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GÉZA JUHÁSZ, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY, THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1950/51.
22-35Views:85. In the 1920s and the 1930s, Géza Juhász, a secondary-school teacher, was one of the leading spokesmen of the literary culture of Debrecen. He caught the attention of an interested group of followers and admirers through a considerable output of poetic material, as well as through creating and publishing a body of and the organization of literary projects. His challenging attitude to the political elite of the day made him a supporter of a left-wing ideology. In was primarily due to this latter fact that very soon (November 1945) after the termination of World War Two he was appointed full professor of Hungarian Literature, then in 1950 – sometimes even circumventing standing rules – he was made Rector of the university. His activities as Rector were overshadowed by the tragic events of the communist takeover, in which his leadership was determined by strict regulations and also well-defined expectations – the constant voicing of the justification of power and the glorification of political leaders. Géza Juhász tried to fulfill these tasks as expected, thus becoming an active participant in the elimination of university traditions and overshadowing the reputation of his former laudable literary organizer.
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ZOLTÁN VARGA, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF LAJOS KOSSUTH UNIVERSITY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1955-1957
Views:14Zoltán Varga, professor of history, had been the rector of Lajos Kossuth University in a quite controversial period. Although, the easing political tensions following Stalin’s death in the Soviet Union could be felt in Hungary as well, the Communist leadership’s insistence on power has prevented any substantial change. The reform-proposals of the university bodies remained ineffective against the political leadership. The lecturers and students thus assumed a leading role in the local events of the October 1956 revolution in Debrecen. University Rector Zoltán Varga - who was removed from his position by the revolutionary leadership – following the aftermath of the revolution, returned to his post and worked hard to save his colleagues and students from reprisals. However, due to his illness, he resigned from his post in the spring of 1957.
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Gyula Mitrovics, Professor of Pedagogy the Rector Magnificus of István Tisza University of Debrecen of the Academic Year 1940/41.
Views:190Professor of Pedagogy Gyula Mitrovics was Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen in the academic year of 1940-1941. His profound interest in the arts and his Protestant identity
shaped by the oscillation between the Sárospatak versus Debrecen axis constituted the basis and the framework for an overarching career which the child of a Sárospatak family of educators could fulfill in the Hungary of the first half of the 20th century. Despite the fact that the success of his early publications and the affirmative critical responses beckoned the young and upcoming teacher to a career in art history or to the calling of an aesthete, the interests of the arts faculty of the ”newly born” university of Debrecen dictated a different professional alternative. His attention turned to pedagogy, of which he became privat-docent in 1917, then full professor in 1918. Starting from this juncture, he led parallel professional lives rooted in aesthetics and pedagogy. In the year before his retirement he was elected rector of the university. His attitude in this supreme office was characterized by seeking compromises, which was a direct consequence of the priorities of the age in which he lived. It was during his rectorship that the university was to surrender its science departments. However, the diplomatically sensitive rector was able to attain the continuance of instruction in the disrupted departments by employing external lecturers. During his retirement as pensioner his life assumed a tragic turn: int he year 1949 – prompted by outside advice – he resigned his position as corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy then, in the middle of the 1950s he left Hungary. The one-time Debrecen professor of pedagogy spent his remaining years in Stuttgart and that is also where he died in 1965. -
Tóth Lajos akadémikus, a polgári jog professzora, a Debreceni m. kir. Tisza István-Tudományegyetem 1934/35. évi Rector Magnificusa
3 - 22Views:146Lajos Tóth, Professor of Civil Law, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the academic year 1933/1934. Prof. Dr. Lajos Tóth (1876–1936), Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was a professor strongly bound to Debrecen. He was born in Debrecen, he completed his schools there too, and (after studying law in Budapest) he worked at he Faculty of Law from its opening in 1914 until the end of his life. The study gives a summary of his life and professional results as a professor of civil law, but focuses on his role in the administration of the university. His most active period of leadership was the academic year of 1919–20, when in fact he was the leader of the university as vice rector because of the illness of Rector Gyula Kenézy. In addition, he succeeded in completing the justification procedures during the revolutions. Although, he was ill, he was trying to solve his activities as the rector of the university in the academic year of 1934–35. Beside his academic work, he took part in the social politics of Debrecen, too. He was a member of the municipal committee of the city; he was office-holder of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District for decades. From 1930, he was Senator in the upper house of the Hungarian Parliament, as a representative of the University of Debrecen.
