In his welcome address at the start of the official program, Dr. Goran Hauser, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Rijeka, praised Semmelweis University and the pioneering work of its namesake, which reminds us that every physician’s duty goes beyond knowledge and skill. He said that the work of Ignác Semmelweis was taught in detail at the University of Rijeka as part of the obligatory course on the history of medicine. “The bust we will unveil today is not only a tribute to the great physician Ignác Semmelweis, but also the symbol of lasting connections between Croatia and Hungary. May the life and work of Ignác Semmelweis continue to inspire us to see the person behind every patient, to see the search for truth in every discovery and to serve our profession with integrity and humanity,” he added.
Representing the Hungarian side at the ceremony were Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University; Dr. Éva Szabó Feketéné, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development; Dóra Szepesi, Head of the Directorate General of Marketing and Communication; Dr. László Rosivall, Rector Emeritus and Chairman of the Semmelweis Memorial Committee; sculptor Gábor Mihály, winner of the Kossuth and Munkácsy Awards; Dr. Csaba Demcsák, Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Croatia; Dr. Anna Erzsébet Mladenovics, Director of the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center Zagreb; and Beáta Siklósi, Cultural Attaché of the Liszt Institute.
Dr. Csaba Demcsák also gave a welcome speech on behalf of the Hungarian Embassy in Zagreb. “The legacy of Ignác Semmelweis transcends national borders and his life’s work is one of the most shining examples of protecting human life in the history of modern medicine,” he emphasized. He noted that the Hungarian Embassy in Zagreb placed great importance on creating appropriate opportunities and platforms for researchers, scientists, and students, thereby fostering new collaborations. “It was from one such meeting that the friendship and partnership ultimately leading us to this day was born,” he said. He thanked Dr. László Rosivall, who had initiated the erection of the bust of Ignác Semmelweis in Croatia, Dr. Béla Merkely, who had made it possible to erect the sculpture by Gábor Mihály with a generous donation from Semmelweis University, and Dean Dr. Goran Hauser, who had accepted the invitation and provided a fitting tribute to the memory of Ignác Semmelweis.
In his speech, Dr. Béla Merkely drew a parallel between Ignác Semmelweis’s discovery and the innovation of Antoni Grossich from Rijeka, who had also studied in Vienna a generation after Semmelweis. Grossich introduced surgical disinfection with iodine tincture, thereby significantly reducing the number of wound infections and post-operative complications. Grossich’s method was later adopted worldwide and is still used in modern surgery today, as is Semmelweis’s handwashing with chlorinated water.
These two great figures were linked by their commitment to protecting human life and fighting infectious diseases. They both revolutionized patient care by recognizing that prevention and hygiene are just as important as treatment itself. Modern hospital care would be unimaginable without their discoveries. – Dr. Béla Merkely
Speaking about the work of Gábor Mihály, the rector pointed out that it is now the 28th Semmelweis monument in the world, which captures the spirit of the famous Hungarian doctor in a fitting manner. “It is a special honor for us to unveil the bust of Ignác Semmelweis on the 70th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Rijeka. It is also a personal privilege for me to present it – as my family history, too, is connected to Croatia,” he stressed, referring to his grandmother’s Croatian roots.
Gallery
Following Dr. Béla Merkely’s speech, Dr. László Rosivall gave a presentation on Ignác Semmelweis, while Dr. Amir Muzur, Professor and Head of Department at the University of Rijeka’s Faculty of Medicine, delivered a talk on Antonio Grossich. The parties also held a bilateral meeting during the visit and inspected the new hospital built in the Sušak part of Rijeka. After the unveiling ceremony, Dr. Béla Merkely gave a short speech to the attendees, followed by a screening of Lajos Koltai’s Oscar-nominated film Semmelweis.
Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Image credit: Faculty of Medicine (MEDRI), University of Rijeka
