A hundred years of Hungarian geographical society

Abstract

The first phase of geographical literature in Hungary covers the period from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 19th century. The language used by writers of various nationalities was Latin. The body of literature which emerged included works in which geography was not the only subject, but appeared in association with history, astronomy, cosmology, or cartography. The second phase covers the period prior to the foundation of the Hungarian Geographical Society and was for a considerable time influenced by the spirit of nationalism. The 100 year history of the Hungarian Geographical Society may be classified into the following four periods, which correspond to generations: 1. Period of explorations. 2. Investigation of the regions of the country and enquiry into general questions of geography prior to World War 1. 3. Chauvinistic attitude following World War 1. 4. The development of Marxist geography in Hungary. In the paper special attention is given to problems of fluvial morphology and river control.