IN MEMORIAM
Dne 5. 12. 1989 je v Ljubljani umrl v 89. letu starosti upokojeni univerzitetni profesor dr. h. c. Ciril Rekar, dipl. ing. Njegovo ime in delo je najtesneje povezano s slovensko in jugoslovansko metalurgijo. Poznali smo ga kot človeka, ki je idealno združil teorijo in prakso tako na področju proizvodnje ferozlitin, grodlja in jekla, kot pri pedagoškem, znanstvenem in organizacijskem delu.
Rodil se je 14. septembra 1901 v Radovljici. Po maturi v Kranju in po študiju kemije na tehnični fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, je leta 1927 diplomiral za inženirja kemije z diplomsko nalogo s področja proizvodnje jekla. Služboval je v rudarskih in metalurških podjetjih. Največ metalurške prakse si je pridobil v Železarni Jesenice pri takratni Kranjski industrijski družbi, kjer je tudi dočakal drugo svetovno vojno. Od tod je odšel v Italijo, kjer se je tudi zaposlil v železarnah. Leta 1944 se je priključil narodnoosvobodilnemu gibanju in preko Barija odšel na Vis, kjer je delal pri Narodnem komiteju za osvoboditev Jugoslavije. Po osvoboditvi Beograda je delal kot pomočnik ministra za rudarstvo in kot načelnik oz. generalni direktor črne metalurgije Jugoslavije.
S pedagoškim delom je pričel kot privatni docent že pred vojno. Leta 1939 je bil med ustanovitelji Odseka za metalurgijo, na katerem je predaval predmete iz proizvodnje grodlja, ferozlitin, jekla, metalurške tehnologije in projektiranja metalurških naprav. Redni profesor je postal leta 1946, ko se je vrnil iz Beograda v Ljubljano.
Iz časa njegovega dela v metalurških podjetjih omenimo samo nekaj najpomembnejših del: razvoj in uporaba krom-magnezitnih ognjevarnih gradiv, konstrukcija generatorja, s katerim so lahko proizvajali generatorski plin iz domačih rjavih premogov, izkoriščanje plavžnega plina za kurjenje apnenic in izdelava visokotrdnega konstrukcijskega jekla.
Z delom v raznih metalurških obratih si je nabral bogate izkušnje, ki jih je pri svojem plodnem pedagoškem delu prenašal na študente. Vedel je, da bo hiter napredek metalurgije pri nas mogoč le, če bomo ustvarili možnosti za pedagoško in znanstvenoraziskovalno delo, tako pri temeljnih kot tudi uporabnih raziskavah. Zato je vse svoje sile posvetil organizaciji raziskovalnega dela.
Pod njegovim vodstvom je bil leta 1950 ustanovljen in zgrajen Metalurški inštitut pri Tehniški visoki šoli v Ljubljani, ki ga je uspešno vodil šestnajst let. S postavitvijo raziskovalne ustanove, ki je postala slovensko in jugoslovansko središče na področju metalurških raziskav, si je postavil trajen spomenik.
In Memory of Ciril Rekar
On December 5, 1989. Mr. Ciril Rekar, dipl. ing.. Pro-fessor Emeritus died at the age of 89. in Ljubljana.
His work as researcher and teacher contributed to Slovene and Yugoslav metailurgy as none before: espe-cially in the field of ferrous alloys, pig iron and steel. where he united practice and theory.
Ciril Rekar vvas born on September 14. 1901 m Radovljica. In 1927, he received a Bachelor of Science De-gree in Chemistry from the University of Ljubljana. His graduation thesis vvas on manufacturing of steel. He took service vvith m in ing and metallurgical firm s. Then he joined the Jesenice Ironvvorks (the then property of Kranj Industrial Company) vvhere he gained the most val-uable experience in metallurgy. When the VVortd War II broke out he left the Jesenice Ironvvorks for a service in Italian ironvvorks. In 1944 he joined the National Defence Movement and vvent to the island of Vis vvhere he vvorked vvith the National Committee for Liberation of Yugoslavia. VVhen Belgrade vvas liberated, he vvas pro-moted to Assistant Minister for Mining and vvas appoint-ed General Manager of Yugoslav metallurgy.
Before the war he engaged in teaching as private /4s-sistant Professor. in 1939 he participated in establishing the Metallurgical Department at the University of Ljubljana. vvhere he gave iectures on the coke, ferrous alloys and steel manufacture, metallurgical technology and on metallurgical engineering. In 1946, after his return from Belgrade, he vvas elected Full Professor.
While he vvorked in metallurgical firms, he developed the application of chrome-magnesite refractory materi-als, he constructed the generator used in manufacturing of generator gas from domestic brovvn coal, iniciated the heating of lime-kiln by furnace gas and participated in development of high strength constructional steel.
The rich experience he gained from the work in severa! metallurgical plants, he transmitted to his stu-dents. Well avvare of the fact that the Slovene metallurgy could make progress only on the basis of organized pedagogic and research vvork, he devoted himself to research organization.
