Szállási Árpád

Summary
Debrecen in playing an important role in Hungárián education since the establishment of the
Reformed College in 1538. After three years, the capital Buda, has been occupied by the
Turks, which lasted up to 1686. During this time, Debrecen located at the bordér between
territories occupied by the Turks and the semi-independent Transilvania, had a peculiar
situation. It has suffered a lot because of big power politics. The conversion to Calvinist type
Protestantism in 1551 was decisive, therefore the City, beyond its relation with the neigh
bouring Transilvanian Principe's has maintained close relationship mainly with Swiss
(Zürich, Basel) and Dutch (Utrecht, Leyden) universities. Somé of famous professors írom
Debrecen graduates in these places. These was alsó the source of rational Decartes spirit,
Carteniasm, has been brought to Calvinist Debrecen. The importance of the City has grown
when it succeeded to obtain "free royal city" status from the Catholic Habsburgs, in 1693.
Obviously, the situation of the College was always in dependence on the city budget. It was
not accidental, that after obtaining the status of free royal city, the second half of the 18th
century became the golden age of education in Debrecen. This alsó had a decisive impact
upon the whole of Hungárián spiritual life, demonstrated by big names liké György Maróthi
(1715-1744) a mathematician who reorganised musical culture in the college, István Hatvani
(1718 - 1786), who beside teaching mathematics, experimentál physics, phylosophy
astronomy, has alsó practised liké a medical doctor and bear the name "Hungárián Faust"
because of his diabolic fame.
Natural sciences in the city have been developed mainly by physicians. Beside the already
mentioned István Hatvani, the excellent botanical biologist József Csapó (1734 - 1799) was
another one, who is alsó the author of the first Hungárián publication in Pediatry. Another
one was one of the decisive personalities in Hungárián medical history, István Weszprémi
(1723 - 1799), who has travelled to England, too. In England he has written his small work
entitled "Tentamen de inoculanda pesté" (London, 1755), in which among others he has
suggested the idea of protective vaccines against plague. At the same time he has passed his
examination in obstetrics at the well renowned professor Smellie, and after he returned home
he has edited the first Hungárián book in midwifery (Debrecen, 1766).
In parallel with the golden age of Debrecen spirituality, the University in Nagyszombat
(Tyrnavia) founded earlier archbishop Péter Pázmány got a Faculty of Medicine and later, in
1777 it has been moved to the capital of the country Buda-Pest where at the beginning of the
19th century big developments have been started in all flelds. Therefore, colleges in the
country lost there importance, which does not mean that their staff did not contained
professors well-known in the country. As an example can be given József Török, who
because of his Calvinist religion could not became a medical professor in the capital. He
moved in 1848 to Debrecen where he taught natural sciences and worked as college physician.
His national fame has been established by his work in balneology, but he alsó wrote quite
good humán physiology handbook, too.
Based ontó his work in natural sciences, he has been elected as member of the Hungárián
Academy of Sciences, therefore we acknowledge in his person the Debrecen physician
member of the Academy in the 19th century.
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