years after his death and on the 120th anniversary of the establishment of his Insti

tute this paper is an attempt at portraying Miklós Konkoly Thege the "pu b lic personage” . Already as a student he became distinguished for his practical sense for technology as well as for generosity.

’ In 1858 Miklós Konkoly Thege, a university student aged 16, presented the physics labo­

ratory o f Pannonhalma Secondary Grammar School a few important parts o f a steamship engine made by himself. The school’s physicslaboratory had just begun to be equipped with new acquisitions owing to the generous efforts o f Abbot Mihály Rimely and to the devoted work of Physics master Kriiosxton Km est” (Komáromi Lapok, 1858)

A t the age of 17 Miklós Konkoly Thege is an assistant of Professor Ányos Jedlik at the other cities doing not only theoretical work but also manufacturing precision instruments.

His reward, again, is not financial but the gathering of experience and knowledge.

Parallel with his studies in natural sciences he completed his legal studies. After graduating from Faculty o f Law he undertook municipial activities in one of the counties o f Hungary to comply with the request of his parents. But soon he gave that up and joined a ship cruising on the River Danube. The volunteer soon became the ship’s captain and in this capacity he mapped up the Vaskapu region, still "unregulated” . He did this again without pecuniary reward, in order to make the depths of river bed and thus facilitate transportation of goods by ships on waterways.

In 1878 he decided to donate his private observatory to the Hungarian State. This

K onkoly Thege th e Politician «9

In the 19th century such activities and attainments naturally led to a political "career”

as well. In 1896 Miklos Konkoly Thege was elected Mem ber o f Parliament and was later requested to serve a second term in the same constituency. He had earned the respect of people, who trusted him; It was surely not expectations o f benefiting from his generosity, that made him popular, as he offered his landed estate for the public good only after this second election, his first term convinced his electors about his abilities, his versatility, his patriotic feeelings and his love for his people. On 10 October 1896 the Liberal Party nominated Miklds Konkoly Thege as his candidate. On 31 October 1896 Konkoly Thege was elected as a representative in Parliament.

He accepted the nomination hoping that as a "politician” he would be able to do even more for the promotion o f science and industry. He wished to do something in the interest o f public welfare by using the experience he had gathered as river captain, and to continue his researches in sciences, especially in astronomy.

A s a member of the Public Transport Com m ittee he made his first speech on 9 Febru­ rail, these two should work together instead of competing with one another. He deplored the primitive conditions of winter ports and called for the establishment o f a National Shipping Company iis well as the flying of the red-white-green national flags on the ships o f the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. He accepted the Commercial budget, nevertheless he would have preferred more money allocated for this important branch o f the national economy.

In the parliamentary session of 26 February 1897 he intervened for the foundation o f a National Observatory, which ” he had found missing from budget for many years” , adding that even the development of the one he had given the nation was neglected, though all the other European countries were keen on building and equipping observatories. He insisted on astronomy having “ absolutely practical purposes” and many "public benefits” .

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O n 4 February he raised the problem of Vaskapu once more. He considered those com ­ mentators o f newspapers "ignorant” who alleged that the regulation of Vaskapu would led to seagoing ships calling at Budapest. He does not see that as a threat; on the con­

trary he would welcome such ships especially if they were flying Hungarian flags. He set the following tasks before the nation: our waterways should be developed as they are in industrialized foreign countries; the education o f the officials o f the Hungarian Shipping Com pany should be improved. In another contribution to the debate in 1899 he called attention to the problems of the River Police: there are a lot o f policemen in a lot of different places but they know very little about sailing and rescuing: " I ’ve seen with my own eyes three policemen almost capsizing a lifeboat - he said.

Miklos Konkoly Thege was interested in arts and music too, and made valuable sug­

gestions for improving conditions in this field: e.g. he suggests that the Opera House and the Hungarian Royal Academy of Music should belong to the Ministry o f Education and Culture: music, singing and acting being arts. The Academy of Music should educate Hungarian singers for Opera House so as we should not be dependent on foreign singers m ost o f whom are unable to cope with our language however hard they may try to learn it for many years.

