From Poor Law Administration to Sustainable Social Administration

The Views of Hungarian Public Administration Scholars from the Polizeiwissenschaft Period to the Era of “Magyary School”

Abstract

The historical background of so-called “human administration” (or “social-cultural administration”) is the so-called “poor law administration”. This fact characterises Western public administration as well as Hungarian public administration. According to the current state of research, poor law administration has been specifically addressed scientifically in Hungary since 1880. However, examples of Polizeiwissenschaft from the 18^th century are also significant. The term “poor law administration” ceased to exist after about 1945. The study primarily presents the part of the work of József (Joseph) Reviczky (1750–1815), Ignác (Ignace) Zsoldos (1803–1885), Emil Récsi (1822–1864), Győző (Victor) Concha (1846–1933), and Zoltán Magyary (1888–1945) dealing with social administration. The aim of the study is highlighting the milestones on the path from ’poor law administration’ to sustainable social administration. The paper also considers relevant foreign examples. It is necessary to indicate that in the future the role of sustainability and foreign influences will also increase in social administration, too.