Deák Antal András: A háromszögeléstől a Tisza-szabályozásig. (Források a vízügy múltjából 10. Budapest, 1996)

FOREWORD

FOREWORD "Let s hold the memory of those people who felt called upon to improve the financial situation of our country, to improve the means transportation, to regulate the water, and to improve the general natural, climatic and geographical conditions. " (Vasárnapi Újság 29

th April 1866.) It has been a pleasure for me to accept the invitation of the Museum to write an introduction for this book. It is a great honour for me to help with its long overdue publishing. I think that each chapter would itself be sufficient for a volume a successful series "Sources from the past of water management", but I think they are more valuable collected together considering that their topics are based on each other. This book will be a notable piece of the series. In this technological age we must not forget - not even in a difficult economic situation about the very important work of our ancestors, and the people who performed great deeds. We will always need people to remind us of the past, to bring forgotten events to the surface and to present them to the public. Not only the nation, but the entire water field need it. Because of it is a special occasion when historical sources of our water management are discovered, and it is especially pleasurable if we can talk about such extraordinary documents this particular book. Many people do not understand how, during the centuries our water management has developed to be a strong social factor; however the explanation is very simple. It is enough to take a glance at the map, and it is possible to see that 1100 years ago our ancestors put up their tents in the deepest area of Central Europe, where they were threatened every year by floods coming down the mountains from the rivers. From living with the water and struggling against for it, a group of water management experts has developed which has a good reputation around the world. In this area only the Netherlands may compete us. The difference between the two countries is that Dutch specialists are appreciated by their country while it seems that Hungary has forgotten about those who regulate the rivers and take care of them to save us from floods. This year Hungary is going to celebrate the 1100

th anniversary of the Hungarian Conquest. This book fits right into the commemorations, for it recalls one of the most significant concentrations of forces: the regulation of the Tisza, which is called "the second conquest". This work, which was unique for Europe lasted almost 50 years, and involved l/3

rd of the country. The work was not begun by the state, and the greatest part of the financial burden was born by the citizens for the purpose of saving themselves and their property. Since during XVIH

01 century the floods were getting more and more destructive, as if they wanted to swallow the world*

. What caused the valley of the Tisza to be so endangered? According to experts, the reasons of the problem are as follow