Ever wonder about the stories held within Budapest’s oldest post-Turkish-era secondary school? That’s Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium. It stands as a testament to centuries of education and faith. Founded in 1687 by György Széchényi, the Archbishop of Esztergom, it started as the Academicum et Universitatis Collegium.
Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium currently educates students aged 12 to 18. It fosters a religious environment in co-educational classes. The school resides in the Buda Castle district at Szabó Ilonka Street 2-4.
Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium is Budapest’s oldest secondary school. Archbishop György Széchényi established it. He signed the founding charter on March 19, 1687. The school opened in December as a Jesuit gymnasium in Buda Castle.
Initially, the school was named Academicum et Universitatis Collegium. Its first location was next to the Matthias Church. This is where the Hilton Hotel stands today. By 1698, it expanded to a full six-class system.
When the Jesuit order was dissolved in 1773, it became a royal Catholic gymnasium. Secular priests and teachers took over the teaching. In 1776, it became a university high school. It was connected to the University of Science. The university had moved to Buda in 1777. It functioned this way until 1784. When the university relocated to Pest, the high school remained in Buda.
From 1832 to 1851, the Piarists managed Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium. In 1844, Hungarian replaced Latin as the language of instruction. During the neo-absolutism period from 1851 to 1861, Benedictine monks directed it. It operated as an eight-year German-language high school. In 1861, it became a Hungarian-language high school again. In 1876, it was named the Budapesti Királyi Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium.
Széchényi Prímás provided the financial support. He gave the property to the Jesuits without transfer of ownership. After 1773, it went into Maria Theresa’s central education fund. From 1780, it became the University Fund. From 1866, József Eötvös ensured it went into the Study Fund. It was an archiepiscopal property worth one hundred thousand forints.
Following changing educational laws, it became a “reálgimnázium” in 1924. In 1934, it reverted to being a gymnasium. In 1946, after the establishment of the republic, the term “Királyi” was removed. Its name became “Budapesti II. kerületi Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium”. In 1948, the state nationalized church schools. The Catholic character and pedagogical stance were eliminated. It operated as “Budapesti II. kerületi Állami Egyetemi Gimnázium”. At the end of December 1948, the nationalized Budapesti Érseki Katolikus Gimnázium was moved into the damaged building.
In 1872, the Ministry of Religion and Public Education decided to move the gymnasium. The location was the Danube side of Várhegy. This was the then undeveloped Ilona Street. József Diescher and Miklós Ybl participated in the design competition. The neo-Renaissance design of József Lippert and Friedrich von Schmidt won. This became the sixth home of the gymnasium. The school was completed in four years, by the summer of 1876. Classes began on September 12.
During World War II, the building became part of the front line. It suffered severe damage. During the reconstruction, the building’s form was simplified. The Christian-based gymnasium reopened in 1997. The Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest maintained it.
Budapesti Egyetemi Katolikus Gimnázium has been serving Hungarian public education for 335 years. Figures like Ignác Semmelweis and József Eötvös attended. The school’s history reflects Hungarian history. Students and teachers fought in national struggles. The Communist dictatorship closed the school. Traditions were kept alive in other institutions. In 1997, the school reopened. Today, about 800 students study there. They arrive each morning near the Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion. The school aims to nurture Christian values and preserve Hungarian heritage.