GEOTOUR & IRSE 2012.pdf - Fakulta BERG - TUKE

GEOTOUR & IRSE 2012
Mikovíny was thus probably born in Szinóbánya, Nógrád County, Kingdom of Hungary (now
Cinobaņa, Slovakia) in 1686 or in Ábelfalva (now Ábelová) in ca. 1700. As mentioned above,
he was proud of belonging to a noble family (cf. Fig.2) and considered himself to be a
Hungarian. He passed away after a short illness during the works on flood prevention works
along river Váh on March 23, 1750 at an unidentified place on the road from Trenčín to
Banská Ńtiavnica, where he lived at that time.
He learnt engraving at Nuremberg, and studied mathematics at the nearby University of
Altdorf and later in Jena. He probably took private lessons in astronomy and surveying in
Vienna before he returned to Bratislava (called Pressburg or Pozsony at that time). In
Nuremberg, Mikovíny showed that he was a good engraver and a gifted artist. His series of
engravings, views of Altdorf and Nuremberg was published in a booklet of Altdorf in 1723.
The publication also included a map of the district. From 1725, he was county engineer in
Bratislava (then Pozsony), in the Kingdom of Hungary. He devoted most of his attention to
improvement works, especially flood prevention works on the banks of the river Danube and
Váh, work to secure their navigability, and regulation work near Tata. He did also
astronomical work at an observatory which he had established at his home at the present-day
Laurin Street in Bratislava. These observation of his observations served map-making needs.
Mikovíny made a significant contribution to the making of a new map of the Kingdom of
Hungary. He relied on his own measurements and used a scientific method, based on four
basic principles: astronomical, geometrical, magnetic, and hydrographic. His work was
significantly influenced by another renowned scholar of the 18th century living in the multiethnic
Kingdom of Hungary, Matthias Belius (Matej Bel)
Earlier Mikovíny engraved a map of Demänova Cave and several illustrations for Bel‟s book
Hungariae antiquae et novae prodromus (Messenger of Old and New Hungary), published in
1723 in Nuremberg. From 1731 Mikovíny constructed county maps for Bel‟s great work,
Notitia Hungariae Novae Historico-Geographica. Mikovíny created the first topographical
maps of individual counties of the Kingdom of Hungary. He also contributed to the work
through his illustrations, especially through views of towns, castles and fortifications.
Mikovíny used his own prime meridian for the Kingdom of Hungary, the meridianus
Posoniensis, which passed through the northeast tower of Posonium - Bratislava Castle.
Mikovíny made a significant contribution to the development of mining in Upper Hungary,
(today central Slovakia) helping it to achieve a place among the most technically developed
industries in Europe at that time. He was a leading expert on the construction of water
reservoirs, mining machinery, foundries, and mills. His chief contribution is construction of a
sophisticated system of reservoirs, known as Teichs - tajchy, which drained water from the
flooded mines in Schemnitz (Banská Ńtiavnica, Slovakia) and provided energy for the local
industry. In 1735, Mikovíny became the first professor of the School of Mines (Bergschule) at
Banská Ńtiavnica, which later became the first technical university in Europe. He lectured on
mathematics, mechanics, hydraulics, and surveying methods and supervised practical work in
land and mine surveying.
From 1735, Mikovíny was a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. He also
worked as an engineer and builder of roads and bridges. During the Silesian Wars, Empress
Maria Theresa of Austria employed him as a military engineer. He designed and built
defensive and fortification works on the Moravian-Silesian frontier. In 1748, he carried out
regulation work in the area of Komárno, and at that time devoted attention to archaeological
research. He studied and described the remains of the Roman fortress of Brigetio in Szőny,
and made a plan of it. Various buildings were erected according to his plans. In 1749, he
prepared plans for construction of a royal palace in Buda, and carried out preparation of the
castle hill and construction of water treatment works for it. In 1750, he carried out his last
work – counter-flooding constructions on the river Váh. (adapted from
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