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REZSŐ BOGNÁR PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE KOSSUTH LAJOS UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC YEARS 1951-54. AND 1973-75
3-23Views:133Rezső Bognár graduated from the József Nádor University of Technology and Economics in Budapest and worked beside Géza Zemplén at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Applied Sciences unil 1950. At the age of 35 he already became a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He moved to Debrecen as an academic, where he organised the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University's newly established Faculty of Natural Sciences. The four decades he has spent in Debrecen have spread far beyond the walls of the institute, since he was rector of the university for a total of five academic years, and vice-rector for seven academic years, both positions he has held on two occasions. He played a particularly significant role in enabling the Debrecen Academic Committee to start its work in 1976 and to build its headquarters in Debrecen.
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Jenő Bacsó, Professor of Civil Procedures the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the Academic Year 1938/39
3-32Views:194Jenő Bacsó, Professor of Civil Procedure the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the Academic Year 1938/39. Jenő Bacsó was the emblematic figure of the jurist training and university life in Debrecen. The editor of the „Debreceni Képes Kalendárium” told that Jenő Bácsó should have been elected rector for the academic year 1938/39 even if someone else could be the next, since he was the person who joined the city, the College and the university. Besides Béla Szentpéteri Kun he was the other professor at the faculty who taught and took part actively in the university life from the establishment of the faculty (1914) to the suspension of the jurist training (1949). He held several positions and educated during his active 33 years as well as during two years after his retirement: he was one of the major figures of the committee which was responsible for handing-receiving of the office of the dean, he took part in Mensa Academica, the committee of the university territorial planning, furthermore, as Rector he was a member of the commission of inquiry sent at the time of the student rioting. He was one of the members of the National Council of the Higher Education from Debrecen. He was the dean of the Faculty of Law during three academic years: 1922/23, 1934/35, 1946/47.
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ALADÁR KETTESY, PROFESSOR OF PROFESSOR OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1949/50.
3-21Views:151Full professor Aladar Kettesy, elected to become rector by the University of Debrecen and confirmed in this position by the Minister of Religion and Education, started on September 1st in 1949 his one year rectorship which could ensure professional developments and preserve traditional values of the institution at a time when the autonomy of the university was severely constrained by a sharply changed political system. In thi difficult historical circumstances he arrived to the university leadership post as a professor of medicine who chaired the ophtalmology clinic for a quarter of a century, represented outstanding professional authority and enjoyed broadly manifested trust in the institution. His internationally recognized clinical and scientific accomplishments of previous as well as later decades, and his fascinating personality made him a legendary figure of the university community.
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JÁNOS BODNÁR, PROFESSOR OF MEDICAL CHEMISTRY, RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF ISTVÁN TISZA HUNGRIAN ROYAL UNIVERSITY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 1943-44.
3-10Views:162János Bodnár as professor and chair of the Institute of Medical Chemistry taught not only the first year medical students but, as a subject lecturer– owing to the lack of faculty of natural sciences – at the faculty of humanities he also took part in natural sciences teacher training of the teacher candidates. In addition, he also offered courses to those students who intended to obtain a doctoral degree.
In the academic year of 1943–44 he served as rector of the University of Debrecen, which was hard work because of the wartime climate and existence. In the following academic year, 1944 – 1945, he again took part in the management of the university as deputy rector since the newly appointed rector, János Hankiss got stuck in Budapest because of the war events. He concentrated on the temporary reconstruction of the war damages and he endeavoured to ensure the availability of the facilities of education.
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Vilmos Haendel, Professor of Law the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the Academic Year 1942/43.
15-48Views:142Vilmos Haendel was a lecturer for 14 years at the law academy at the Reformed College of Debrecen, then for nearly 30 years he taught political sciences at the University of Arts and Sciences of Debrecen. Being a well-rounded person he stood out from among the teachers of the Law Faculty of the university before the World War II. He played an important role in the political, social and cultural life of Debrecen for decades. At the same time, his nationalism and anti-Semitism made him a typical figure of the public life of the city in the first Half of the 20th century. The study describes his way of life on the basis of such data which have not been summed up so far, and tries to show his teaching career and the events of the year when he was the Rector flashing his most important scientific works.
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BÉLA FORNET, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1947/48
4-13Views:193Dr. Béla Fornet is a school-creating professor at the University of Debrecen who, through his directness, created an intimate atmosphere not only in his clinic, but also in the University Council during the rector's term. According to the theological dean István Török, "recognizing the need for social transformation during his rector's activity, he made greater concessions than the predecessor of any rector at the expense of previous inherited forms." As a result of his foresight and directness, in addition to the trust of the patients, he enjoyed the confidence of both the students and the professors during his rector's activities. In recognition of his outstanding professional work, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Debrecen established the Béla Fornet Commemorative Medal. In this way, the example of a determining school-creating professor in terms of development of the Faculty of Medicine, will help to address the challenges of today by setting an example for the present generation.
