University history online

Digitized printed sources

Almanac

The university almanacs, yearbooks contain the name and other personal information of the institution’s employee, professors and students’. The almacs of Eötvös Loránd University have survived from 1830 to 1992/93 semester. Data from almanacs are very valuable, as they are the only sources from the 19th century that have preserved the list of students enrolled in the university.

Cirriculum

The study order of the university, founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat (nowadays Trnava), was determined by the Jesuit order governing the university. After Maria Theresa took the university under state control, in 1770 he regulated the operation and organization of the university in a decree entitled Norma Studiorum. Guides were then issued to students each year containing the timing and schedule of courses.

Speeches

The university, founded in Nagyszombat (nowadays Trnava) in 1635 and managed by the Jesuit order, was moved to Buda by Maria Theresa and placed under state control. On this occasion he granted the university a new letter of privilege, the ceremonial handover took place on 25 June 1780. The rector gave a speech on this occasion, which has became a tradition and  until 1848, every year the university feast was held on June 25. with rector’s speech. It also became a habit at the beginning of the academic year, that they capture memory of their deceased members in eulogy and memorial speech. Between 1848 and 1860, the autonomy of the university was suspended, so  the speeches of various occasions were stopped. In the 1860/61. academic year, the university was free to elect rector again, but the political uncertainty had not yet made it possible to revive old traditions. However, the university council has decided to renew the former tradition and the elected rectors must give inaugural, festive and resigning speech too. It was also decided, that the speeches would be published in print.

Online archival resources

Minutes of the University Councils

On October 24, 1770. Maria Theresia set up a royal university consistory.
Minutes were taken of the meetings of the consistory, also known as the University Council. The minutes are complete from the year of 1946/47.  
The decision-making body of the university’s faculties is the faculty council. Minutes of the Faculty of Laws starts from 1900, Faculty of Humanities starts form 1889, Faculty of Science start from 1949.

Records of the University Organization of the sole governing party in the socialist era. (MDP, MSZMP)

The digitalized records include the University Organization of the MDP (Hungarian Working People’s Party) and the MSZMP (Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party). The records are a digitalized copy of the documents kept in the Budapest City Archives.  The records about the founding of the MDP are missing, the documents start from 1952.
Beyond the party records can be found documents about the DISZ, KISZ (political youth organizations). The documents consists mostly minutes of the party meetings and the related preparatory records.

The MSZMP and the MDP records divided into three parts:

  1. Minutes of the party meetings
  2. Other records
  3. Documents of  the basic organisations of the party

The record can be searched in chronologically in pdf format.
An excel format register will help you to navigate between the documents.

The register available here:

The records can only be searched in the archives in digital form.
Due to the protection of personal data, the party records can be researched after the presentation of a statement issued by an institute carrying out scientific research or an authority performing public task.

Electronic finding aids

Committee for Qualifying Secondary School Teachers

The Committee for Qualifying Secondary School Teachers was formed in 1862 at Faculty of Humanities. The Act No. 30 of 1883 provided for the exam.The universities and the colleges gave the scientific qualification, the Committee for Qualifying Secondary School Teachers has supplemented this and issued a teacher’s diploma after passing the required exams. The Committee for Qualifying Secondary School Teachers was organisationally independent, only its tasks and personal relations were attached to the Faculty of Humanities. In 1949, the Committee for Qualifying Secondary School Teachers was abolished along with the Teacher Training Institute. Its responsibilities were taken over by the study departments of the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science.

Source/author of illustration:
ELTE EKL