Grave of Ministerial Councilor and Teacher Ottó Schwartz

In the grave number 295 of the Selmec Cemetery lies the former distinguished teacher of the academy, physicist and scholarly writer Ottó Schwartz. Jenő Sobó mentioned in his obituary about the students' favorite "Papa Schwartz" in 1910: "With him, a typical figure has emerged from the ranks of the living of that group of teachers who, after the restoration of our constitution and the Hungarianization of our mining college, set out with zealous enthusiasm on the difficult, almost unbroken path aimed at the national development of mining sciences." (Sobó J., 1910. p. 401) ; Dr. Ottó Schwartz was born in Bezdán, Bács-Bodrog County, on September 29, 1847. He completed his secondary schooling in Timisoara and Buda. He graduated from high school in the latter place. Meanwhile, his father, an engineer, was transferred to Banat, where he was the head of the state architectural office. During this time, his son Otto went to Vienna, where he spent four years at the university and at the physics institute. In 1869, he took the teacher's exam and in 1871, he obtained a doctorate in humanities. In 1869, he became an assistant professor at the academy in the chemistry and mathematics department, where he was entrusted with, among other things, independent lectures on physics. In 1872, he became an extraordinary professor, in 1878 a regular professor, in 1890 a mining advisor, and in 1894 a chief mining advisor. At the academy, he initially taught only physics, but from 1872 he also taught mathematics. As we read in his biography: “He followed the development of electrical engineering closely, and at his urging, electrical engineering was included among the regular subjects of the academy in 1896. Since he taught this subject with the greatest effort for eight years, until 1894, when electrical engineering was given a separate department.” (Sobó J., 1910. p. 403) As Jenő Sobó also emphasized: Ottó Schwartz was a man and a teacher in the strict sense of the word. As a man, he was guided by a strict sense of duty and a love of the common good. As a teacher, he had great knowledge and was a good friend to his fellow teachers and students alike. “Calm wisdom, common sense, ample experience, sound judgment based on pure knowledge, and scholarly modesty were the main features of his character as a teacher.” (Sobó J., 1910. 402. l.) Ottó Schwartz worked in a wide range of natural sciences. He published articles in Hungarian and English journals on the electrical treatment of zinc ores, the chemical analysis of lead ores, protection against boiler explosions, boron steel, etc. His works entitled Experimental Natural Sciences (1885), Climatology (1891) and Physics (1895) were published in Selmecbánya. (SBS. V., 1992. 248. l.) ; He conducted meteorological observations in Selmecbánya for nearly four decades, participated in the observation of shooting stars, dealt with birdlife, studied the temperature conditions of the Selmec mines, etc. He was a popularizer of scientific discoveries, wireless telecommunications and X-rays. He closely followed foreign natural science literature, and translated several articles from English himself. He was a founding and active member of the Selmecbánya Medical and Natural Science Society, in whose organization he gave many lectures. Ottó Schwartz, who was also respected in public life, was the director of the academy four times between 1896 and 1907. He died on March 15, 1910 in Selmecbánya. Ottó Schwartz's tomb is located in the Royal Cemetery behind the Piari Gate.