INTRODUCTION
For almost 500 years, the resourceful ‘Patak student’ has been a recognisable figure in Hungary’s culture – someone who can always find a way through difficulties and possesses almost magical skills. Numerous anecdotes record how he would escape the most impossible situations, turning them to his and the College’s advantage. Besides his acute mind, his most typical characteristic is loyalty to his alma mater, the Reformed College of Sárospatak. The location for this alma mater, Sárospatak (or as the locals would often call it: Patak) is a town of about 12,000 people in the northeastern corner of Hungary, in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, on the banks of the Bodrog river. Its beautiful Renaissance castle and early modern walls tell of a rich history – of kings, princesses, noblemen and noblewomen. It was in this environment that the history of the Reformed College of Sárospatak started, in 1531. Our work on this book has been inspired by the inheritance of almost 500 years, and the challenge to select 37 of our most prized artefacts. Our goal is to open a window onto the world of the College – to illustrate through the stories of these objects the beauty and the hardships that went along with being a Patak student. The historical information that enabled us to present the story of the College was provided by the institution responsible for its heritage – the Scholarly Collection of the Reformed College of Sárospatak, which includes the Great Library, the Museum, the Archives and the Repository. At present, this collection comprises about 680,000 library items, more than 30,000 museum objects, 505 linear metres of documents and nearly 240,000 repository items. Leaving the task to one person to select 37 highlights from this formidable collection would have been quite a challenge – which is why we have joined forces as curators to select the objects we feel are most evocative of the College’s rich history.
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INTRODUCTION
For almost 500 years, the resourceful ‘Patak student’ has been a recognisable figure in Hungary’s culture – someone who can always find a way through difficulties and possesses almost magical skills. Numerous anecdotes record how he would escape the most impossible situations, turning them to his and the College’s advantage. Besides his acute mind, his most typical characteristic is loyalty to his alma mater, the Reformed College of Sárospatak. The location for this alma mater, Sárospatak (or as the locals would often call it: Patak) is a town of about 12,000 people in the northeastern corner of Hungary, in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, on the banks of the Bodrog river. Its beautiful Renaissance castle and early modern walls tell of a rich history – of kings, princesses, noblemen and noblewomen. It was in this environment that the history of the Reformed College of Sárospatak started, in 1531. Our work on this book has been inspired by the inheritance of almost 500 years, and the challenge to select 37 of our most prized artefacts. Our goal is to open a window onto the world of the College – to illustrate through the stories of these objects the beauty and the hardships that went along with being a Patak student. The historical information that enabled us to present the story of the College was provided by the institution responsible for its heritage – the Scholarly Collection of the Reformed College of Sárospatak, which includes the Great Library, the Museum, the Archives and the Repository. At present, this collection comprises about 680,000 library items, more than 30,000 museum objects, 505 linear metres of documents and nearly 240,000 repository items. Leaving the task to one person to select 37 highlights from this formidable collection would have been quite a challenge – which is why we have joined forces as curators to select the objects we feel are most evocative of the College’s rich history.
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Trója–Huta–Fazekas Crayon drawing of the Trója–Huta–Fazekas building, 19th century
In the thirteenth century Sárospatak already had a parish school. Records from the early decades of the fifteenth century indicate that students from Patak were enrolling into the universities of Vienna and Kraków, suggesting that the town already had its university preparatory education in place. In the late Middle Ages two new intellectual trends shaped education in Sárospatak: the Renaissance and the movements geared towards reforming the church. Reformation efforts were already spreading rapidly by 1516, the year before Martin Luther appeared on the scene. This was the first region in Hungary where one could be accused of ‘inciting subversion of papacy’. The foundation of the Protestant school of Sárospatak is associated with Péter Perényi and his involvement with the Reformation movement at the end of 1531. From 1538 the town already had a Lutheran preacher, thought to be one István Gálszécsi. The first true pedagogue in Sárospatak was Fabricius Balázs Szikszai, under whose rectorship the school was given the title, schola illustris. Following Perényi’s death, his son Gábor continued to support the school. The land survey taken after Gábor’s death shows that what had once been a nunnery in Patak ‘was not demolished but became the school of the Lutherans’. This was the so-called ‘Trója’ (Troy) building, which was later added to by the ‘Huta’ (Glasswork) and ‘Fazekas’ (Potter) buildings. Szikszai, a student of Martin Luther’s associate Philip Melanchthon, explained the name choice ‘Trója’ in his eulogy: ‘As if from a Trojan horse, men of devotion and science would flow out from here...’. The names ‘Huta’ and ‘Fazekas’ are probably also symbolic. Just as sand is turned into glass in a glassworks and clay into pottery in the hands of the potter, so was the young student shaped into a man of learning at the College.
