BOGDÁNFY

HUNGARY (see also List of Individuals)

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18.12.1863 Torda/H - 13.3.1944 Budapest/H

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Ödön Bogdánfy graduated in 1885 from the Budapest Technical University where he was later appointed Honorary Lecturer and from 1916 associate professor of hydrology. He worked in parallel until retirement in 1920 as a hydrologist in the Hungarian State Service.

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Bogdánfy initiated scientific hydrology in his country. He drew the first reliable precipitation map of Hungary and in parallel prepared the hydro-geological map to indicate the permeability of the surface soil. He designed a precipitation recording device based on the water weight, in contrast to most other designs that failed in winter time. His studies on river discharge forecast were valuable for water courses such as the Tisza River with a particular winter regime. In 1917 Bogdánfy founded and organized the Hungarian Hydrological Service to ensure systematic research by a variety of colleagues involved, such as hydraulic engineers, geologists, meteorologists, and limnologists. Bogdánfy is known for four books of significance both in his country and in Eastern Europe. In 1901, he presented his Hydrology as the first text in Hungarian. The Hydraulics book followed in 1904 providing a general introduction to questions of practical hydraulics. The Hydraulics of natural watercourses followed two years later, comprising two volumes and dealing with the Hungarian main rivers. Finally, the 1914 work Water power describes future works to plan in Hungary for developing hydropower. He in addition published some 2000 summaries of scientific works of the international literature to support the international influence in his country. Bogdánfy founded in addition the Hungarian journal Hidrológiai Közlöny in 1921 which continues activities until today.

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_{Bogdánfy, Ö. (1901). Hydrology. Budapest (in Hungarian). Bogdánfy, Ö. (1904). Hydraulics. Budapest (in Hungarian).}

_{Bogdánfy, Ö. (1906). Hydraulics of water courses. Budapest (in Hungarian). Bogdánfy, Ö. (1914). Water power. Budapest (in Hungarian).}

_{Lászlóffy, W. (1944). E. Bogdánfy. Vízügyi Közlemények 26: 3-5.}

_{Lászlóffy, W. (1945). Bogdánfy Ödön. Hidrologiai Közlöny 25: 3-8, with bibliography. P}

_{Lászlóffy, W. (1963). Ödön Bogdánfy. Vízügyi Közlemények 45: 403-412.}

_{Sándor, V. (1963). Bogdánfy Ödön es a Magyar hidrologiai tarsasag (Bogdánfy Ödön and the Hungarian Hydrological Society). Hidrológiai Közlöny 43(5): 357-361 (in Hungarian). P Starosolszky, Ö., Kolar, V., Hancu, S. (1987). Bogdánfy, Ödön. Hydraulics and hydraulic research - A historical review: 233, G. Garbrecht, ed. Balkema: Rotterdam. P}