The educational institutions mentioned in the title belonged in the 19th century not only to the most important Upper-Hungary’s schools, but they had also an important place in the cultural history of Hungary. Although, their role was not identical during the entire century. The Royal Academy was at the forefront of higher education in Hungary at the first part of the century, and then from 1875 (when the philosophical faculty was re-established), and the Evangelic Lycée was leading to the last third part of the century (when the theological academy was separated from it). Although in both institutions the teaching of Hungarian language and literature was present on different levels, with different emphasis, and in different role of chronology. The study deals with its history and contentual components. It is a fact that the academies were found by the Ratio Educationis at the end of the 18th century at the seat of study districts. In Upper-Hungary in two places: Bratislava (Pozsony) and Košice (Kassa). In Kassa the precedence of higher education were already present, since the two faculties (philosophy and theology) of the Jesuit University operated there before, although in Pozsony only the Evangelic lycée had the character of... continue reading →
Today we can face numerous difficulties, misunderstanding, disagreement in connection with the above-mentioned topic, therefore it is not accidental that I put in words about the everyday problems of minority language usage with more carefulness and discretion. Especially when one emphasised the so-called “classical or traditional or academic language cultivation”, i.e. the principle of “there is only one Hungarian language”, the demanding Hungarian (or foreign) language standard, get socialised, lived, and worked in a one-language environment, and relatively later and as one belonging to the mother land got in touch with the language sphere, more precisely with the minority bilinguality, of which functioning can not be measured with mother land measures: monolingual aspects and methods that is evidenced by the disagreement of linguists and language cultivators of the 90’s and my unsuccessful language cultivating activities in the Mura region. The risk is too big, mainly in the Mura region, since the life situation of the Hungarian language and the communities living there speaking Hungarian as their mother language is entirely different from the regions living behind the four borders (too small ethnic group, about 6000 members; minority policy based on positive discrimination from the side of the majority country... continue reading →
Leaders of the re-newed Czechoslovakia at the end of the Second World War who aimed to build a Slavic national state neither during the war, nor at the Potsdam conference were supported by the winning great powers to deport the Hungarians. Consequently, they struggled to get rid of Hungarians living in Slovakia by the population exchange that was forced to Hungary, and parallel with it by the so-called re-slovakization. The deportation that started in November 1946 was processed with the help of the great powers. The selected territory was surrounded by military units, and than curfew was imposed and public assembly forbidden. According to the name list that was prepared in advance, the selected families delivered orders for working in the Czech country, and the list of objects, foodstuff, and animals that they were allowed to take with themselves. Reception and separation of deported people – according to the testimonies – resembled slave markets. The deported persons had to wait in the unheated wagons at the railway-station or neighboring buildings until one of the Czech farmers who were interested in Hungarian labor force selected them. According to the official Czechoslovak reports, during the deportations that lasted more than three... continue reading →
It is a well-known fact that the state and quality of native language teaching is of determining importance from the aspect of the Hungarian minority’s present and future in Slovakia. Not dealing with the problems can be traced back to the lack of long-term development conception of education of Hungarians living in Slovakia, of which drafting could be realised only with the co-operation of professional organisations and politics, as well. Although, the experience of the past show the lack of such discussions. History teaching at Hungarian schools in Slovakia bears all the illnesses of the domestic education. The crisis of history teaching in Slovakia (in Slovak and Hungarian language) started before the system changes. During the socialism this subject was to become the services of the system. The system changes that took place in (Czecho)slovakia from 1989 put history teaching to an entirely new situation. Renewal of history teaching in Slovakia from contextual point of view went relatively fast and smoothly. The country’s interest on history teaching remained, since the new political leadership wanted to use it for its own legitimization again. Although, the ideological content was changed to international goals. The study introduces the results of a survey... continue reading →
In his present study, Barnabás Vajda is focusing on some particular issues of Hungarian cultural institutions set up abroad by Count Kunó Klebelsberg, Minister of Culture and Education of Hungary between 1922-1931. Vajda’s work is based on the revision of letters and drafts that are part of Klebelsberg’s written inheritance kept at National Széchényi Library, Budapest. Klebelsberg (1875–1932), a conservative Hungarian politician and minister in István Bethlen’s government from 1922 to 1931, is today considered as a significant policy maker, mainly due to his progressive reforms in public education and university research. In the second half of his nine-year-long ministership, Klebelsberg founded three Collegium Hungaricums in Vienna, Rome and Berlin, and scholarship centres in Paris, London, Geneva and Warsaw. Based on Act 1927:XIII, established institutions were proposed to consist of research centres, art institutions, and undergraduate colleges. A supportive scholarship system was also created. The first College was opened in Vienna (Sept. 1924), nevertheless the strategically most important one was in Berlin. From here Hungary could reach not only Germany but also Scandinavia and, rather surprisingly, some small Finno-Ugric nations, linguistically related to Hungarians but living isolated in the Soviet Union. From the correspondence it is obvious that Klebelsber... continue reading →
