GEOTOUR & IRSE 2012.pdf - Fakulta BERG - TUKE

Salgótarján, 04. – 06. 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A1muel_Mikoviny; cf. also the rest of the cited Internet
resources).
The public image of S. Mikoviny
The public image of S. Mikoviny in Slovakia is restricted to scholarly circles. Perhaps due to
the fact that two nations consider him as belonging to them (Slovaks and Hungarians), his
image is not that dominant. In Slovakia, the name is spelled as Mikovíni or Mikovíny. His
descendants use the “Mikovíny” form (see Fig.3a; Timčák 1985). In some Slovakian cities (at
least 7 cities) there is a street named after him. There is a Hotel Academy in Bratislava and a
vocational school named after him in B. Ńtiavnica. He has one commemorating table in B.
Ńtiavnica and one statue in Bratislava (Fig.3b, situated at nábr. L. Svobodu). One
commemorative 500 SKK coin was issued in 2000 with his image on the obverse (Fig. 4).
There have been a number of conferences devoted to his legacy and a number of papers was
devoted to his maps and surveying activity. A few books (printed or electronic) analyzed his
life.
Fig. 3a Dr. Mikovinyová addressing the 1985 conference devoted to Mikoviny and Higher
Education.
The public image of Mikoviny in Hungary is a bit brighter, mainly due to the cultural habit of
recognizing the outstanding figures of science and technology. In Hungary his name is spelled
as Mikoviny. At the Miskolc University there is the portrait of him (Fig.1a) executed in oil,
then a bust (Fig. 5) of his likeliness. There was a commemorative medal issued with his image
(Fig. 6). One bust is located in Tata. There is a prestigious Learning Institution “Sámuel
Mikovíny earth science doctoral study School” at the Miskolc University. The number of
conferences and science papers devoted to his legacy is considerable.
Even with all this recognition of Mikoviny´s achievements, the public image in Slovakia and
Hungary is low profile and does not significantly influence tourism on a national or regional
scale. It has to be mentioned though, that in Hungary there is a fluvial trail: “Által ér” on a
segment of Danube near Almásfüzitő devoted to Mikoviny´s memory.
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