Katalin Csáki-Tóth, librarian

System Management and Supervision Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office

Hungary 1024 Budapest, Kis Rókus utca 15/a

Email: konyvtar@nebih.gov.hu

History of the Degen collection

Founded in 1881, the Royal Hungarian Seed Analyzer Station started its operation under the leadership of Kálmán Czakó, who was a teacher at the Veterinary Educational Institution of Budapest at that time. The Station, settled in the laboratory of the Veterinary Academy of Budapest, was later directed by the Minister of Agriculture, Árpád von Degen from 1895.

Degen’s service as manager of seed analysises was a great honor. Following German, Austrian and Swiss work methods, the ambitious young biologist invented the most recent worldwide technologies at the Station, such as calculating test results by arithmetic means. In the year 1897, the Royal Hungarian Seed Analyzer Station performed 26 146 seed tests, which made the institute the leading one in Europe at the time, by the number of the tests.

While estabilishing a new laboratory, a germinating room and a herbarium, in 1896 Degen also founded a biological book collection of 540 volumes. The library had vivid partnerships to Czech, Austrian, Croatian and American institutes.

In 1901, considering the expanding roles of the Seed Analyzer Station, the Ministry of Agriculture decided to move the library into a new building, designed by Árpád Degen. The collection can still be visited there, at the headquarters of National Food Chain Safety Office (Hungary 1024 Budapest, Kis Rókus u. 15/a).

Further information about the studies published by the researchers of National Food Chain Safety Office can be obtained here.