Since 1997, a group of former students of GEO (Székesfehérvár, (Hungary) calling themselves the „Hard Core”, dedicated keepers and supporters of the traditions of Selmecbánya students (now Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia)  have yearly been visiting the ancient Alma Mater, old Selmecbánya Academy to pay their homage to its mystic spirit radiating through so many decades. They are convinced that it is very good to come together time to time, walking, chatting and gaining new energy for their souls among the old walls.
They have already prepared their own songbook of their favourite songs, memorial jugs for the meetings, celebrated noteworthy anniversaries and birthdays. Last year, the friends made a new and serious decision. As two members of the group (István Hornacsek alias Naszluhác and László Prepok alias Lombrágó) have already been raising their jugs to friends from the heavenly hop fields, the friendly society decided to establish A MEMORIAL PLACE with the aim to determine a point in the beloved town where living and deceased pals could be together at any time. To realize the plan, they bought a grave in the cemetery of Selmecbánya in 2010 to build up a memorial stone there.

On the 6th May 2011, they inaugurated the memorial stone carved from limestone. The stone is a reduced replica of the main controls of the first levelling network, with the carved emblems of the land surveying, mining and forestry faculties. The altitude mark built in under the coat of arms of land surveyors symbolizes the professionalism. Under the memorial stone, a metal cylinder was buried. It contains local newspapers of Székesfehérvár, Selmecbánya and countrywide daily papers published on the day of the inauguration, the last copy of Geodesy and Cartography Monthly and some coins.  Above the metal cylinder, a marble plaque is placed with the names of the two deceased friends. They also placed here the songbook already mentioned and the memorial jug of the first trip to Selmecbánya (1997) with the signatures of all of them. 

The founders agreed that the names of the pals after their death would be engraved into copper plaques and placed under the memorial stone. According to their wish, the inscription „WE ARE TOGETHER” will connect the founders for ever with each other and with the past of Selmecbánya the power of which inexplicably attracts them to this place year by year. The letter of foundation was confirmed by the signature of the participants.

The „Hard Core” tours have always been very cheerful: friends teasing each other, laughing a lot and having a good time together. This was the same when erecting the memorial stone. But later on, during the inauguration ceremony – short memorial speech, singing the song „Obeisance to Afterlife” – a hardly expressible tension, a kind of vibration crept over us: we were all moved. We perceived that now something was created for the eternity perhaps, something that was serious and solemn. Something was born here that is worth commemorating the society of land surveyors, the predecessors and successors alike. We trust that this place will be a „fix point” for all of us; both land surveyors and representatives of related faculties and societies coming  to Selmecbánya will lay the flowers of remembrance not only on the formerly known graves but here as well.

Dr. Péter Engler
Docent,  Deputy Dean and Head of Department
University of West Hungary, Faculty of Geoinformatics
Department of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Székesfehérvár
Geodetic and Cartographic Institute Bratislava:
Banská Štiavnica