Dénes Dienes: History of the Reformed Church Collég in Sárospatak (Sárospatak, 2013)
János Ugrai: „THE PERIOD OF NATIONAL ADVANCEMENT” 1777-1849 - The Particle Schools
geographic relief, partly by its hydrogeology. Entirely different worlds opened up to those looking about in any of the geographic entities of Bodrogköz, Hegyköz or Hegyalja or, by chance, on the plains of neighboring Borsod county, as in the entity of Taktaköz or along the Hernád River. Those visiting the county were certainly most delighted by the hills covered with vineyards. The lives of those living there, on the other hand, were influenced most by the proximity of rivers and streams. The influence, of course, could be either positive or negative in that water not only contributed to their existential needs but the frequent floods and the sizable proportion of swampy wetlands posed dangers in transportation and loss in production on a daily basis. Although Sárospatak geographically did not fall on the main trade routes joining the dominant market-centres of the region (Miskolc, Kassa, Eperjes, Debrecen) and the proximity of Sátoraljaújhely, the most significant economic centre of the county, meant direct competition for it, the town was able to maintain its status thanks to its earlier progessive political traditions and to its cultural significance, this having increased more than decreased since the Middle Ages. The renown of the College issuing from the language renewal movement and its other achievements (to be discussed in detail later) had helped maintain the former gloss, something which would shine once again to make its mark at a national level. THE PARTICLE SCHOOLS The historic Reformed Church colleges have enduring merit in building up the school network in Hungary. The ‘Particula’ school system had an important role within this process. The ‘Particula’ was a primary or secondary school which was connected to the College by the sharing of teachers; the ‘Particula’ was part (pars = part, Particula = particle) of the so-called ‘mother school”. The fact that teachers from the College also taught in the Particle School meant that the intellectual atmosphere in the two institutions was very similar, and it was this atmosphere which determined the curriculum, the mode of instruction and the objectives to be attained. It went without saying that the talented students of the Particle School continued their studies at the College. In this way, these primary and secondary schools served as a kind of student pool for the College rolls. There is very little information on how this type of school system came into being or evolved. It is certain that, in the Middle Ages, if anywhere there existed a Catholic parish school with good standards - these being mostly in market towns - the level of education which it provided never diminished but, in fact, received added attention as a consequence of the Reformation. The varied aspects of church life gave rise to the demand, even in smaller parishes, that a second individual, in addition to the pastor, serve in the community. Initially, the pastor welcomed a teacher to whom he delegated some of his responsibilities, these including not only teaching but ringing the bells, conducting funerals, leading the singing during worship services and also holding worship services - mostly in the filia congregations - without preaching (the so-called invocations). There can be absolutely no mention of independent and specific teacher training in this period. Having reached a certain level within the pastor training 83 The Reformed Church pastor and poet Mihály Tompa (1817-1868) was a student in Patak