Trust and distrust seem to be important concepts when we describe how individuals structuralise their acts, and/or how they report with other people their ideas on social reality. Trust that creates a relation based on reliance between parties that share a common goal, holds the emphasis on interests and instrumentalism and an array of mutual expectations and responsibilities from both sides. These are defined on the basis of the principles and rules of the community. Deep distrust to individuals and institutions is one of the reactions produced by individuals by which the village people react on the situation of poverty and economic penury during their everyday life. In every detail of the social life of individuals trust is in stake, since due to the lack of economic sources the individuals see the opportunity to survive in social interaction. In such conditions there is no place to practice the „blind“ and absolute trust, since (the social and economic) goods are lacking from the life of individuals. At the same time distrust results responsibility in the players of the interaction that is seen not in apathy and passivity, but in one active mode of living in general conditions of distrust and... continue reading →
After the system changes such conditions had been created that the two countries and nations could determine their relationship to each other without external influences, considering their national and foreign affair issue interests, setting their bilateral relationships on new basics, overcome the disturbing and existing factors that had been historically formed, submit their relationships in the European integration process to the interests of a mutual future. The study examines such attempts and efforts, with a special emphasis on clarifying past issues, since it had been proven that historical traumas and stereotypes arose after the system changes period, and strongly influenced common knowledge and the relationships of both nations and countries. From the study it is evident that considering the Hungarian-Slovak history, on political level but also on society scale the question of conciliation and reconciliation arose again and again. Its importance has become more up-to-date in connection with joining the EU and while preparing for co-operation within Europe. It would be a pity to give up the attempt that is oriented on its promotion on Parliamentary level. If we consider the above-mentioned four questions „interpreted in a confrontative way” (historical prejudice, border issue, issue of the national minority, issue... continue reading →
The Vajda-Hungarians’ participation in education lags behind the majority nation. This lagging behind results unschooling/illiteracy of Hungarians and decline of the intelligentsia. The rate of Vajda-Hungarians to the total number of population is 14 per cent. In comparison with this the youth in the particular age-groups and school levels, they log behind the majority population. According to it, the level of education of Hungarians decreases in comparison with the majority population, therefore the chances for finding jobs are also lower, since if the number of specialists and intelligentsia is getting lower, the labour market unmercifully selects them. We cannot be satisfied with the division of Hungarian students by educational language, because if 20 per cent of them starts primary school level in Serbian language, then 60-70 per cent of them cannot take examination in their mother language on higher education level, and then the number of specialists learning in Hungarian decreases. Moreover, these young people – in their identity consciousness (Hungarian language culture, comprehensive knowledge of our history) have fewer chances to remain to be members of the Hungarian intelligentsia and to be active in their mother– Hungarian language. The chosen high school „canalises” the young people, either for... continue reading →
My study deals with the history of the local railway, crossing Csallóköz, from the beginning of its building to the disintegration of the Austria-Hungarian Monarchy. The Csallóköz railway was built in two parts: the 43,6 km long Pozsony–Dunaszerdahely1 line was delivered to traffic in 1895, while the 53,5 km long Komárom–Dunaszerdahely route was accomplished one year later. The two were united in 1904 and named Pozsony–Komárom United Local Railways. In spite of the fact that all the local railways (or branch lines) were built on the basis of similar designs, due to the big role of local interest (villages, landowners), the constructions were provided differently. Their building was initialised from lower layers and the building of such railways needed the union of the whole region, and requested substantial financial means. Since in the construction of railways the local people had a very important role, the first chapter is about the region. In the second chapter the reader can read about the precedents and building of the railway. Because of the context the problems of building local railways in Hungary are touched. The third chapter examines the functioning of the railway on the basis of annual reports issued by railway... continue reading →
Between 10th – 13th June, 2004 it was the sixth decision made on the composition of the European Parliament (hereinafter referred to as EP), that is the only institution of the European Union of which composition is directly elected by the union’s citizens. At this occasion in May in the European Union that has grown to 25 members, an open opportunity born to almost 338 million electing citizens to decide with their votes that during the following 4 years which representative of political parties will represent their country in the institution that has its seat in Brussels. The EP election in 2004 in Slovakia and in the 9 new European Union member states is of historical character, since in these states the elections were organised for the first time. The atmosphere before the EP elections in Slovakia was characterised by a general indifference, comparable with the trend in the whole EU, although the election tiredness of Slovak electing citizens was even strengthened by the multiple presidential elections directly before the EP elections. At the European Parliamentary elections held for the first time in Slovakia 17 Slovak political parties were present that had 188 candidates. The Slovak political parties that... continue reading →
