School Ceremonies, the Role of the Eponym in the Inner World of the School

Abstract

The study examines school ceremonies through the cult of Queen Elizabeth I of Hungary from the perspective of the history of education. The literature emphasises that human groups realise their traditions using memory practices and that such senses of shared memory are transformed into history over time. Remembrance is a cultural activity that plays a role in both strengthening and preserving identity. The primary sources of this research are school bulletins, and teachers' specialist magazines published two decades after the Queen's death. Even during the period of dualism, the professional press distinguished between two types of school celebrations: one focused on patriotism, the other one on light-hearted play. The analysis concentrates on the cult of the celebrations, memorials and traditions of the eponym.