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Verzár Frigyes élettanprofesszor, a Debreceni M. Kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1927/28. tanévi rector magnificusa
17-22Views:82Frigyes Verzár, Professor of Physiology and Rector Magnificus of István Tisza Hungarian Royal University in Debrecen During the Academic Year of 1927/28. Frigyes Verzár was Rector of the University of Debrecen in the academic year of 1927–28. This task was particularly demanding for various reasons. First, construction work on the central building of the University was still underway, second, because in August 1927 the Research Institute of Tihany was opened, and Verzár had to direct that Institute,
too. The actually existing conditions of commuting between Debrecen and Tihany rendered the fulfilment of this double load particularly troublesome. In spite of all the difficulties, however, the work of the Rector yielded rich results, as listed in the report of Rector held in September 1928. -
FERENC BOZÓKY, PROFESSOR OF LAW, THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE HUNGARIAN ROYAL ISTVÁN TISZA UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1946/47.
14-30Views:202Ferenc Bozóky was a professor of statistics and economics at the Faculty of Law of the István Tisza University of Debrecen for more than 35 years. The professor, popular among his students and appreciated by his colleagues, as the last rector of law at the university, contributed significantly to the reconstruction of the university through his tireless work in the background after World War II. The study also gives a taste of Bozóky's advanced conservative-minded scholarly work in field of statistics and economics.
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Illyefalvi Vitéz Géza jogászprofesszor, a Debreceni M. Kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1926/27. tanévi rector magnificusa
5-16Views:89Géza Illyefalvi Vitéz Law Professor, the Rector Magnificus of István Tisza Hungarian Royal University in Debrecen During the Academic Year of 1926/27. Illyefalvi Vitéz Géza (1871–1931) studied at a university in Budapest, where he obtained a doctorate in law and political sciences. At the end of 1896 he was elected public ordinary professor of the judicial academy in Sárospatak, where he taught administrative law and statistics. He was a professor of the University of Debrecen after its establishment in 1914. In
1921 he was appointed Dean of the Law Faculty and he was re-elected in 1931. Illyefalvi Vitéz Géza was Rector of the Hungarian Royal Tisza István University of Debrecen in 1926/27, the year when the clinic site was inaugurated, and the laying of the foundation stone of the main building took place. We can say that he was a rector at a destiny-shaping period of the University. He effectively represented the interests of the University, with the help of his contemporary higher education policy and the university development plans of Minister of Education Kunó Klebersberg. Illyefalvi wrote fourteen books and monographs, as well as numerous journal articles. These works are grouped in the two major fields of his interests, statistics and public finance. He also wrote university and judicial academy notes and textbooks. -
Teghze Gyula jogászprofesszor, a Debreceni M. Kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1922/23. tanévi rector magnificusa
5-15Views:86GYULA TEGHZE LAW PROFESSOR, THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF ISTVÁN TISZA HUNGARIAN ROYAL UNIVERSITY IN DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 1922/23. Gyula Teghze (1867–1939), the founder professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Debrecen, was the third Rector from the law faculty in the history of the university in the academic year 1922/23. He, as a recognized jurist and professor of international law and philosophy of law, spent time at a number of universities in diferent foreign countries. He was a lecturer at the Academy of Law of the Reformed College of Debrecen from 1910, and at the University of Debrecen for a quarter of a century from 1914. During this time he served once as rector and twice as dean.
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Tivadar Hüttl, Rector Magnificus of the Academic Year 1939/40 of the Tisza István University
Views:224Tivadar Hüttl, Professor of Surgery the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the Academic Year 1939/40. Tivadar Hüttl – whose father was the owner of a successful porcelain factory – graduated as a doctor of medicine from the University of Arts and Sciences of Budapest, and worked there at the I. Surgery Clinic besides Professor Tibor Verebély. In 1921, he was entrusted with the management of the Surgery Clinic in Debrecen, and one year later, he became a director-professor. In his clinic, he organized sections of otorhinolaryngology, stomatology, urology, traumatology, orthopaedics, etc., which later became independent clinics. He established an important scientific school; his students came to him from all over the world. In the academic year of 1939-1940, he was the rector of the István Tisza University of Arts and Sciences of Debrecen, and the representative of the university in the Upper House of the Hungarian Parliament. In 1944, he stayed in Budapest because of the war, and after his return, he was deprived of the position of professor on indignant causes in a show trial. From 1951 to his death in 1955, he was the head physician of the National Institute of Oncology in Budapest.
