In Search Of Sundials: Esztergom, Hungary

 In this post, I invite the Dear Reader to Esztergom. However, the palette does not include traditional natural and cultural attractions, but the city's sundials. Nevertheless, I will also share some thoughts and photos about the landmarks along the way (since the latter were taken with a simpler smartphone and often not in the best conditions, I apologize in advance for the quality...). The article is also the first part of a thematic series, where the emphasis is on the sundials I visited. The topic is relatively new to me, and to be honest, I haven't been interested in it for a long time. But since it is a relatively easy amateur astronomy activity, I recently got the urge to do it. My first "sundial discovery" - if I remember correctly - happened in the summer of 2022 in Balatonfüred, but their regular visits "officially" began on October 23 last year (I will write about them in more detail someday). The order of their presentation is completely arbitrary, but I always give the location and time to the best of my ability. But before we fly to Esztergom in our minds, let's take a brief look at what a sundial is, how it works and what it is good for?

 A sundial is one of the oldest and perhaps longest-used timekeeping devices, which uses the apparent celestial movement of the Sun to show local time. The latter statement is important because, due to the nearly spherical shape of the Earth, our star rises and sets at different times in different geographical locations, which also changes the way time is measured. For example, between Tapolca (near Lake Balaton, eastern longitude ~17.5 degrees) and Debrecen (Eastern Hungary, eastern longitude ~21.5 degrees) the difference in local time is 4×4 minutes, or 16 minutes. So, the sunrise in Debrecen is earlier. This difference does not seem much on weekdays, but on a Budapest-Beijing flight, for example, it matters (time zones and the concept of zone time were created to eliminate such problems). Sundials can have a variety of appearances and structures, but their common feature is the so-called shader or gnomon (it makes a shadow) and the dial (a flat plate). The simplest, although more or less inaccurate, sundial is only the gnomon - essentially a stick or pole stuck in the ground. However, for the sake of accuracy, it is important to note that the shadow caster and the dial always make an angle with each other equal to the geographical latitude of the given location (this is 47 degrees 29.5 minutes in Budapest, 0 degrees at the North and South Poles, but e.g. 31 degrees 11.5 minutes in Alexandria, Egypt). In addition, the shadow thrower is most often parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation and always faces south. At the same time, the situation is complicated by the well-known fact that with the change of seasons, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays and the length of the solar path also change continuously: in summer the Sun is higher at noon and takes a longer path than in winter. Therefore, in order for the device to show the exact time, various corrections and adjustments are necessary: ​​for example, the elongated, elliptical dial, the complex divisions and the so-called time equation. This is given in the form of a graph, from which the minute of the local time can be read accurately from the time shown by the sundial, knowing the date. Picture 1 shows the time equation with an own photo, that was taken in the XIX. district of Budapest.

There are three main types of sundials: 1. horizontal, 2. vertical and the so-called equatorial sundials (from the Latin word aeqvator). The latter version resembles a globe a bit, and not by chance: it usually consists of a vertical and a horizontal semicircular arc, which essentially correspond to the meridian (the circle of longitude passing over the given location, which also indicates the direction of the Sun's meridian, and also the N-S direction) and the Equator. These intersect behind the shader, the meridian arc holds the shader, while the dial is placed on the other in the form of a narrow plate. We can usually find them in public spaces. The horizontal type is located on the top of low columns or almost at ground level, and is also an ornament of public parks or courtyards. The vertical version is placed on the south facade of buildings or on columns. A special type of equatorial sundial deserves mention, the so-called scaphos (Greek word meaning chalice), which consists of a - usually hemispherical - recess with a complexly constructed dial and a shadow projector placed above it (for example, in the area of ​​the Aquincum Museum in III. District Budapest, near the ruins of Roman Period town). A dial with a similar structure is rarely used for vertical sundials, examples of which can be seen on the Siófok pier or on the southern wall of the Planetarium in Népliget,  Budapest (see later). Sundials were already used in ancient Babylon, and later they can be found in every major culture. It is interesting that portable sundials were also used to calibrate and check early mechanical clocks. Today they have no practical role, at most in education. Despite this, they have cultural value, and some sundials are of a distinctly aesthetic design. There are records of numerous examples in our country - I have managed to find and photograph 13 of them so far - but unfortunately most of them have been destroyed or have become practically inaccessible. According to our current knowledge, the oldest Hungarian sundial may belong to the Szent Mihály templom (Church of St. Michael) in Sopron and was probably made in the 13th century. The sundial found in the rubble next to the Benedictine abbey in Kaposszentjakab and (now part of Kaposvár, Somogy Country, Hungary) is also somewhat later, and according to researchers, it was made around 1440. It is now a museum piece. Incidentally, sundials are still being made these days, sometimes on order from private individuals.

I think that after the general information, we can slowly move on to presenting the sundials I have visited in Esztergom. The town is in Northwestern Hungary, Komárom-Esztergom County, located along the Danube on the Hungarian-Slovak border (since 4th June 1920). It is an important historical site, for example there was a Roman town (Strigonium) and - most likely - the first Hungarian king, I. (Szent) István (Stephen I., Saint), was crowned in Esztergom in 1001. I have made several trips to the city for one purpose or another, and I first arrived at around 6:30 p.m. on September 16, 2023 by boat across the beautiful Danube Bend. Since the sun was already shining and the sky was mostly cloudy, unfortunately I couldn't see much besides the Basilica and the Mária Valéria Bridge (named after the archduchess from Habsburgian-Lotharingian dynasties) spanning the Danube. But I feel like the celestial light show made up for it all. The whole sight, the overall picture, was both beautiful and uplifting. The 2nd picture might give you some idea of ​​the feeling.

