knowledge. He listened to the presentation of a first-year student with the same interest as to the lecture of a worldwide known university professor, if he could gain new knowledge. It was not authority but knowledge he respected in a person but he could not stand unfairness and inhumanity. His slogan was: intolerantiam non tolero. Sándor Jeszenszky Dr. Walter Endrei (1921-2000) Mit dem Hinscheiden des Polyhistors der Technikgeschichte Dr. Walter Endrei im Alter von 80 Jahren erlitten die wissenschaftlichen Kreise einen großen Verlust. Er war ein echter Polyhistor, da sich seine Tätigkeit nicht auf eine einzige Disziplin beschränkte. Er war in der Geschichte im allgemeinen, in der Wissenschafts- und Technikgeschichte, in der Literatur und den Künsten gleichsam bewandert. Er spielte bei dem Erheben der Technikgeschichte-Forschung in Ungarn auf das Niveau der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit eine entscheidende Rolle. Er betrieb vielseitige Studien. Von 1943 bis 1947 war er Student an der Péter Pázmány Universität in Budapest, arbeitete aber gleichzeitig als Techniker in verschiedenen Textilfabriken. Von dieser Zeit rühren seine Beziehungen zur Textilindustrie her. Neben seiner alltäglichen Arbeit begann er sich für die Geschichte der Textilfabrikation zu interessieren und später wurde er ein europaweit bekannter Forscher auf diesem Gebiet. In seinen Arbeiten zur Erhaltung der von der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften verliehenen wissenschaftlichen Grade Kadidat der Wissenschaften (1966) und Doktor