(JPMNT) Journal of Process Management – New Technologies, International Vol. 5, No 2, 2017. HISTORY OF THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMIC TRAINING Imola Cseh-Papp, 1 Erika Varga, 2 1Szent István University, Institute of Social Sciences and Teacher Training, Hungary 2Szent István University, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Hungary [email protected] , [email protected] Professional Paper doi:10.5937/jouproman5-13507 Abstract: Economics is a relatively young branch raised. What is for sure is that the Saxon of science. It became an independent subject at the code in Transylvania issued by Lajos Nagy end of the 18th century. Taking the educational- (Louis the Great) in 1376 on 24 trades political situation of the economic training into meets the guild requirements. It regulated consideration the training was pushed to the taking on apprentices, assisting the periphery in the past centuries in the Carpathian Basin. Profound changes took place only with the members who were unemployed, unable to Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 when the work or too old, taking care of widows, state paid more attention to improving he most orphans and paid the last respect to the disadvantaged regions, which resulted in giving a deceased as a union. Furthermore, it also new impetus to industrial development. Our paper checked qualifications and protected makes an attempt to summarize the history of the economic training in the Carpathian Basin. Without quality by examining goods very closely. giving all the details it tries to take account of the Till the 16th century apprentices were not events (of the fight for an independent university of required to have any previous qualification economics) from the beginnings through the history or schools but later reading and writing of Collegium Scientiarum Politico Oeconomico skills were demanded. Cameralium, the events of the University of Nagyszombat, the foundation of József (Joseph) Technical School and the history of József nádor While we are looking for the roots of (Palatine Joseph) University of Technology and professional education we have to note that Economic Sciences to the foundation of the first it was typical of the guilds that the Marxist university and later the introduction of the apprentice moved to live with the master. Bologna system. They were not given salary; instead, they Keywords: economic training, history, education , received food, shelter and scarcely clothes. courses, study programmes The working hours were practically unlimited, from dawn till dusk. If the 1. Roots of professional education apprentice succeeded in completing their study, a letter of recommendation as a Organized technical training was first student could be applied for. As young carried out by the guilds that appeared in lads, they typically stayed with the master Hungary simultaneously with the for one or two more years, for only half the development of the industry and city life at standard salary at first. During this period the beginning of the 14th century. For long they were preparing to move away with the the guild certificate of the skinners of original purpose of getting to know the Kassa (Kosice) was regarded as the first industrial techniques of other foreign cities Hungarian one who received it in 1307. and workshops. Guild codes also fixed the However, its authenticity was questioned duration of wandering (2-5 years). and there were also some issues of content 55 www.japmnt.com (JPMNT) Journal of Process Management – New Technologies, International Vol. 5, No 2, 2017. Afterwards, the apprentice obtained the The college can be regarded as the right to become a master with a antecedent of all kinds of technical masterpiece. trainings in higher education in Hungary as it used to function as a ‘college’ training The first signs of technical training at engineers, running agricultural courses and schools can be found at the city schools of functioning as a cameral-economic German, Latin and then Hungarian technical school. This institution lasting for institutions, where teaching predominantly three years with 5 professors teaching in took place in the mother tongue. German represented a rather short but significant episode in the history of the 2. The beginning of commercial and technical higher education in Hungary. economic training Again, owing to the grace of Marie In line with the educational policy of the Theresa a drawing school (Scola graphidis) enlightened absolutism (despotism) of the th was established in Buda in 1770 following second half of the 18 century in the east the pattern of similar institutions abroad 2. part of the Habsburg Empire including It might have served as an example when Hungary the process leading to the establishing ‘Sunday schools’ in all big establishment of different technical schools 1 cities in accordance with Ratio of higher education had started by the end Educationis (1777) where classes took of the century. These measures were not place once a week on Sunday afternoons made later than in the west