Artwork of the month – Péter Pázmány University Commemorative Cup
At its meeting on March 30, 1936, the University Council of the Royal Hungarian Péter Pázmány University of Sciences decided to commission a commemorative cup to honor the memory of Péter Pázmány, the university’s founder. The initiative was closely linked to the fact that the university celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1935; it was in this spirit that the goblet and the accompanying commemorative ceremony were established. Pursuant to the resolution, representatives of the faculties delivered commemorative speeches at the annual ceremony in rotating order.
At the end of each academic year, the speaker was selected by secret ballot at a meeting of the faculty deans. After briefly commemorating Péter Pázmány, the speaker was also required to deliver an academic lecture of no more than half an hour on a topic of their choosing. The date of the speeches was set by the rector, usually within two weeks of the opening ceremony of the academic year. He also decided who, besides the university’s regular and adjunct faculty members, would be invited to the event. On the occasion of the ceremony, the rector hosted a luncheon in honor of the participants, and the speeches delivered were published in print in the university’s series titled Speeches. The topic was freely chosen and could address issues in the university’s history, the institution’s former distinguished professors, current university affairs, or general problems in the speaker’s field of expertise. This lecture was called the “goblet speech.” The goblet itself was made of silver, bearing the university’s coat of arms and a portrait of Pázmány on the left side.
The following inscription can be read on one side of the goblet:
“INCLYTAE MEMORIAE FUNDATORIS
ALMAE UNIVERSITATIS NOSTRAE
PETRI CARDINALIS PÁZMÁNY de PANASZ.”
On the other side:
“BE SPIRITUAL WELLS, SO THAT FROM YOUR OWN ABUNDANCE
YOU MAY QUENCH THE THIRST OF OTHERS
PÁZMÁNY”
The event served not only as a commemoration but also provided a good opportunity for teachers to meet regularly each year. As a result, institutional toasts became widespread in many places during the 1930s.
The custom introduced in 1991 can be seen as a revival of this tradition: on the occasion of the ceremonial Senate meetings held in May to mark Pázmány Day, a professor from the university who had achieved outstanding results was invited to deliver the so-called “Pázmány Péter Professional Lecture” on their own field of research. At its meeting on April 6, 1992, the University Council passed a resolution that the university would award a distinction to the current lecturer.
The goblet is currently located in the Rector’s Office and forms part of the Rector’s collection.
Photo and Written by Bianka Kovács-Molnár
Sources:
Papp, J. (1983): Hagyományok és tárgyi emlékek az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetemen. Budapest.
Németh, Gy. (szerk.) (1984): A Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetem igazgatására vonatkozó hatályos jogszabályok és elvi határozatok gyűjteménye. Budapest.
Beszédek (1936): A Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetemen elhangzott beszédek, Egyetemi beszédek, 1936–1937. tanév, Királyi Magyar Tudományegyetem, Budapest, Nyomatott a Magy. Kir. Egyetemi Könyvnyomdában. (https://adt.arcanum.com/hu/view/ELTE_EgyetemiBeszedek_1936/?pg=0&layout=l)