Ever wonder about the man behind the name Haynal Imre? We are standing at his final resting place. It is a fitting place to reflect on his remarkable life.
Haynal Imre was born in Beszterce in 1892. He died in Budapest in 1979. He was a Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian physician. He specialized in internal medicine and endocrinology. He also served as a university professor.
Haynal’s father was a public health supervisor. He graduated from the Evangelical High School in Beszterce. He earned his degree from the University of Kolozsvár in 1915. After wartime front service, he worked at the internal medicine clinic. Korányi Sándor led the clinic in Budapest. He specialized in Vienna and London. He later earned a private professorship.
In 1938, Haynal became a university professor. He married Margit Nagy in Budapest in 1922. A significant part of his career is tied to Kolozsvár. From 1940, he was a professor of internal medicine. He taught at the medical faculty of the university. During the German occupation, he protected the persecuted. He sheltered hundreds of people from deportation in his clinic.
In his biographical sketch, he noted his aim. He wanted to serve the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of Transylvania. He also wanted to protect the persecuted. In the autumn of 1944, he refused to evacuate the university. He did this with Rector Dezső Miskolczy. He continued his lectures in the 1944 to 1945 academic year.
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences elected him as a member in 1946. He returned to Budapest. He continued his scientific activities until his retirement in 1963. In 1998, he was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations.
Haynal Imre’s interests focused on cardiology and endocrinology. His research results appeared in journals. These were in Hungarian, German, English, and French. They covered insulin effects and the role of the liver. They also covered spleen in cardiac congestion and blood distribution.
His comprehensive work is titled “The Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels.” It was published in Budapest in 1938.
The Medical Postgraduate Institute was founded in 1962. It was renamed Haynal Imre University of Health Sciences in 1993. In 2001, it merged with other institutions. This created the Haynal Imre Faculty of Health Sciences.
Haynal Imre was a significant figure in Hungarian medicine. He was known for his expertise and his humanitarian efforts. His legacy continues through his work and the institutions. These institutions bear his name.