part of the from 2 pm and primarily writing, reading empire; rather, they commenced and counting were taught. In 1783 Joseph simultaneously. II made the attendance of the Sunday drawing schools compulsory for The miner officer training institute of apprentices. The most famous of these Selmecbánya began to develop into an schools was operating in Gy őr which was academy in 1793 and as a result of this partly embourgeoised. The school’s process by 1770 one of the most modern flourishing can be connected to Miklós institutions of the period was run in the old Révai (1749-1807). The drawing school of mining town. Körmöcbánya founded in 1787 can also be At the same time, Maria Theresa founded a regarded as one of the famous schools of school of accounting named Collegium the era. In addition, a very precious Scientiarum Politico Oeconomico initiative at that time was taken by Sámuel Cameralium in Szenc, Pozsony Tessedik who founded the Practical (Bratislava) county in 1763 directed by the Economic and Technical School operating piarist Jakab Valeró. In 1763 the school from 1780 to 1806 only with a short was inaugurated. The importance of intermission together with the grammar economic sciences was lying in the school of Count György in Csurgó. exploitation of the natural treasures of In the spirit of mercantilism of the era Earth. The school in Szenc went on Ratio Educationis assigned great operating till 1776 when it was burnt significance to trade.3 down. 2Mészáros István: Magyar iskola: 996-1996. Eötvös József Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1996, 297 1Fináczy Ern ő: A gazdasági fels őbb szakoktatás 3Fináczy Ern ő: A gazdasági fels őbb szakoktatás kezdetei Mária Terézia alatt, Magyar kezdetei Mária Terézia alatt, Magyar Gazdaságtörténeti Szemle, 1899/6 , 199-204 Gazdaságtörténeti Szemle, 1899/6., 199-204 56 www.japmnt.com (JPMNT) Journal of Process Management – New Technologies, International Vol. 5, No 2, 2017. Teaching economic and cameral subjects magnates were taken in training did not stop in Hungary after the agricultural experts. The central offices of disintegration of the college in Szenc; the state were interested in building rather, the subjects taught there were infrastructure, road networks, sewage transferred to the classrooms of more systems, regulating rivers etc. of renowned national institutions. However, acceptable standard in the country lagging Cameralistics was indispensable for the behind so the training of engineers officers of the period not only in public indispensable for these purposes was administration or at the Chamber so preferred. The Court was not at all or only transforming it into a subject at the only partially interested in developing national Hungarian university of sciences and later trade as Hungary was regarded as the the so-called academies of the district was market outlet of the developed provinces. thought to be very important by the leaders of enlightened absolutism. In this sense Ratio Educationis II of 1806 brought along economic training was raised to a higher rather negative features from the aspect of level when the Court organized a new educating law and cameralistics was one of department called Studium politico- the subjects that were taught at both camerale at the Faculty of Arts in academies and universities so it did not Nagyszombat in 1769. For 81 years, i.e. till have a special university characteristic. 1849 the political-cameralistic subjects had a separate department at the only 3. The foundation of József (Joseph) Hungarian university. First from 1769 to Technical School 1777 the department was run by the The reform era of our history can be dated Faculty of Arts, then from 1777 by the between the National Assembly of 1825 Faculty of Law, which can be regarded as and the last parliamentary meeting of 1848. the department of public administration, The idea of the period was economic finance, economics, trade and bill of development based on technical training 4, exchange law. Similar subjects were taught Maybe the first work of such nature at the law courses of the academies in the belongs ot András Fáy (1786-1864) districts after 1777. entitled “Próbatétel a mai nevelés két At the beginning of the 19 th century almost nevezetes hibáiról’ (Probing two peculiar all the science subjects were assigned to mistakes of contemporary education) independent schools even if they were of published in 1816 in which he supported different standards. The situation of the development of technical training. teaching economics and trade was Count István Széchenyi stated in his different, though. These subjects were not Stádium (1833) that industry and trade taught at independent colleges till the mid- required rigid calculations, knowledge and 19th century and later on they were capital with respect. At that time the integrated into other institutions to reach question of establishing a technical school the university level. The reason for this is of everyday teaching was raised with its evident deriving from our disadvantaged foundations lying in the Sunday school.