In 1899 Miklos Konkoly Thege deals with the problem o f transport and communication again. This he considers of greatest importance, and makes the following statem ent about Vaskapu-canal: ” Despite its many enemies this is a successful accomplishment o f human efforts admired by experts and by laymen.” He puts in a word for people working in and upper class people cannot be realized without the well-being o f industrial workers, of manual labourers” . Talking about industry and commerce he points out: "U nfortunately Hungarians prefer foreign products to home made ones. Many people think that hens abroad lay larger eggs than those at home. It often happens that Hungarian products are exported and then imported to Hungary under foreign names and tags only to sell b etter.”

He considers it important to limit the scope of enterprises in order that sm all industries and enterprises can survive, and also to impose mercyless taxes upon imported goods.

K onkoly Thege the Politician 91 To make his argument for the development of home-manufactures more poignant he ends with another statement proving his sense of humour and creating hilarity in the House:

"L e t those, who wish to boast about foreign things pay for them; let us prefer ‘ boasters’

like Count Jenő Zichy is who said his tailcoat was made o f wool grown of the backs o f his own sheep in G ács.” A s so often in his parliamentary speeches he dealt with the problem of the railway agam in his next interpellation. Now he calls for the rationalization o f time tables for the prevention of accidents. He also made proposals for the more efficient cleaning of trains putting German Railways before his audience as an example: there the Railway Company employs people who walk around the carriages during the journey dusting the compartments, as soon as they are vacated when the train stops at different stations. He stresses again the necessity of guards and engine drivers being paid higher wages, and their number being increased: "overworked and tired people are prone to cause accidents” . And, of course, he speaks again about the earliest possible extension of water traffic suggesting that a greater number o f rivers should be made navigable.

His reelection for a second term by and overwhelming majority o f voters indicates that he represented his county in the right way.

"On 10 August, 1901 the Liberal Party of Tata constituency held a meeting in the state­

room of Hotel Griff where Miklós Konkoly Thege, present Member o f Parliament for the con­

stituency of Tata was renominated, about which event Baron Frigyes Podmanictky, leader o f Liberal Party was informed with great enthusiasm. Miklós Konkoly Thege accepted tie renomination." (Tata-Tóvárosi Hiradó, 1901.)

On 5 October 1901 Miklós Konkoly Thege was reelected by a majority of 333 votes.

A s a human being Miklós Konkoly Thege was natural, polite and kind, there was no trace of rhetorics or theatricality in his speeches. He restricted himself to facts and never criticised anything without immediately giving ideas for correction. He kept repeating that science and culture belonged together, where science could progress culture would flourish and develop too. When he thought it fit, he cracked jokes.

Miklós Konkoly Thege was a highly respected person, a dynamic manager o f the public affairs of his constituency. The newspaper "K om árom i Lapok” documents his ingenious, practical ideas. Yet, he did not consider himself a politician, nor did his close acquain­

tances do so. When Jenő Gothard, a close friend o f his resigned his post as director of an industrial establishment, he said jokingly to Konkoly Thege:

" I feel as comfortable and happy as you must have felt when the Prime Minister dissolved Parliament and thus you were relieved from your troubles as Member o f Parliament.’’

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Konkoly Thege quoted these words o f his friend in a speech he delivered on the an­

niversary of the death of Gothard. We can suppose that he did not use to comment to enthusiastically on his political career. Even a family gathering ” commemorated” his re­

luctant attitude to this side of the life of a scientist. One of his kinsman Miklos Konkoly Thege (1873 - 1949) stated in 1929:

’ There was nothing he was ¡ess interested in than politics’ .

Y e t, this great scientist did more for the welfare o f his country and people than many professional politicians have ever done.

APPEN D IX