Zsigmond Varga, Professor of the History of Religion, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the academic year 1933/1934. Several memorable events took place at the university during his time in office. The historical background of this was the fact that the political and social tensions caused by restrictive measures taken by the Hungarian government to fight the consequences of the Great Depression reached their peak in that academic year. There were several events that made the extraordinary actions of rector Zsigmond Varga necessary: the public debate on the policy of education aiming at the restructuring of the higher education threatened the university with loosing one of its four faculties and the ongoing student revolts hindered the teaching and research activities for months. In addition to Varga’s activity in the University administration, this study describes his work as an academic and as a scholar, and addresses his public activities outside of the university, too. It also offers a glimpse into his family life at a certain point of time. Referring to a memorial booklet written by Varga, his son, Zsigmond Varga jr., the young Reformed minister and promising biblical scholar is also remembered in this study. Varga jr. was a student of the University of Vienna, he was nprisoned by the Gestapo and he died a martyr’s death in the concentration camp of Mauthausen-Gusen.

German Academic Effects on István Schneller’s pedagogical System. Having studied theology at German universities, Schneller István (1847–1939) got to the Department of Education at Kolozsvár University in 1895. He played an important role in having the Transsylvanian Hungarian University, suppressed in May of 1919, transferred to Szeged in the autumn of 1921. Schneller’s approach to the questions of pedagogy was that of an Evangelical theologian. He applied the term „personality pedagogy” to his pedagogy, thus referring to the fact that the process of moulding the individual into a personality was placed in the focus of his pedagogy. When searching the roots of Schneller’s moral anthropological concepts with regard to the history of ideas, the following influences are to be revealed: 1. The Protestant doctrine, the influence of the Herrenhut circle of the Evangelical Pietists, Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher’s influence. The process of becoming a member in the Domain of God is to be supported by the individual’s intimate religious experience. 2. The reception of Pestalozzi’s influence: The Swiss pedagogue’s ethical evolutionary theory is mainly discussed in the study titled „Meine Nachforschungen über den Gang der Natur…”. The three grades described there are as follows: Naturstand (Natural State), Gesellschaftlicher Zustand (Social State), Sittlicher Zustand (Moral State), which might as well be interpreted as the antecedents of Schneller’s conception. Schneller goes further on the road outlined by Pestalozzi, setting the process of ethicizing into a wider context. 3. The Kantian influence is equivalent to that of Pestalozzi. Schneller himself attempts to interpret Kant’ pedagogical conceptions discussed several times and in several ways as a unified system. On the basis of his university lectures, it can be recognized that Schneller reveals the following grades in the process of evolution described by Kant: 1. eudaimonism, 2. legality, 3. morality. Nonetheless, in favour of Schleiermacher’s principle of love, Schneller is reluctant to accept the emotionally rigorous ethical laws and the Kantian categorical imperative. Schneller as a charismatic pedagogue-professor at Kolozsvár, then at Szeged University, gathered a multitude of students around himself, many of whom (Varga Béla, Makkai Sándor, Kemény Ferenc, Imre Sándor), starting from and developing the intellectual world of personality pedagogy, became considerable theoreticians themselves. German Academic Effects on István Schneller’s pedagogical System. Having studied theology at German universities, Schneller István (1847–1939) got to the Department of Education at Kolozsvár University in 1895. He played an important role in having the Transsylvanian Hungarian University, suppressed in May of 1919, transferred to Szeged in the autumn of 1921. Schneller’s approach to the questions of pedagogy was that of an Evangelical theologian. He applied the term „personality pedagogy” to his pedagogy, thus referring to the fact that the process of moulding the individual into a personality was placed in the focus of his pedagogy. When searching the roots of Schneller’s moral anthropological concepts with regard to the history of ideas, the following influences are to be revealed: 1. The Protestant doctrine, the influence of the Herrenhut circle of the Evangelical Pietists, Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher’s influence. The process of becoming a member in the Domain of God is to be supported by the individual’s intimate religious experience. 2. The reception of Pestalozzi’s influence: The Swiss pedagogue’s ethical evolutionary theory is mainly discussed in the study titled „Meine Nachforschungen über den Gang der Natur…”. The three grades described there are as follows: Naturstand (Natural State), Gesellschaftlicher Zustand (Social State), Sittlicher Zustand (Moral State), which might as well be interpreted as the antecedents of Schneller’s conception. Schneller goes further on the road outlined by Pestalozzi, setting the process of ethicizing into a wider context. 3. The Kantian influence is equivalent to that of Pestalozzi. Schneller himself attempts to interpret Kant’ pedagogical conceptions discussed several times and in several ways as a unified system. On the basis of his university lectures, it can be recognized that Schneller reveals the following grades in the process of evolution described by Kant: 1. eudaimonism, 2. legality, 3. morality. Nonetheless, in favour of Schleiermacher’s principle of love, Schneller is reluctant to accept the emotionally rigorous ethical laws and the Kantian categorical imperative. Schneller as a charismatic pedagogue-professor at Kolozsvár, then at Szeged University, gathered a multitude of students around himself, many of whom (Varga Béla, Makkai Sándor, Kemény Ferenc, Imre Sándor), starting from and developing the intellectual world of personality pedagogy, became considerable theoreticians themselves.

