Walleshausen Gyula: A magyaróvári agrárfelsőoktatás 175 éve (1818-1913) (Mosonmagyaróvár, 1993)

10. A Pannon Agrártudományi Egyetem, Mezőgazdaságtudományi Kar, Mosonmagyaróvár - napjainkban

neration appeared on the scene. They based their work on the latest results in natural scientific research. The latest and newest experiment stations made the entire education like a web network; (The Seed-corn and Plant-physiology Experiment Station 1878, Plant Cultivation Experiment Station 1891, Chemical Experiment Station 1903, Milk Experimental Station 1903) led to the improvement of the level of education.

The large teaching staff kept in close contact with the farmers and landlords, because without the exchange of working methods and experiments the results couldn’t have been reliable. This applied to plant cultivation and livestock breeding as well, which led to a propagation of scientific advancement. Imre Újhelyi convinced the farmers about the importance of breeding (raising) for production and he gathered the cattle breeder farmers into a union. (Considering the Germanspeaking farmers of the area, “The Report about the Activities of the Cattle Breeding Union in Magyar-Óvár” was published both in the Hungarian and German languages between 1896—1922.)

The reputation of the Academy of Magyaróvár was well known even abroad at the turn of the century. It was not by chance that Raul France and later Hermann Kern, who did not speak even a word of Hungrian, came to Óvár for improving their knowledge and for experimental research in plant physiology and pathology laboratories.

The sporting life of the Academy was also very active at this time. Rudolf Bauer, a first year student, won the gold medal in disc-throwing on the Olympic Games in Paris in 1904.

The conditions for research and experimentation were favourable, but the same couldn’t be said about the educational conditions. The building of the old Castle was too confined. The Ministry hadn’t raised the donation for teaching aids, library etc., and the length of training lasted for only two years still. A group of great landowners who had a strong influence on the Ministry of Agriculture prevented the Academy from improving to a higher level, because then they would have had to pay a higher salary to college graduates than to academy or specialized school graduates. The Minister Ignác Darányi, who was deeply concerned about educational improvement in agriculture and scientific research, reacted to this plot. He raised four higher educational institutes to the academic level in 1906.

The idea of using the Academy of Óvár as the Agricultural Faculty of the establishing University in Pozsony (Bratislava) presented itself at the same time. The decision was based on the plea that the local government of Óvár needed well-educated juristic experts and land-stewards. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture came to an agreement and legislated it in Spring 1915. Based upon this, three professors came from Pozsony to deliver lectures on law.

Further plans were delayed by the war. But the Academy was able to survive through the hard times of the two revolutions. This was due to Alfréd Krolopp, a teacher from Óvár, who had been working in the Ministry for several years and had kept his job during the revolutionary periods. The commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the foundation was held quietly because of the fateful circumstances that evolved after the lost war.

IV. (1920-1942)

By right of the Peace Treaty of Trianon, 67.3 percent of Hungary’s territory and 57 percent of cultivated land was disannexated. National or social composition and economic aspects of the populations were disregarded at the rectification of the new frontiers. Important railroads and economicterritorial units were cut into two. All this led to an economic crisis within the country. The storm of inflation lasted till 1927. Unemployment was increasing because of those people who had been driven out of their homes after the rectification of frontiers. The demobilized soldiers — like in any other country of Europe engaged in war — swarmed on the colleges and universities. The number of matriculating students in Óvár had gone beyond the accommodation capacity, and a great number of graduates could not find employment in agriculture.

290