Did you know that the Hollósi csillagda’s story is intertwined with Hungary’s turbulent past? The story of the Hollósi csillagda is closely connected with the Konkoly Observatory. To truly appreciate the Hollósi csillagda we must journey back in time.
Konkoly Observatory’s roots lie in Ógyalla. This town was once part of Upper Hungary. Miklós Konkoly Thege founded a private observatory in Ógyalla in 1871. It soon became a world-renowned scientific institute. Konkoly donated this observatory to the Hungarian state in 1898. It was the country’s only major observatory.
After World War I, Hungary faced significant territorial losses. Ógyalla was among the territories lost. In late 1918 and early 1919, the observatory’s instruments were rescued. This swift action saved valuable scientific equipment. The new Czechoslovak regime protested. They believed they could claim the instruments. A loophole saved the equipment. Scientific equipment purchased from private individuals was exempt.
A new observatory was essential to house the rescued instruments. Budapest was chosen as the site. The capital donated land on Svábhegy. This ensured a future for astronomical research. Work began in 1921. Instruments from Ógyalla arrived. Dr. János Krúdy also contributed his private observatory’s equipment.
The first dome was built in 1922. The Meridian House measured the exact time for the country. Another building housed an 8-inch lens telescope from Ógyalla. Resources were scarce. State support was supplemented by private donations. One bank manager donated 10,000 crowns.
Antal Tass led the institute. He highlighted the importance of international collaboration. The Ógyalla Observatory had been assigned a specific part of the sky. Observations were interrupted by the move to Svábhegy. Work continued on Svábhegy. It would be completed the following autumn.
Conditions on Svábhegy were challenging. A road did not lead to the observatory. Employees had to navigate mud to get to work. Development continued. Minister of Culture Kunó Klebelsberg provided support. The Stella Astronomical Association was established in 1923. New buildings were constructed next to the original ones. A modern telescope arrived in 1927. It was designed specifically for the Svábhegy Observatory. G. Heyde from Dresden made the large reflector. Its main mirror was 60 centimetres in diameter. By 1938, the observatory had discovered 35 new asteroids.
Antal Tass ran the institution from 1916 to 1934. The observatory has operated on Svábhegy since then. Light pollution in Budapest has increased. The Konkoly Observatory carries out substantial observation works on the Piszkéstető in Mátra. The Svábhegy institute continues to operate. Everyone can visit it. Today, the institute belongs to the Eötvös Loránd Research Network. It continues its work under the name of the Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomy Institute.
The Hollósi csillagda stands as a testament to human curiosity. It also highlights our enduring quest to understand the cosmos.