Botanikai-Természetvédelmi Folyóirat

Journal of Pannonian Botany

Kitaibelia vol. 5 – no. 1. (2000) p.3-8.

Károlyi Árpád (1907–1972) emlékezete
Benedek Miklós – Buda Enikő
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Árpád Károlyi ( 1907–1972), from the very beginning of oil and hydrocarbon mining in Zala county to his retirement, took an active part in its research and development. At first he directed mensuration of layer pressure. He took a  prominent part in adaption of the foreign technology related to oil mining in Hungary. Later he controlled layer physics section in the region. He published his researches which were connected with the pressing back of methane gas into the layers. His publications include establishments which are effective to his very day. His analytical works give evidence of brilliant foresight. Over that period of years, a new adult engineer generation stand by Károlyi grew up acquiring the knowledge of the profession from him. He retired in 1967, after that he spent all his time on his old hobbies: botany and research of nature. He discovered Erythronium dens-canis L. in 1943 and from that time his botanical career was gradually rising because he concerned himself with nature. South-western Transdanubia was the main area of his researches. He started his research work with collecting and studying all the references related to this region. He was continuously collecting date of the area and then he systematized them. He gave a detailed description of the region's flora with defining nearly 1600 species.

 He contacted with well-known representatives of botany (e.g. Zoltán Kárpáti, Sándor Jávorka, Vera Csapody, Ádám Boros e.t.c). His aim was to publish a general work about the territory. In his work he was in league with Tamás Pócs and later with Márton Balogh. After 1968 his works were published in series.(1969-1975) He died in 1972.

Árpád Károlyi studied intensively the area which was less known and researched in our country, but his researches and publications made it known for those showing an interest in botany. Unfortunately, his plans couldn't materialize entirely, but his magnificient concentions and his indefatigability could set a good example to the researchers of our time.