Since then, I have been to Esztergom a few times - once with my other self to the neighboring Párkány (now Stúrovo in Slovakia) - and since I always came by train, I walked all the way to the Danube bank (the train station is a little bit far from this by walk). It wasn't difficult to find it back then either, because the Basilica is clearly visible from the train station. On the Colonel General Kiss János Street, I stopped for a while at the Szt. Anna Plébániatemplom (St. Anna Parish Church, picture 8). Although I am not a devout Christian (in fact, increasingly not any), I still like to look at the various churches and houses of worship, and ornate buildings in general. The block behind the Parish Church is home to the Mindszenty József Catholic Primary School and Kindergarten. Opposite, on Heroes' Square, stands the World War I Memorial (picture 9) erected in 1927 in the presence of Governor Miklós Horthy, the work of sculptor Dezső Lányi. Then I turned left into the city center, more precisely to Széchenyi Square. Here, among others, is one of the most beautiful and interesting sculptural works for me, the Ister Well Group (Ister is the ancient Greek name of the Danube River, picture 10). It's a work by Péter Párkányi Raab from 2006. Returning to the main road, on the opposite hill I noticed a large yellow disc. As I got closer, I realized that it was indeed a sundial!

I didn't take a closer look, I thought, next time. Unfortunately, I don't know when this was, but it might have been last fall. The most suitable time was December 25th (since the pictures from the previous trip were most likely lost, so I replaced them with the photo taken at that time, because it still captures the view). Yes, I know, it's Christmas, you're with your family at that time (?), but I didn't really have the opportunity to do that at the time. But I figured that because of the holiday, there were a lot fewer people on the train, the journey from Nyugati Railway Station at Budapest is about an hour. And even then, I'm not alone at home, but connecting the pleasant with the useful. So I set out with the goal of documenting as many of the recorded sundials in Esztergom as possible. Therefore, I turned into Terézia Street, which opens from Hősök tere (Heroes Square), where I had to find the sundial at number 27. More precisely, it should have been... The yard of the house is surrounded by a two-meter-high stone fence and when I visited, it was advertised for sale by a real estate agency. As it turned out, the house belonged to the amateur astronomer József Klotz, who died on January 23, 2023, at the age of 100 (although he was also successful in many other fields, which is why he is also referred to as a polymath). He designed and/or made the sundials of the city and the surrounding area. The aforementioned sundial at Szent Tamás Hill, shown in pictures 3 and 4, is also his work, and it's the largest specimen in Hungary. It was made to replace the sundial of the recently demolished "Green House", and was replaced in September 2009 - I was also looking for the previous one, although it was also listed as the MSZMP Headquarters in the old descriptions (MSZMP is an abbreviation for the Hungarian Socialist Labour Party, the only party in the Country at the most part under the Cold War Era).

The diameter of its dial is around 3 meters and the base is about the same height on the wall. The following Latin sentences can be read on it: "NIHIL EGO SINE SOLE - NIHIL TV SINE DEO", meaning I am nothing without the Sun - I am nothing without God" (in Latin, the letter V corresponds to the sound U). When I first visited there, there was a small photography exhibition on the Művészetek Tere (Arts Square) at the foot of the mountain, but now there is almost nothing. However, what can be said to be permanent is the Roman Period milestone standing in front of the square, at the bottom of the  Szt. István lépcső (St. Stephen's Steps). It was once an extension of the military road leading here, and then the main road (Via Publica) that everyone can use (picture 5, with the sundial in the background).

There are also other attractions on the mountain itself, but since this is not a tourist blog, I do not want to describe them in further detail. Those who would like to immerse themselves in the cultural flow of the city can find information on many sites, including here. I managed to get ahead a bit, as I continued my search from Terézia Street to the nearby Petőfi Sándor Street. According to my source, there should be a sundial on the southwest facade of the former General Culture House building. Fortunately, I found a new trick: the device, also made by József Klotz in 1983, is 8 meters high, and has the following Latin inscription: "TEMPUS FUGIT", meaning time is running away. The clock is arranged vertically, its shadow caster points to the pole. The Roman numerals are made of red copper. The building next to the Petőfi Sándor Elementary School now houses the Esztergom Kolping Catholic Vocational School, but the sundial was apparently barely affected by the changes (pictures 6 and 7).

After having the aforementioned large sundial, I tried to make the most of my time there, so I headed to the Zöld Óvoda (Green Kindergarten) on Deák Ferenc Street at house number 48. According to the descriptions, the yard hides an interesting sundial, which I did so well that even after going around the neighboring building (?) I couldn't notice it from the parking lot... No problem, let's go over the nearby bridge to Prímás-sziget (Primate Island) I can definitely "upgrade" there. After all, there might also be a sundial along the Gesztenye-fasor (Chestnut Avenue) here. But after a long search and fruitless interest, I gave up. I got tired. I recently looked into the matter and found out that this special three-dial sundial and its surroundings are in very poor condition, so I probably wouldn't have found it.

So I headed home with a mixed feeling of fatigue and disappointment. However, I was enriched by another "sundial discovery", which nevertheless comforted me. And the thought is that - if circumstances allow - I will definitely visit Esztergom. A city with a rich history and cultural atmosphere, not to mention its natural values. So, if it happens, you will meet it again at Geminga.

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