The Role of the University Library Committee Before 1949. In the stage of its existence discussed here the University Library Committee played a particularly significant role since the control of its management and operation were fully affected by top-level decision making. The jurisdiction of the University Library’s manager extended only to enacting the Committee’s resolutions. The Library Committee was chaired by the current prorector, its members were chosen and delegated by the respective faculties. The members of the Committee were elected for a period of three years. The work and achieved results of the Committee could hardly be called a success story. Despite the fact that empowerment was distributed fully, the Committee members appeared incapable of benefiting from the fact. It was not the lack of conscience that caused the deficiency. The problem clearly was that they were expected to voice opinions in professional matters – and represent the library in the presence of university managers – which they failed to fully understand.

Hungarian Medical Training in Transylvania (II): Marosvásárhely. As a continuation of the study on the history of the Hungarian medical education in Cluj (Kolozsvár) that was published earlier in our journal, in this writing, the authors elaborate the history of the Institution of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mureș (Marosvásárhely), that was established in 1945, and later became a University in 1991. The study is supplemented by biographies of the rectors of the university, expressively with a special emphasis on the presentation of the activities of the rectors who had Hungarian language as a mother tongue.

The History of Hungarian Agricultural Vocational Education until 1945, with a special Emphasis on the Agricultural Higher Education of Debrecen. The study mainly provides an overview on the organizational history of educational institutions of the Hungarian agricultural vocational education. It gives a perspective on the development of different types of schools from the lowest level of education, through secondary education to the institutions of the highest level, outlining the economic and social-historical aspects, also with respect to the relevant legislation. A special attention is paid by the author to the history of the agricultural higher education of Debrecen until 1945.

The Appearance of the Politicization of the University Life in Debrecen in 1939. A student’s Accusation against Béla Tankó and Bálint Hóman’s response. A very special source of the history of the Hungarian higher education and of the history of the University of Debrecen that accusation which was made in the autumn of 1939 by a student. This short and nameless letter was an accusation against professor Béla Tankó who had taken a note about the German origin of Bálint Hóman who was the Secretary of Religion and Public Education at that time. One of the students who was the member of the Árpád Comradeship Association wrote a short and modest letter to Hóman about it. This was a clear sign of the radicalization and the politicization of the whole society and of the life in the Hungarian universities. Also had been found the response of Bálint Hóman who sent back this accusation to Béla Tankó with a short letter in which he interpreted this as a wrong deliver. This unpleasant case had been solved by Hóman this way, but the radicalization of the students of the universities and the devaluation of the Hungarian political culture continued.

The Archontology of Lajos Kossuth University of Arts and Sciences (1950–1990), Part X: Institute of Pedagogy and Cultural Studies. The Archontology of Kossuth University for the School of Arts, the School of Sciences, and for the so-called “Central Units” between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 1990, was compiled on the basis of the personal cards and personal files of the Personnel Department of the Rector’s Office, and the scantily documented section for the 1950s was supplemented from the annually arranged documentary material of the Personnel Office. Even so, however, the existing material fails to be complete. It is impossible to compile the archontology with perfect accuracy. Part X. presents the complete list pertaining to the Institute of Pedagogy and Cultural Studies from institute head to janitor.

Treasures at the University – The mysterious Painting. For decades the Rectorial Council Hall of the Main Building of the University of Debrecen has been decorated by a large-sized painting created by Iványi- Grünwald Béla, that is titled: Dull Mihály elítélése [that translates as: Sentencing of Mihály Dull]. Until now, however, hardly just legends have been circling around about how, when and under what circumstances the painting was brought to Debrecen. The author of the writing attempts to explore the reality behind these legends.

Mikonya György: Az európai egyetemek története (1230–1700)

Haraszti Szabó Péter–Kelényi Borbála–Szögi László: Magyarországi diákok a prágai és krakkói egyetemeken 1348–1525, 1–2. kötet – recenzió

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A reformáció korának oktatástörténeti hatása Debrecenben

A reformáció hatásai a gondolkodásmód és erkölcs kialakulására a skandináv térség országaiban