In a prestigious setting, the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT) and the Dénes Gábor Award Winners’ Club Association (GDKE) commemorated one of the most influential figures in Hungarian computer science, Dr. Bálint Dömölki, in the Main Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The conference, held in honor of the scientist who passed away in 2025, not only commemorated his life’s work, but also opened perspectives on the present and future of computer science. The meeting also served as the NJSZT’s general assembly, which confirmed the dynamic renewal of Hungary’s oldest scientific association in the field of computer science.
Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács, chairman of the John von Neumann Society, emphasized that the conference fits in well with the NJSZT’s initiative launched in 2022, which celebrates January 21—the day of the 1959 press presentation of the first Hungarian electronic computer, the M-3—as Hungarian IT Day. The intellectual legacy of the M-3, through the work of Bálint Dömölki, is a tradition that is still alive and influential today.
The commemoration took on a particularly personal tone in the presentation by Neumann Prize winner Judit Talyigás, who showed a short film made from conversations with Dömölki’s widow, daughter, and grandchildren. The film highlighted Bálint Dömölki’s role as head of the family, his playful curiosity, and his responsible care. The event was honored by the presence of Bálint Dömölki’s widow and several family members.