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Simai Erdős József, a negyedik rektor
5-24Views:86József Simai Erdős, the Fourth Rector. The fourth rector of the University of Debrecen was József Erdős, who was born in Szatmárnémeti and who pursued his studies in Debrecen and Vienna. For a short time after 1888 he served as minister at the Theological Academy of Debrecen’s Protestant College, then, from 1914, at the Faculty of Theology of the newly-established university he was professor of New Testament exegesis. When, as dictated by the principle of rotation, it was again the Faculty of Theology’s turn to delegate a new Rector, in the academic year of 1917/18 he became the fourth Rector of the University. In 1908 be received a title of Hungarian nobility, and in 1946 the silver-headed scholar was awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa. He carried on extensive work in the history of religion (The General Outlines of the Life and Reformist Activity of Ulrick Zwingli; Theology at the University; The Basic Principles of the Statecraft of Apostle Paul, etc.). He translated and published the Catechism of Heidelberg and the Second Helvetian Creed.
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Darkó Jenő bizantológus professzor, a Debreceni M. Kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1928/29. tanévi rector magnificusa
3-13Views:196Jenő Darkó, Professor of Bizantinology, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the Academic Year 1930/31. Jenő Darkó (1880–1940), Professor of Byzantinology and the member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and Sciences was the Rector of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen in the 1928–1929 academic year. Being an appointed Professor of the Theological Academy of Debrecen he was proposed a full professorship at the newly found University of Debrecen in 1912 since the Theological academy was the forrunner of the Universtiy of Debrecen. Between 1918–1919 he was an appointed Dean of the School of Arts . After finishing his time in office, he was offered the opportunity to fulfilling repeatedly this position in 1938–1939.) Under his rectorship, the university witnessed unprecedented development in professional life and infrastructure. Within this framework new departments were established (botany, zoology, mineral and earth sciences, mathematics), the university library experinced significant advancement and additionally Professor Darkó organized courses to disseminate results in arts and sciences. The professors of the university were regularly invited to international conferences and the younger faculty members were gained international scholarships. The construction of the observatory together with the main building was underway, as well as the realization of the elegant on-campus professors' villas were agreed upon. The socially sensitive rector encouraged the establishment of student housing, and student support program to enable students in need. He was especially keen ont he idea to engage young people from Transilvania soon after World War I. Furthermore he succeeded in managing the extreme anti-Semitic manifestations of certain student groups in autumn 1928.
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BÉLA PUKÁNSZKY PROFESSOR OF GERMAN STUDIES THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1947/48.
13-21Views:152Béla Pukánszky, Literary historian. germanist, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was a professor at the University of Debrecen from 1941 until his death. He was the Head of the Department of German Literature at the university; he was dean of the Faculty of Arts in the academic year of 1947/48 and rector of the university in the academic year of 1948/49. Due to his unfortunate, early death at the age of 55, he worked at the University of Debrecen for only nine years, but he was known and recognized far beyond the walls of the university through his scholarly work.
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Benedek László ideggyógyász-professzor, a debreceni m. kir. Tisza István-Tudományegyetem 1935–36. tanévi rector magnificusa
3 - 10Views:256László Benedek Professor of the Neurology, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the academic year 1935/1936. The first professor of neurology and psychiatry and the director of the Department of Neurology of the University of Debrecen between 1921 and 1936 was László Benedek who studied at Cluj as a student of Károly Lechner. In the academic year of 1935/36 he held the post of the Rector of the university. This period was the era of silent development in the life of the university. Benedek as Rector focused on improving the living circumstances of the students. After his rectorate he was appointed to a professorship of the Péter Pázmány University of Arts and Sciences and the director of the Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry in Budapest. His wife was the wellknown actress Irén Zilahy. After her tragic death in April 1944 Benedek collapsed and in March 1945 he committed suicide in Kitzbühel in Austria. László Benedek was a brilliant lecturer, an urging leader, and an inventive professor of science whose work in several partial branches of science was outstanding.