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Trója–Huta–Fazekas Crayon drawing of the Trója–Huta–Fazekas building, 19th century
In the thirteenth century Sárospatak already had a parish school. Records from the early decades of the fifteenth century indicate that students from Patak were enrolling into the universities of Vienna and Kraków, suggesting that the town already had its university preparatory education in place. In the late Middle Ages two new intellectual trends shaped education in Sárospatak: the Renaissance and the movements geared towards reforming the church. Reformation efforts were already spreading rapidly by 1516, the year before Martin Luther appeared on the scene. This was the first region in Hungary where one could be accused of ‘inciting subversion of papacy’. The foundation of the Protestant school of Sárospatak is associated with Péter Perényi and his involvement with the Reformation movement at the end of 1531. From 1538 the town already had a Lutheran preacher, thought to be one István Gálszécsi. The first true pedagogue in Sárospatak was Fabricius Balázs Szikszai, under whose rectorship the school was given the title, schola illustris. Following Perényi’s death, his son Gábor continued to support the school. The land survey taken after Gábor’s death shows that what had once been a nunnery in Patak ‘was not demolished but became the school of the Lutherans’. This was the so-called ‘Trója’ (Troy) building, which was later added to by the ‘Huta’ (Glasswork) and ‘Fazekas’ (Potter) buildings. Szikszai, a student of Martin Luther’s associate Philip Melanchthon, explained the name choice ‘Trója’ in his eulogy: ‘As if from a Trojan horse, men of devotion and science would flow out from here...’. The names ‘Huta’ and ‘Fazekas’ are probably also symbolic. Just as sand is turned into glass in a glassworks and clay into pottery in the hands of the potter, so was the young student shaped into a man of learning at the College.
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From Wittenberg to Sárospatak The Enarrationes seu Postillae with Luther’s signature on the inside cover, 1545
Although it is still debated today whether Martin Luther did in fact nail a copy of his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, there is no doubt that the town on the Elbe played a prominent role in the history of the Reformation. Between 1526 and 1600, 1,280 Hungarian students – including many with ties to Sárospatak – studied at Luther’s renowned university. One of the reasons they were drawn to it was its Hungarian student association, Coetus Ungaricus. Students returning to their homeland from Wittenberg brought with them not only the latest in academic knowledge and the doctrines of the Reformation, but also some of the traditions of their alma mater. The University of Wittenberg had a significant influence on the life of the College in Sárospatak from its very inception. The College’s founding patron, Péter Perényi, corresponded with Luther’s fellow teacher, Melanchthon, on the subject of youth education. Returning students also enriched the library of the College with books they had acquired and been given during their time away. One of the most precious items from the Wittenberg University sojourns that we hold in the Great Library of the College is the Basel edition of Luther’s Enarrationes seu Postillae, the same copy the author kept in his home. On the inside of the binding of this German Renaissance leather-bound book is Luther’s signature and motto from Psalm 75, and on the back inside binding are 21 lines of his notes. The book is especially valuable as it also contains notes written by Melanchthon. The volume came into the possession of one István Bogáti in 1680, and was inherited by his son, János, who eventually donated it to the Patak College in thanks for the exemplary education he had received there.
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From Wittenberg to Sárospatak The Enarrationes seu Postillae with Luther’s signature on the inside cover, 1545
Although it is still debated today whether Martin Luther did in fact nail a copy of his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, there is no doubt that the town on the Elbe played a prominent role in the history of the Reformation. Between 1526 and 1600, 1,280 Hungarian students – including many with ties to Sárospatak – studied at Luther’s renowned university. One of the reasons they were drawn to it was its Hungarian student association, Coetus Ungaricus. Students returning to their homeland from Wittenberg brought with them not only the latest in academic knowledge and the doctrines of the Reformation, but also some of the traditions of their alma mater. The University of Wittenberg had a significant influence on the life of the College in Sárospatak from its very inception. The College’s founding patron, Péter Perényi, corresponded with Luther’s fellow teacher, Melanchthon, on the subject of youth education. Returning students also enriched the library of the College with books they had acquired and been given during their time away. One of the most precious items from the Wittenberg University sojourns that we hold in the Great Library of the College is the Basel edition of Luther’s Enarrationes seu Postillae, the same copy the author kept in his home. On the inside of the binding of this German Renaissance leather-bound book is Luther’s signature and motto from Psalm 75, and on the back inside binding are 21 lines of his notes. The book is especially valuable as it also contains notes written by Melanchthon. The volume came into the possession of one István Bogáti in 1680, and was inherited by his son, János, who eventually donated it to the Patak College in thanks for the exemplary education he had received there.
