This publication belongs to a field I have been dealing with since 1984, and by which I intend to pay homage to the outstanding figures of the veterinary profession by collecting all possible data related to them.
Elements of the subject are:
a. numismatic tokens of Hungarian veterinary history,
b. Hungarian medals for veterinarians,
c. foreign medals for veterinarians,
d. paintings, statues, memorials, memorial tablets of Hungarian veterinary history,
e. tombs of the professors and lecturers of the veterinary training institution.
Bibliographic data of the publications in the first four elements can be found in the list following the introduction.
I have been living in Buda close to the Farkasrét cemetery since 1966, and have frequently taken long walks in the graveyard. I have also acquired a map, and have become interested in the tombs of famous Hungarians resting there. In 1990 I decided to find graves related to veterinary history. This was the first place where I have collected data on the tombs of the professors and lecturers of the veterinary school. I am very grateful to Margit Csabai, working for the cemetery office, for her precious help.
Some years later I collected data on the tombs of professors in the cemetery in Fiumei Street (Kerepesi cemetery). I have to thank Mrs Györgyné Bártfai for her invaluable support. Tombs of the X. Újköztemető (new cemetery in district X.) were collected in 2004.
Since I have information on the graves of professors in other cemeteries in Budapest, and also in the countryside, I have compiled these data after having published the above information in Magyar Állatorvosok Lapja.
The present book contains basic biographical data and a short description of the activity of the professors of the veterinary school who passed away between 1818 and 2004. Their major textbooks are also mentioned. Besides data on their grave, their portrait, and two pictures of their tombs are also included, if possible, as well as bibliographic data of their obituaries, or any information on their death. Data and some portraits originate from obituaries, news, etc. in Veterinarius, Állatorvosi Lapok, Magyar Állatorvosok Lapja, Orvosi Hetilap and other journals, annuals, lexicons, publications.
It was not easy to decide who should be covered by the publication. Finally, I have included professors, docents, and other lecturers who have taught a subject to be found in the "black book" (grade book).
I give the name of the county as a part biographic data only if the person was born or died outside present day Hungary. In the case of place names from after 1920, I first give their Hungarian names, but in brackets I also give the present foreign names and the country. After a description of the tombs there is a reference
to my publications in Magyar Állatorvosok Lapja, the details of which can be found at the end of the publication under "Irodalom" (Bibliography).
Usually there are two photos of the tombs. One shows the whole grave, the other the engraved text on the tomb. The name of the photographer is given if the picture was not taken by me.
More detailed information can be found on the persons in their obituaries or the articles.
There are some professors who do not rest in cemeteries, or were buried abroad. Their data can be found in Appendix one.
Maps of some cemeteries can be found in the second appendix. This compilation will supply those interested in the graves, and those who would like to visit the tombs of their late professors in order to pay homage to them with sufficient information. A preliminary version of the present publication can be found on the internet under: http://library.univet.hu/portre/sirok.pdf
I would appreciate any supplementary information on the data, portraits, photos from the readers, if they would submit them for me to the Veterinary Science Library, to Éva Orbán.
I would like to thank professor Andor Kardeván and János Mészáros, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, for their invaluable pieces of advice, to Éva Orbán, deputy director, to Beáta Winkler and Norbert Solymosi, DVM for the typography and technical works of the publication, and to all who provided me with data or photos on the tombs.
János M. Mészáros, DVM
|