Dénes Dienes: History of the Reformed Church Collég in Sárospatak (Sárospatak, 2013)

János Ugrai: „THE PERIOD OF NATIONAL ADVANCEMENT” 1777-1849 - The College and its environment - the manor farming of the College

90

FROM THE ENLIGHTEMENT

TO THE END OF THE WAR

OF INDEPENDENCE

assistance of conscientious Reformed-faith churchgoers, usually ones somewhat wealthier than the average. Close to one quarter of the faithful supporters were not residents in the Cistibiscan church district’s territory but in more distant counties in Transylvania or west of the Danube River and sent their donations from there.

At the same time, the College placed significant emphasis on encouraging everyone in the local church district to offer donations, even the members of the smallest congregations living on the most modest of incomes. The traditional institution of taking collections on special celebrations served this purpose. Although the practice of the harvest supplication or legatio was already existent in the 17th century, it only became regular practice in the 1730s after the loss of the patron and the consequent restructuring. Whenever the grain and grape harvests, likewise Easter, Pentecost and Christmas came around, boons were collected by students who would receive as payment one tenth of whatever they collected. Despite the continuous monitoring, refining and goal-focusing of the process, as well as often compelling the faithful church members to contribute beyond their means, the collection drives yielded increasingly less income for the institution. By the 1810s, especially when the economic crisis in Hegyalja peaked, did the members of the congregations feel the obligation of contributing more than a few pennies to be often overburdening.

To eliminate and somehow complement the fluctuations of income characteristic of these collection drives, it became necessary for the school to establish a more deliberate economic structure. This was designed to rest upon two main pillars. One of these pillars was to be something akin to traditional manor farming. The College, as proprietor of significant vineyards, was an active participant in the agricultural production of the region. It owned and worked the grain fields and vineyards in some of the settlements of the area (e.g. Erdőbénye, Sátoraljaújhely) close to Sárospatak. It furthermore operated a tavern in Patak and in Erdőbénye. The one in Patak was located within the school building and was operated and managed by the students. The tavern sold wine not only produced by the College from its own vineyards but donated wine, also. The school also owned a meadow, a butchery, a quarry and a mill, and was involved in various other pursuits (e.g. transport, renting empty barrels).

This economic activity of the College, therefore, was similar to that of the feudal manors. There were differences though, one appearing already in how the generated profit was used, the College using its income to cover expenses arising from its educational and training programs. The second difference was to be found in the unique way of selecting the workers and assigning tasks. The church and school leadership strove to cooperate in planning and supervising the economic activities, their efforts either complementing or clashing with one another. The daily administration, however, was almost the exclusive responsibility of the student officers. The completion of tasks requiring heavy physical labour was resolved by employing adult day-laborers but the College did not have enough money to hire trained experts to coordinate the diversified economy. So its interests were either hired out (e.g. the butchery, the quarry and later the tavern, too) or else these tasks of elevated responsibility were entrusted to older students selected on the basis of their behaviour and diligence.