In 1950 he vvas in charge of establishing and building the Metallurgical Institute at the Polytechnic in Ljubljana and later its manager for sixteen successfui years. During the period of his managament, the Metallurgical Institute vvas made the centre of Yugoslav research in metal-lurgy, monumentatizing his vvork.
Menil je, da pedagoško in raziskovalno delo v metalurgiji ne sme in ne more biti odmaknjeno od metalurške prakse. Pospeševal je tesno sodelovanje Metalurškega inštituta s francoskim železarskim inštitutom IRSID, z inštitutom za železarstvo Max Planck ter na pedagoškem in znanstveno-raziskovalnem delu s Tehnično Univerzo Clausthal.
Kot vodja in nosilec znanstveno raziskovalnega dela na Metalurškem inštitutu je s svojimi sodelavci raziskoval problematiko uporabe domačih surovin za proizvodnjo metalurškega koksa, zalogo rud in uvedel na poskusnih plavžih raziskave o redukciji, mehčanju in nataljevanju domačih železovih rud. Znan je po študijah vpliva oligoelementov na tehnološke in mehanske lastnosti jekel. Delal je tudi na tehnološkem projektu za železarno v Indiji. Na njegovo pobudo se je Metalurški inštitut loteval tudi povsem pionirskih raziskovalnih področij, kot sta uporaba sončne energije za taljenje mineralov z visokim tališčem in razsoljevanje morske vode.
Njegova odlika je bila skrb za strokovni dvig raziskovalcev, saj je pri obiskih različnih inštitutov v inozemstvu vedno uredil tako. da je lahko tja pošiljal na šolanje in izpopolnjevanje mlajše strokovnjake.
Njegova stroka, življenje in ljubezen je bila metalurgija jekla. Vsako novo tehnološko spoznanje oziroma informacijo, ki jo je dobil, je skušal takoj uveljaviti tudi pri nas.
Po upokojitvi leta 1971 se je še vedno aktivno ukvarjal s pedagoškim in zlasti z razvojnim delom ekstraktivne metalurgije. Marsikatera njegova vizionarska ideja se danes uspešno uresničuje v takšni ali drugačni obliki. Do zadnjega se je zanimal in se veselil novih raziskovalnih dosežkov inštituta, prenosa znanja v proizvodnjo, novih tehnoloških rešitev v železarnah in vzgoje mladih strokovnjakov.
Za njegov prispevek k razvoju metalurgije in za pionirsko delo pri razvijanju sodelovanja na raziskovalnem in pedagoškem področju med Montanistiko ljubljanske univerze in Tehnično univerzo Clausthal so mu leta 1974 podelili v Clausthalu naslov častnega doktorja. Za svoje delo je prejel več državnih odlikovanj in za življenjsko delo nagrado Sklada Borisa Kidriča.
Njegovo pedagoško in raziskovalno pot so odlikovale vsestranska razgledanost, organizacijska sposobnost, velika iznajdljivost, močna volja in doslednost pri delu. Spominjali se ga bomo kot metalurga in učitelja številnih generacij metalurgov, ki delajo doma in po svetu.
Jakob Lamut
He believed that teaching and research in metallurgy cannot and may not be separated from practica/ applica-tion to industry. Under his ieadership the Metaiiurgicai Institute entertained a close cooperation in teaching and research with the French Iron Institute IRSID, vvith Max Planck Iron Manufacture Institute and vvith Technical University Clausthal.
He and his fellovv researchers explored the domestic ravv materiais on use in the manufacture of metallurgical coke, and engaged in the research on reduction, soften-ing and melting of domestic iron in experimental fur-naces. His studies on hovv the residuals affect the technological and mechanicai properties of steel a woridwide reputation as a researcher brought him. On his iniciative the Metallurgical Institute began to engage in purely pio-neer research such as using the energy of sun to melt high melting point materiais and the sea vvater desalini-zation.
AH the tirne, Ciril Rekar thought of the professional education of young researchers, and vvhen visiting for-eign institutes, he never missed an opportunity to ar-range for his researchers to participate in a training of the particular institute.
But he devoted his heart and soul to steel metallur-gy, and vvanted to introduce new experience in technol-ogy. or piece of information he gained, to the Siovene metaliurgy, immediately.
In 1971 he retired officially, yet could not rest but proceeded vvith teaching and research in the extractive metallurgy. Many a visionary idea of his is novv being realized successfully. To the last, he took interest in research and vvas pleased to see the Metallurgical Institute succeed in introducing the research results and knovviedge to industry.
In 1974, he vvas avvarded the titie of Honorary Doctor by the Technic University in Clausthal for his contribu-tion to research and teaching cooperation of the Metallurgical Department at the University of Ljubljana and the University in Clausthal. At home he vvas conferred severa/ decorations by the State and Boris Kidrič avvard for iife vvork.
His teaching and research vvere marked by his uni-versal experience. excelent organization ability and in-ventiveness. We shail remember him as a metallurgist and teacher of distinguished abiiities.
Jakob Lamut