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From book cover to historical curiosity Pre-Carolingian codex fragment, 8th century
The oldest document in the Great Library is a fragment of an eighth-century codex. Unfortunately, nothing is known of how it came to be in Sárospatak. The abrasions and folds visible on the document suggest that it may have once served as the cover of an octavo volume and was removed from its original binding board some time in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The text, composed of 36 lines over two columns, is written in brown-coloured ink with black and red highlights. The shape of the letters suggests that it originated in the eighth century in northern Italy. Its font type is the pre-Carolingian minuscule, which emerged during the rise of Western European culture at this time. This script was appealing yet easy to read, and simpler to use than the calligraphic fonts in codices. In terms of its content, the page contains a fragment of an antiphonary – a collection of Biblical texts sung during mass. This document probably travelled the same road as a significant number of the medieval codices. With the invention of the printing press and the use of paper, the cost of producing books plummeted to a fraction of its former cost. The often damaged codices were considered more valuable for the parchment they were made from than their contents themselves. Bookbinders would buy them and use their pages as a base material. Occasionally the entire cover of a book was overlaid with such fragments. Thus medieval codices enjoyed a second lease of life, these bookbindings being a highlight of many of the books in the collection today.
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From book cover to historical curiosity Pre-Carolingian codex fragment, 8th century
The oldest document in the Great Library is a fragment of an eighth-century codex. Unfortunately, nothing is known of how it came to be in Sárospatak. The abrasions and folds visible on the document suggest that it may have once served as the cover of an octavo volume and was removed from its original binding board some time in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The text, composed of 36 lines over two columns, is written in brown-coloured ink with black and red highlights. The shape of the letters suggests that it originated in the eighth century in northern Italy. Its font type is the pre-Carolingian minuscule, which emerged during the rise of Western European culture at this time. This script was appealing yet easy to read, and simpler to use than the calligraphic fonts in codices. In terms of its content, the page contains a fragment of an antiphonary – a collection of Biblical texts sung during mass. This document probably travelled the same road as a significant number of the medieval codices. With the invention of the printing press and the use of paper, the cost of producing books plummeted to a fraction of its former cost. The often damaged codices were considered more valuable for the parchment they were made from than their contents themselves. Bookbinders would buy them and use their pages as a base material. Occasionally the entire cover of a book was overlaid with such fragments. Thus medieval codices enjoyed a second lease of life, these bookbindings being a highlight of many of the books in the collection today.
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A Cabinet of Curiosities Medieval indenture dating from 1294
The College’s collections, like those of other schools, functioned as a cabinet of curiosities for a long time. They included valuable geological, ethnographic, archaeological and historical relics, as well as naturally occurring oddities. The College’s students and the congregations of the Cistibiscan Church District helped to amass these items. Antique amphoras were donated to the College museum by an alumnus, and notable numismatic collections by students; animal bones, shark claws and four-legged chickens also came to be included in the collections. The College’s archives section was also the recipient of various gifts. Although its main task from the outset was to preserve legal and internal administrative documents, many records of foreign provenance have found their way here over the centuries. The oldest document in the archives, an indenture of donation dating from 1294, was probably given to the institution as a gift. The rectangularshaped deed, written on parchment, describes one of the most important ways that estate matters were settled in medieval times, that of ‘pacing off’ the land. In cases of inheritance and property donations, the new owner of the land – in the company of witnesses, reputable individuals and neighbours – would pace off the area (literally walk around the land and make a note of the natural and man-made landmarks on the borders of the property). This document then served as a type of legally binding security certificate. This indenture is noteworthy as it was issued neither by the higher authorities nor notaries, but by private individuals. It is likely that the private conditional stamp or seal on the document is a consequence of the turbulent conditions in Hungary during the final years of the thirteenth century, such a seal being very unusual in the practice of the time.
