Ugrai_Janos_Reformkori_akademikusok

Focusing on the occupations of the academicians, this study defines the groupspecific characteristics of the members of the Hungarian Scientific Society (later the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), selected during its early years, between 1830 and 1847. The 236 academics are classified into 370 occupations and means of livelihood – this large number in itself indicative of the absence of a stable occupational structure in the early days of the rise of the middle classes. The second half of the study looks in more detail at those academicians who held pastoral or teaching positions. It reveals the overwhelming majority of Calvinist teachers – among both teachers in general and in the protestant academic community. In comparison, the low number of Lutheran teachers made them the polar opposite group: they were insufficient in number to represent even their centuries-old tradition of school towns within the learned society. There was a clear over-representation of Roman Catholics among the clergy, particularly of those associated with Szombathely, Győr (and Pannonhalma), as well as Pest and Vác as their spiritual centers. The relatively low prestige of the clerical and teaching professions is underpinned by the fact that it was considerably more difficult for representatives of these professions to climb the academic ladder: such corresponding members faced serious obstacles in becoming full members or department presidents. Another interesting finding reveals that among the academicians concerned, only Roman Catholics could effectively move between priesthood and teaching, and become a prelate. This seldom occurred among the Protestants: for them, the two professions were mutually exclusive to a much greater extent.