Association of the Scientific Societies of Hungarian Medical Doctors (MORTESZ) was founded 80 years ago

Abstract

After the First World War the professional medical societies in Hungary, which have already organized themselves nationwide, started to operate independently from each other. In that time came the idea to create another association above the others to gather them together while retaining their independent functioning. The Association of the Scientific Societies of Hungarian Medical Doctors (MORTESZ), established in 1931, became the nationwide forum for many medical associations. It also organized the first Hungarian Medical Grand-Week which became the annual meeting of the medical society. In the first year the cooperation only consisted of a common topic of two or three associations presented in the "Grand-Week". From year 1935, reports were appointed annually that each professional association could comment on. The proceedings of the "Grand-Week" were published yearly as appendices of the Hungarian Medical Journal. After the Second World War the activities of the independent associations were shut down by the authorities. The scientific and professional associations could continue their work as sections inside of the Doctors and Health Workers' Union. In 1966 the situation was solved thanks to the initiative of the Trade Union, the Department of Medicine and the Medical Section of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences which resulted in the foundation of the Association of the Hungarian Medical Societies (MOTESZ) which continues to gather together the collective work of many scientific associations and carries out tasks of general interest since then, similarly to the now 80-years-old MORTESZ.