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

In the history of large-scale construction, a special place is reserved for the construction begun in 1801 of the so-called “Great College”. In December of that year, in a letter despatched to all those from whom any support might be forthcoming, the rector János Szombathy summed up the necessity of the new building as such: “In the last few years the number of our students has increased so greatly that neither the older students nor the teachers have enough place, even the classrooms are not large enough. Sadly our old buildings, due to their age, are shabby to the point of almost collapsing. These circumstances prompted our school’s leadership to reflect upon how to mend this problem. Together with the Venerable Superintendent, we have agreed that new and adequately large auditoriums, classrooms and living accommodations be built”.

The actual construction work started only in September 1806 with the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone. The identify of the architect who drew up the plans for the Great College building is not known. Traditionally, however, this has been said to be the handiwork of one of the teachers of the College, István Nyiry. Nonetheless, it is known for a fact that Nyiry was the work supervisor. By 1824, the roof was sitting atop the new building; by 1829, several of the student residential rooms were completed and ready for use and, in this same year, the senior was already able to give his oral annual report here. By the spring of 1845, the construction work was nearing final completion. The “Great College” consisted primarily of auditoriums, classrooms and student accommodations but the tavern and printing press were also located in the building. The majority of people who come to this building - even today - are primarily interested in visiting the Great Library which is situated in the right wing of the edifice.

The large hall of the library - also know as the assembly hall - was built in the period stretching from 1827 to 1834 according to the plans of the architect Mihály Pollack. Once Kristóf Brenning had completed the interior carpentry work in 1834, one of the most respected painters from the region of Kassa arrived on the scene, his name being József Lintzbauer. On the basis of the written agreement between the painter and the College, it is known that Lintzbauer arrived with two different concepts. The rector requested that motifs and figures from both concepts be used in painting the ceiling. The written agreement furthermore called for the painting of the colonnade, the gallery and the shelves. Thus on 7 July 1836, Lajos Zsamay, rector-professor, could report briefly to the General Assembly of the Church District that “the new library is freshly painted and our books (neatly organized) decorate the shelves.”

The assembly hall of the Great Library in the College welcomes visitors in its original splendour even today. A feeling of‘homeyness’ pervades the atmosphere, this being lent by the all-wooden interior and its restrained classical style. The hardwood floor includes decorative square tiles with wood inlay in star-like patterns; the gallery is supported by white, ridged Doric columns. The shelves hold approximately thirty-five thousand volumes, the very same books which expert hands had placed there in the 1840s. Painted at one end of the ceiling is an image of Minerva, at the other end is one of Apollo and in the middle a representation of a dome. But between 1952 and 1990, this hall had a role which pointed well beyond itself for the picture of this library hall represented the Reformed Church College and the “Patak spirit” around the world.