88 Chronicle – Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 66 (2017) (1) 88–89. CHRONICLE György Lovász (1931–2016) A prominent representative of Hungarian physical channel erosional geography, one of the last of his generation, passed processes, trig- away on 3 October 2016. Professor György Lovász gered by river was born on 23 May 1931 in Budapest. He studied regulation works. geography and history at the Budapest University, He also pointed where he gathered rich experience in fieldwork out the impact of under the guidance of Professor Sándor Láng. recent tectonics While he worked as a teacher in a vocational school on riverbed inci- of Nagykanizsa and in a primary school of Gyál, sion and subsid- Professor Béla Bulla encouraged him to start with ence of the afore- scientific research. mentioned three In 1956 his first academic paper appeared in print rivers (published on the origin of the ’meridional valleys’ of the Zala in the Journal of Hills, an issue which is still a subject of heated de- Hydrology and bates among Hungarian geomorphologists. He him- Hydromechanics self also returned to this topic and summarised his in 2007). opinion in a paper published in 1970. The thesis written for obtaining the university Working in the Transdanubian Institute of the doctorate in 1959 was concerned with the evolution Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Pécs, his favourite of the Lenti Basin. He also studied the evolution of topics encompassed the geomorphological issues of the Drava floodplain and concluded that the basin, the Mecsek Mountains, such as the planated surfaces, originally thought to be uniform was dissected into the evolution of the Pécs Basin and the karst and loess subbasins during the Holocene. The focus of his re- landscapes of Baranya. His research systematically search remained hydrogeography and its physico- explored the major planation surfaces of the Mecsek geographical implications. In 1967 he successfully de- Mountains, primarily developed by tectonic activities fended his dissertation on ”Water regime and runoff (“Surfaces of planation in the Mecsek-mountains” – in the Drava-Mura water system”, which was also in: Studies in Geography in Hungary Vol. 8., 1971). published by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences He also conducted hydrologic monitoring in the in the book series Geographical Monographs. For Abaliget Cave System (Földrajzi Értesítő, 1971). He his study on the drainage system of the Danube he explained the fluctuating water discharge rates in was awarded the “Doctor of Sciences in Geography” the system, primarily generated by clogging of flow title in 1977. His hydrogeographical works are close- channels by sediment deposition. With geomorpho- ly related to water management issues, including logical analyses, he also verified the intermittent and flood control and risk assessment. He contributed multiple-step subsidence of the Pécs Basin over the to a series of monographs with geomorphological Pleistocene. and hydrogeographical chapters (e.g. Geology and On leaving Pécs, he became scientific advisor of surface evolution of Southeastern Transdanubia, the Geographical Research Institute of the Hungarian 1974; The Physical Geography of Baranya County, Academy of Sciences. He participated in various 1977; Southern Transdanubia in the series Landscape projects: engineering geomorphological mapping of Geography of Hungary 1981). Hungary, inventory of mass movements. He elabo- His hydrogeographical research focused on the rated the development methodology of several the- quantification of the physical, topographic, cli- matic maps, including relative relief, slope categories matic and pedological factors affecting runoff and and exposure, loss of sunshine duration, hydrogeo- the water balance of the individual subcatchments graphical maps (published in the Földrajzi Értesítő, (Földrajzi Értesítő, 1972). Some of his publications 1965, 1985 and 1989). Professzor Lovász initiated the discuss the temporal changes of the water tempera- survey of recent geomorphological processes and ture and ice cover conditions of the rivers Danube guided the research group which compiled the leg- and Tisza. György Lovász also analyzed the changes end of such maps. Some of his research topics are of the longitudinal profile of the Danube, Tisza and closely associated with human geography: the meth- Drava rivers, and his findings confirmed the role of odology of settlement density mapping is also linked Chronicle – Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 66 (2017) (1) 88–89. 89 to his name, similarly to the analysis of the mutual Republic of Germany, Germany Democratic Republic, interconnection between landscape types and settle- Czechoslovakia, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Soviet ment density (published in the journal of Geodézia Union and Yugoslavia). és Kartográfia in 1977 and the Földrajzi Közlemények György Lovász was member of multiple Hungarian in 1979). and international committees, for instance participat- Altogether, he wrote and compiled more than 100 ed in the activities of the International Geographical Hungarian and international scientific publications, Union, Advisory Board of the Geomorphologic articles, books and book chapters, as well as several Subcommittee and various committees of the university textbooks. Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He was also mem- In 1989 he became involved in university level ge- ber of the Hungarian Meteorological, Geological and ography teaching at Janus Pannonius University of Hydrological Societies. He was active in the life of the Pécs, the legal predecessor of the current University Hungarian Geographical Society as member of Board of Pécs. Together with Professor József Tóth he or- and secretary of the South-Transdanubian Regional ganised the education of geography teachers and then Division. He also owned several state and regional of geography researchers at B.Sc., M.Sc. and doctoral level awards and several honours were given to him levels. For eight years he was the head of Department from various scientific societies. of Physical Geography and also worked as deputy Although in the past two decades as a Professor rector of the University. He taught various classes in Emeritus he only lectured and participated at special his fields of research, including Physical Geography university events occasionally, nevertheless, he regu- of Hungary, Hydrogeography and Geomorphology. larly published his new scientific results and enjoyed He supported teaching by publishing university text- his hobbies that included gardening, bird watching, books under the title General Physical Geography hiking and travelling. We miss his kind personality, volumes I to III, General Hydrogeography and sense of humour, eternal optimism and unlimited Physical Geography of Hungary. helpfulness and keep him in good memory. He was awarded a plethora of international fellow- ships and internships in several countries of Central Dénes Lóczy, Szabolcs Czigány and Europe and visited research centres and institutions Péter Gyenizse across Central and Eastern Europe (e.g.: Federal .