This story began in 21st January 1959, when we, the members of the Research Group of Cybernetics, in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, finished the construction of the first Hungarian tube computer, the M-3. The M-3 was a clone (copy) of the famous American IAS computer, which was innovated and constructed by John von Neumann and his excellent colleagues: Hermann Goldstine, Arthur Burks, Julian Bigelow and others.

Just – when the computer was ready and operated – the Academy founded its Computer Centre, the first such organisation in Hungary. I was appointed as the head of the computer-operation. The M-3 computer was worked till 1965, then the Academy bought a Russian URAL-2 (again tube) computer, then the M-3 was transported to the Laboratory of Cybernetics in the University of Sciences (Szeged), where the M-3 was working till 2nd January, 1968. Then the computer was stopped.

The University and our Computer Centre offered to the National Technical Museum to store the M-3, but they refused this offer, declaring, the Technical Museum store the very old technical objects, they have to be more then 100 years old. Then the first computer was destroyed and the elements: tubes, switches etc distributed between the different laboratories of the University.

I was appointed to the head of the Hungarian John von Neumann Computer Society in 1975, then I decided, we will store all the old computers in Hungary. After my declaration, our Computer Society received stores and I started to collect the old computers. Some of them was given to the National Technical Museum, but the majority was stored in our stores. We formed a Foundation at the end of the eighties, now this foundation collects officially the old computers, but now several other old technical equipments, too. We have about 2-300 tonnes objects now.

We suggested several times to the actual Hungarian governments to establish a Computer Museum, the different Ministers were surprised watching our collection, which is – probably the most huge in Europe, they promised they will support us, but they did not.

The local government and the University of Sciences in Szeged decided, they will support the idea of the Computer Museum in Szeged, they gave us a building of the earlier Soviet barrack, where we can store, but temporary exhibit our collection. The technical head of the early Laboratory of Cybernetics, Dr Daniel MUSZKA organises this collection in Szeged, we hope we can open our final and permanent exhibition in the (hopefully) next future.

We celebrated the 100th birthday of John von Neumann in 2003, this year was appointed by the Hungarian government as the John von Neumann Centenary Year. I was invited by the Minister of Informatics and Communications as a von Neumann Advisor of the Minister.

We suggested and started several events during 2003, but this events is continuing during 2004, we do not want to finish it. We organised several von Neumann memorial lectures in different educational institutions, many student computer application competitions, student camps, we erected several von Neumann’s statues and memorial plaques not only in Hungary, but in USA, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine etc. Our Foundation, together with the Ministry and the Technical Museum decided to show several von Neumann memorial exhibitions, too.

I prepared – supporting by the Ministry of Informatics and Communications – a series of posters about John von Neumann and the history of the Hungarian computer-research and production. This exhibition was shown in several cities in Hungary, but in the neighbouring countries, too. The English version of the posters were exhibited in US (Washington, Aberdeen and Los Alamos), in Brussels by the EU, in the Deutsches Museum (Munich) and the Technical Museum (Slovenia, Ljubjana).

I prepared two exhibitions (2003) in Budapest showing not only the posters, but about 100 original pieces from the Hungarian computer-history. The first exhibition showed the objects from the 19th century till the end of the sixties, the second exhibition was organised with objects from the seventies till today.

These exhibitions were visited mainly by schools, they organised computer-history lessons showing the original objects. Unfortunately the students from the very far villages could not come to Budapest, therefore I decided – supporting again by the Ministry – to transfer the exhibition into the different cities country side. I organised a “wandering exhibition” I push together the two earlier exhibitions together with the lighter objects, which will wander first in Hungary, but – later - in the neighbouring countries, too.

The first two stations were: Sátoraljaújhely and again Budapest Planetarium. The next station will be from 23rd November till mid January, Salgótarján.

But we hope in the realisation of the Hungarian Computer Museum or Museum of Informatics, too.