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A Cabinet of Curiosities Medieval indenture dating from 1294
The College’s collections, like those of other schools, functioned as a cabinet of curiosities for a long time. They included valuable geological, ethnographic, archaeological and historical relics, as well as naturally occurring oddities. The College’s students and the congregations of the Cistibiscan Church District helped to amass these items. Antique amphoras were donated to the College museum by an alumnus, and notable numismatic collections by students; animal bones, shark claws and four-legged chickens also came to be included in the collections. The College’s archives section was also the recipient of various gifts. Although its main task from the outset was to preserve legal and internal administrative documents, many records of foreign provenance have found their way here over the centuries. The oldest document in the archives, an indenture of donation dating from 1294, was probably given to the institution as a gift. The rectangularshaped deed, written on parchment, describes one of the most important ways that estate matters were settled in medieval times, that of ‘pacing off’ the land. In cases of inheritance and property donations, the new owner of the land – in the company of witnesses, reputable individuals and neighbours – would pace off the area (literally walk around the land and make a note of the natural and man-made landmarks on the borders of the property). This document then served as a type of legally binding security certificate. This indenture is noteworthy as it was issued neither by the higher authorities nor notaries, but by private individuals. It is likely that the private conditional stamp or seal on the document is a consequence of the turbulent conditions in Hungary during the final years of the thirteenth century, such a seal being very unusual in the practice of the time.
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‘They were spared the destruction of the war’ Smoking kit, c.1918 Shrapnel shell, c.1914–18
Even from the perspective of a hundred years, World War I yields many interesting discoveries. In 1916 Béla Jankovich, Minister of Religion and Public Education, issued a circular ordering the ‘collection and processing of war memorabilia’. In response, the College’s teachers and students began collecting. With the help of the Hungarian section of Folklore Fellows (an international network of folklorists), what had been a general-themed competition awarded by the Kisfaludy Society was narrowed to the collection of ‘soldiers’ battle tunes’. The outstanding work of the Patak students is reflected in the fact that the Hungarian National Museum’s ethnographic department lent them gramophones to use for the collection. The Great Library strove to acquire as many war-related books as possible. Led by Dr Lajos Rácz, the Fine Arts and Archeology Collection – the forerunner of today’s Museum – also began collecting war relics. From 1916 to 1922 the number of warrelated items continued to rise. The inventory lists items such as a chain made of spent bullet shells, lithographs of battlefield scenes and a ‘parachute of a luminescent Russian rocket’. A f t e r t h e Wa r, o b j e c t s m a d e by p r i s o n e r s - o f -wa r f o u n d t h e i r way i n t o t h e M u s e u m . Prisoner-of-war art is an interesting phenomenon, driven by the creative instinct of the individual: the products are often made of the least conventional materials. Shrapnel shells were among the most typical ‘base materials’, often made into vases, beer mugs, decorative chalices and various storage boxes. One of the most interesting pieces in the Museum’s collection was made by a Hungarian prisoner-of-war: this three-piece smoking kit consisting of a pipe made of hardwood, a pipe punch bent and formed from copper wire and a lighter fashioned from a
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‘They were spared the destruction of the war’ Smoking kit, c.1918 Shrapnel shell, c.1914–18
Even from the perspective of a hundred years, World War I yields many interesting discoveries. In 1916 Béla Jankovich, Minister of Religion and Public Education, issued a circular ordering the ‘collection and processing of war memorabilia’. In response, the College’s teachers and students began collecting. With the help of the Hungarian section of Folklore Fellows (an international network of folklorists), what had been a general-themed competition awarded by the Kisfaludy Society was narrowed to the collection of ‘soldiers’ battle tunes’. The outstanding work of the Patak students is reflected in the fact that the Hungarian National Museum’s ethnographic department lent them gramophones to use for the collection. The Great Library strove to acquire as many war-related books as possible. Led by Dr Lajos Rácz, the Fine Arts and Archeology Collection – the forerunner of today’s Museum – also began collecting war relics. From 1916 to 1922 the number of warrelated items continued to rise. The inventory lists items such as a chain made of spent bullet shells, lithographs of battlefield scenes and a ‘parachute of a luminescent Russian rocket’. A f t e r t h e Wa r, o b j e c t s m a d e by p r i s o n e r s - o f -wa r f o u n d t h e i r way i n t o t h e M u s e u m . Prisoner-of-war art is an interesting phenomenon, driven by the creative instinct of the individual: the products are often made of the least conventional materials. Shrapnel shells were among the most typical ‘base materials’, often made into vases, beer mugs, decorative chalices and various storage boxes. One of the most interesting pieces in the Museum’s collection was made by a Hungarian prisoner-of-war: this three-piece smoking kit consisting of a pipe made of hardwood, a pipe punch bent and formed from copper wire and a lighter fashioned from a
