Jenő Cholnoky'sAutobiography

The autobiographical diary of Jenő Cholnoky (1870-1950), an internationally renowned geologist born in Veszprém, is a fascinating read. Those interested in history, literature and geography will all find interesting stories, descriptions and anecdotes in it. The lives of the two literary brothers Cholnoky (Viktor and László) were full of adventures and successes, but not of any significant scientific achievements. His popularity in his time was due precisely to his sympathetic lecturing skills, and it was no accident that he was a pioneer of scientific dissemination in our country. In addition to the biographical text, this volume contains illustrative pictures of the author, who has always remained a native of Veszprém.

The basis of the volume was a compilation on Jenő Cholnoky from the series of seventeen quarterly books published by the House of Arts Veszprém in 1999. The real novelty and uniqueness of the book at that time was that autobiographical writing was hitherto unknown. 
The autobiography of Jenő Cholnoky (1870, Veszprém - 1950, Budapest), a legendary and multi-coloured figure of Hungarian geography, is a sparklingly recorded document of a rich life, but because of its many aspects it was "hidden" until 1998. The descendant of a Veszprém family that gave several celebrities their fame, the internationally renowned scientist, teacher, disseminator and public figure, whose career was full of discoveries and successes, but also of tragedies, can be followed, and at the same time the reader can gain insight into the lives of the writer brothers Viktor and László. While learning about the development of Cholnoky's geographical interests from his hometown to the Adriatic, from Lake Balaton to East Asia, his intellectual and real-life wanderings, his magical childhood, his academic and academic career, his scientific policy commitments, we are also unvarnishedly confronted with the human foibles and unacceptable views of a genius. This autobiography, published in its entirety for the first time, is a treasure of the history of Hungarian science and thought.

The publication of the volume was supported by the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme.

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Jenő Cholnoky's Autobiography