1959 ISMS Congress in Denmark with Conny Riber Rasmussen

The ISMS - International Society for Mushroom Science got founded by husband Pieter's boss, Pieter J. Bels.
It was only in 1949 that these CONGRESSES came to life.
More about that below this first photo from 1959.

This photo is from the South of Sweden.

Pieter went to mushroom farm Fanmarps near Halmstad in South Sweden.
From the ISMS Congress, an excursion to Sweden was made. 
Those are actually MUSHROOMS grown outdoors!
This is a photo from husband Pieter's 1964 Dutch book: 'Moderne Champignonteelt'
Such methods are no longer being done!

Pieter J. Bels wrote in his lecture given at the 30th anniversary:
Let us start in the year 1949. Before that year mushroom growers were, in general, very secretive. There was practically no national and international contact. There were just a handful of mushroom researchers.
But then traveling started. Dr. Ware went to France; Lambert and Sinden to England; Mrs. Hauser to the U.S.A. and England and the Bels' to Switzerland, Belgium, England and Scandinavia.
The time seemed ripe for more international contact...

This is another part of that lecture:
The Third Congress was organized for 1956 in PARIS, by Sarazin, Heim and Dekeirel. Here we had simultaneous translation for the first time.
In 1957 "Mushroom Science 3" came out.
In 1956 we received an invitation from Hugary for the Congress in 1959.
Before we could send an answer, Russian tanks were in Budapest, actually on November 4, 1956.
As a young girl, in Kindergarten, I recall that we were praying hard for the people in Hungary!!! There was FEAR
So Hungary was out of the question. Conny Riber Rasmussen from DENMARK came up and helped us out. The 1959 Congress, the Fourth, was held in COPENHAGEN. Practically alone, with his enormous energy, Conny Riber Rasmussen organized this 4th Congress.
Prof. Paludan, now 89 years old and Dr. Treschow were President and Vice-President.
Conny's Congress was a success. We made an excursion to Sweden...
As seen in the FIRST picture, the reason for that excursion were the mushrooms grown in the soil, outdoors!
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The mushroom industry sure has come a long way since then!
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Sadly though, Hungary never made it back into hosting such an ISMS Congress...
They regained their freedom from Communism only 30 years later.
That is when they finally got rid of Socialism...
Politics and wars always affect the little people in a big way!
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Husband Pieter became good friends with Conny and he has stayed with him for a week at the University Institute in Copenhagen. It was such an energetic scientist!

Here, Pieter is on the ferry from Hamburg, on his way to Denmark again in October of 1964 with some of his students on excursion to Conny Riber Rasmussen.
This was together with his ex–wife.

Younger brother from A. Veeken to the left, one of Pieter's Dutch students and Pieter to the right...

Under the Danish Flag...

Once ashore, they continued to travel in their cars and then a delicious Danish Smorgasbord awaited them!

Guest at Conny Riber Rasmussen's Research Station in Copenhagen, Denmark.
On the left is Conny Riber Rasmussen and Pieter is seated, 2nd from left and his ex is sitting next to him.
In 1964 they also visited the following mushroom farms:
 Chr. Tiedeman in Taatstrup.
Verner Rasmussen in Glostrup.
 J.F. Hansen in Herlev.
Erik Fladeland-Nielsen in Søborg.
E. Grevenkop-Carstenskiold in St. Frederikslund.
From Denmark they continued to F. Dohme in Hameln, Germany to visit his mushroom farm.
Also the Max Planck Instituut in Hamburg-Volksdorf where they met with Prof. Von Sengbusch.

Fond memories of Pieter's three trips to Denmark and his encounters during ISMS Congresses with Conny Riber Rasmussen.
He was quite famous at the time for reaching high yields in mushroom production by filling 2 trays with full grown compost and then layering the compost on top of each other.
At the time an average of 7 kg/m2 he managed to reach 10 kg/m2.

Fond Danish memories!

Related link:

Soviets Crush Hungarian Revolt (1956) | A Day That Shook the World 2 min. video showing the reason that the ISMS Congress had to be in Kopenhagen