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Kis Géza, a „damnatio memoriae”-vel sújtott rektor
3-10Views:81GÉZA KISS, THE RECTOR STRICKEN WITH ”DAMNATIO MEMORIAE”. Géza Kiss, a jurist, was elevated to the position of rector at the University of Debrecen when he was 36, which is an exceedingly tender age for such an honour. his internationally recognized expert of Roman law made an extraordinarily fast career when he was transferred from the academy of law at Nagyvárad to the Department of Roman Law, University of Debrecen, at the beginning of the academic year in 1914. In the academic year of 1915/1916 he was Dean of the Faculty of Law, and in 1918 he was elected Rector of the University. It was due to the events involving his activities as rector that the career of the young professor and scholar was ruined and, as a result, he was divested of his oice and even his memory was struck of the annals of the university. Not until the beginning of the 2000s was his portrait reestablished in the university rectors’ gallery.
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LÓRÁND KESZTYŰS, PROFESSOR OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, THE FIRST HEAD AS DEAN (1951), THEN TWO TIMES AS RECTOR (1959-1963, 1967-1973) OF THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL OF DEBRECEN.
24-66Views:119In 1951 Lóránd Kesztyűs as dean became the first head of the University Medical School of Debrecen formed from the Faculty of Medicine of the Debrecen University, and then he was elected rector of the institution for two periods (1959-1963, 1967-1973). He had determining roles in the infrastructural extension of departments and clincics, in modernisation of medical education with increased number of medical students, in enhancing productivity of scientific research, in developing clinical service with high regional and national reputation and in shaping a performance based, democratic leadership managament under restrictive conditions of a state party centralized political system. His internationally recognised research activity and national science policy achievements led to foundation of immunology and allergy research in Hungary. He was elected to member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Establishing the related department, with text book writing and creating his school of scientists, made him a momentous professor of pathophysiology. His friendly, direct and open persionality had an important role in realisation of a succesful leadership and organizational climate at the departmental and institutional level. Presentation of his achievements is based on a monograph of his past co-worker with reflections of three professors (two of them also served as rectors).
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Szentpéteri Kun Béla jogászprofesszor, a debreceni m. kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1930/31. tanévi Rector Magnificusa
3-22Views:121Béla Szentpéteri Kun, Professor of Church Law, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian RoyalIstván Tisza University of Debrecen During the Academic Year 1930/1931. In the first three decades of its existence the head of the university’s faculty of jurisprudence and state law was the renowned scholar of law and the outstanding organizer Béla Szentpéteri Kun. Previously he had been professor of the Protestant College’s academy of law, then one of the respected figures of the newly organized Faculty of Law. He served as dean for several semesters and in the 1930/1931 academic year he was elevated to the position of rector of the university. During the war years of 1944/1945 he was the only professor of law to stay in Debrecen and it was due to him that the Faculty of Law was capable of functioning uninterrupted. After the war he was made to retire, then, as a manifestation of the social transformation of the times, his department was dismantled.
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Lencz Géza teológiaprofesszor, a Debreceni M. Kir. Tisza István Tudományegyetem 1925/26. tanévi Rector Magnificusa
23-32Views:116GÉZA LENCZ, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY, WAS RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE ROYAL ISTVÁN TISZA UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 1925–26. He was born in Vámospércs. He completed his studies in theology in Debrecen, Vienna and Utrecht. He was a Reformed minister at Tápé, Tiszarof, and Mezőtúr, and in 1909 he was appointed professor of dogmatics and of the philosophy of religion at the heological Academy of the Protestant College. Later he became ordinary teacher of divinity and associated studies at the University of Debrecen, founded in 1914, until his death in 1932. He was the Rector of the university in the 1925/26 academic year. He was primarily interested in the history of Hungarian Protestanism of the 16th and 17th centuries, and in dogmatics history.
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JÁNOS HANKISS, PROFESSOR of LITERATURE, RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF ISTVÁN TISZA HUNGARIAN ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1944/45.
11-30Views:176János Hankiss started his academic career at the University of Debrecen in 1920. In the distinguished community of his peers who taught at our university between the two world wars, János Hankiss indubitably belonged to the top professionals. If a university’s academic rank is determined not only by its local or national prestige but also by its international recognition and appreciation, then in this latter frame of reference it was perhaps Professor Hankiss who did most to put Debrecen on the map for Europe and beyond. Indeed, he would share his knowledge not only within the confines of the University: he was a popularizer of scholarship and of the literary culture who was ready to move beyond the narrow limits of his immediate professional field and to address a larger audience. Besides, his name is also associated with the still extant quarterly periodical Debreceni Szemle [Debrecen Review] and Debrecen University’s International Summer School.
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Varga Zsigmond teológia professzor, a Debreceni m. kir. Tisza István-Tudományegyetem 1932/33. évi Rector Magnificusa
3 - 22Views:242Zsigmond 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.