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The noble Millstone Guild of Sárospatak Front page of the Millstone Guild’s protocol book, 1753 The Millstone quarries today
At the beginning of the twentieth century the town of Sárospatak left its medieval archives to the care of the College. A significant portion of this material is the documentation of the town guilds, among them the illustrated protocol book of the noble Millstone Guild of Sárospatak, dating from 1753. Tokaj-Hegyalja, the small region directly surrounding Sárospatak, was flourishing in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries thanks to its wine trade, which led to a more prosperous economy and therefore more trades. By the middle of the seventeenth century there were 28 crafts and trades operating within the guild framework in Sárospatak. One of the most famous of these was millstone quarrying, which started in the fifteenth century. Millstone quarries were located on the three hills around the town. Their supervision was taken over by the guild from its foundation in 1665, and the body of millstone quarriers undertook the opening, maintenance and operation of the quarries. Only local noblemen who owned a house in Sárospatak could become guild members. The quarrying right of the members was passed down from generation to generation, but it was also possible to sell it. The officers of the guild were elected from among its members – the quarry master, the judge and the notary – who were responsible for the safe-keeping of the guild’s valuables – the guild jar, the guild chest, and its records and documents. The guild was wound up in the 1870s, with the decline of the industry of millstones carved out of a single piece of stone. The quarry at Megyer Hill slowly filled up with rainwater but is still visited by thousands every year, both as a natural reserve and a memento of industrial history.
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The noble Millstone Guild of Sárospatak Front page of the Millstone Guild’s protocol book, 1753 The Millstone quarries today
At the beginning of the twentieth century the town of Sárospatak left its medieval archives to the care of the College. A significant portion of this material is the documentation of the town guilds, among them the illustrated protocol book of the noble Millstone Guild of Sárospatak, dating from 1753. Tokaj-Hegyalja, the small region directly surrounding Sárospatak, was flourishing in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries thanks to its wine trade, which led to a more prosperous economy and therefore more trades. By the middle of the seventeenth century there were 28 crafts and trades operating within the guild framework in Sárospatak. One of the most famous of these was millstone quarrying, which started in the fifteenth century. Millstone quarries were located on the three hills around the town. Their supervision was taken over by the guild from its foundation in 1665, and the body of millstone quarriers undertook the opening, maintenance and operation of the quarries. Only local noblemen who owned a house in Sárospatak could become guild members. The quarrying right of the members was passed down from generation to generation, but it was also possible to sell it. The officers of the guild were elected from among its members – the quarry master, the judge and the notary – who were responsible for the safe-keeping of the guild’s valuables – the guild jar, the guild chest, and its records and documents. The guild was wound up in the 1870s, with the decline of the industry of millstones carved out of a single piece of stone. The quarry at Megyer Hill slowly filled up with rainwater but is still visited by thousands every year, both as a natural reserve and a memento of industrial history.
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This edition © Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2020 Text © the Reformed College of Sárospatak First published in 2020 by Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd 10 Lion Yard Tremadoc Road London SW4 7NQ, UK www.scalapublishers.com In association with the Reformed College of Sárospatak ISBN: 978 1 78551 282 7 Project editor: Sandra Pisano Designer: Beatrix Vitányi Translated from the Hungarian by: Vera Bakonyi-Tánczos and Dávid Pándy-Szekeres Printed and bound in Turkey 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the Reformed College of Sárospatak and Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd. Every effort has been made to acknowledge correct copyright of images where applicable. Any errors or omissions are unintentional and should be notified to the Publisher, who will arrange for corrections to appear in any reprints.
PICTURE CREDITS All photographs by Szentirmai Zsolt (www.pwsdesign.com) /© Scientific Collections of the Reformed College of Sárospatak/ except: p. 5: © Gombos Levente; pp. 11, 20, 24, 26, 33, 35, 39, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 58, 64, 65, 67, 76, 77: Kovács Áron; pp. 74, 75: Rácz István; p. 59: © Tomka Mihály (www.mihalytomkaphotographer.com); front cover flap: © Nagy Károly Zsolt (www.nkzs.hu); back cover flap: © Pogácsás Patrik.
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