Our activities

The members

annual meetings

Water directives international

Interesting links

On 6th of October 2007 stopped the heart beat of Prof. PhD. Ladislav Melioris, ScD, well known and honored authority, personality of Slovak science in the field of underground water – hydrogeology.

He was born on 20th of August 1934 in Trnava. After graduation from State gymnasium in this town, in the years 1953 – 1958, he studied on the Faculty of geologic-geographical science on the Comenius University in Bratislava, in field geology, specialization engineering geology. His knowledge he further deepened in form of internal aspiratory, in the scientific field hydrogeology by Professor A. M. Ovčinnikov on MGRI in Moscow, where in the year 1964 he defenced his candidature dissertation thesis on the topic „Carbonic waters of Middle Slovakia“. In the year 1972 he defenced his habilitation work and was appointed for the post of college lecturer on the faculty of natural sciences, the Comenius University in Bratislava. In the year 1981 he was appointed for the post Professor in scientific field hydrogeology, he became the first Professor of hydrogeology in Slovakia. Results of his extensive research works allowed him in the year 1982, on faculty of natural sciences, the Comenius University in Bratislava, to defence his doctor dissertation thesis on the topic „Underground water of crystalline in Western Carpathians“.

The essential part of his active working period he worked on the faculty of natural sciences, the Comenius University in Bratislava, as a university schoolteacher.

He lectured master subjects with study specialization - engineering geology and hydrogeology (hydro geochemistry, underground waters and their research, regional hydrogeology, mineral waters and so on). He raised tens of undergraduates and more then two tens of aspirants and doctorates, withal many of them are significant personalities of the Slovak hydrogeology in the technical and organizational field.

He was a full member and later the president of The Commission for candidature dissertation thesis in scientific field hydrogeology, until the year 1990. From the year 1991 he was the president of the united trade commission in the scientific field hydrogeology. He was also a full member and the president of the Commission for doctor dissertation works defences.

He is the author and corporate author of 6 university educational scripts and school-book “Underground water – methods of research and exploration” (Melioris L., Mucha I., Pospíšil P., ALFA, 1986).

At the end of the seventies he became the head of hydrogeology department, the Comenius University in Bratislava. As a head of the faculty his first-rate attention was dedicated to the development of the basic research, development of methodic for hydro geologic research and creation of educational literature. Thanks to his active work the department of hydrogeology became in the year 1981 the coordinate workplace for the main tasks ŠPZV „Hydro geological processes, protection and utilization of underground water“, and Prof. Melioris became the coordinator. On this research participated 12 workstations of the whole ČSFR. The results were published in the year 1991 in the form of publication „Hydrogeology – research and praxis“.

He actively secured, that all the results of research activity were used by solving of tasks for needs of hydro geological and water economic praxis.

After 42 years of activity on the department of hydrogeology, the faculty of natural sciences, the Comenius University in Bratislava, he retired in the year 1999. However he was not enjoying his rest, but he henceforward continued in active work as an external hydro geologist in APMS LC Trenčín. He was solving the problems of hydrogeology, possibility of using and protection of mineral waters, as well as some specific problems of balneotechnology and etc. After a short time he accepted the post of the director on the Inspectorate of spas and mineral springs of Slovak republic, where he worked from the year 2002 until 2006. In the end of his activity on the Ministry of Health of Slovak republic he was the advisory officer for the Minister in the area of spa health resorts and mineral springs.

During his procreative professional activity on the Ministry of Health of Slovak republic he was the creator of the first spa law and of corresponding 6 legislative regulations. He was the president and member of the State spa commission, member of the Commission for travel industry on the Ministry of economy of Slovak republic, the president of the Commission for classification of the underground water resources for the Ministry of environment of Slovak republic. He actively collaborated with all organizations in the field of spas and mineral water resources in Slovak republic.

He is the author and corporate author of 150 scientific and professional papers, there from 6 monographs, the author of tens projects, expertise and concluding scientific works solved for the use in praxis.

He wrote more then 400 reviews, monographs, textbooks, manuscripts, references on proposals for professors nominations, habilitation works, doctor, candidatures and doctorates thesis defences, appraisals of projects for grants agencies, appraisals of projects and concluding reports for different institutions, scholarly attitudes and statements for government and other institutions.

He organized or co organized many of scientific conferences, symposiums, seminars with international participation. A great deal of them he secured as a special guarantee. The results of his scientific and professional work and the standard of Slovak hydrogeology presented L. Melioris on international (Sofia, Krynica, Moscow, Granada, Vilnius, Kiev, Madrid, Monterrey, Peking, Inbid, Washington, Pittsburg, Nisocia, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Bath, Pouda, Delgado), as well as on national congresses, conferences and symposiums. The highest international recognition of his scientific and professional achievements was the invitation to the XI Decennium Congress of Mineral and Healing Waters in La Toja, Pontevedra (Spain, 1999), where he made the opening speech on thesis „Genesis, utilization and protection of mineral waters“.

Scientific and professional activities, achieved results, economic gains from utilization of these results and his wide professional-organizational activity were multiply recognized and priced. He is the awardee of the Comenius University Golden Medal, the Minister of Health awarded him in the year 1984 with The J. B. Guoth Commemorative Medal. In the year 1987 he was awarded with The Dionýz Štúr Silver Plaque by the Slovak Academy of Science for his contribution to the development of natural science. The Slovak Geologic Association conferred him in the year 1994 the J. Slávik Medal for development of geology in Slovakia. He is awardee of many other acknowledgements and appreciations.

During his almost fifty years long active pedagogic, scientific, professional and organizational activity accomplished Professor Melioris great deal of challenging, considerable, pioneer work. His name is connected with many significant activities and events. With determining measure he contributed and took part in foundation of the Faculty of hydrogeology on the Comenius University in Bratislava and this he further built and developed. As a rector on the Comenius University he significantly contributed on completing of the Natural science faculty in Mlynska dolina in Bratislava. He took initiative in acceleration of international scientific collaboration of the University workstations, he enforced enhancement and efficiency of this activity and etc. As a teacher he raised tens of undergraduates, aspirants and doctorates. He put forth extraordinary effort so that science hydrogeology had autonomous principal role in State planning of fundamental research from the year 1981. In order to achieve this goal he secured close collaboration of the hydrogeology workstations in whole ČSFR, but in particular the collaboration with hydrogeology department of the Dionýz Štúr Geology institute. He was one of the founders of the Slovak Association of Hydro geologists, he initiated the foundation of magazine „Underground water“ and etc.

Janka Zálešáková ,

President of the Slovak Spas Association
President of the European Spas Association

Foto: Andrew Shugg

D - 65205 Wiesbaden

info[at]drvonstorch.de