Student traditions of Selmec
Survival of student traditions at the Mining and Forestry Academy of Selmecbánya in the successor institutions (University of Miskolc, Unisversity of West Hungary) (2014)
The origin of student traditions of Selmec is connected to the students and their self-organization of the Mining Educational Institution (founded in 1735) – and later the Mining and Forestry Academy.
The traditions, after the institution’s migration first to Sopron and then to Miskolc, survived, what’s more, were expanded with new local elements and are still alive. The conservators of the student traditions of Selmec are the undergraduates of the successor institutions, who are held together by the ‘Valéta Committees’. Simultaneously some of the students are also concentrated in different student organizations (friend circles, table companies, youth circles, associations). To wear the uniform, to operate the fraternities with strict rules, the different ceremonies, the student songs collected in song-books, the bursts of singing, the custom of ‘valétálás’( goodbye ceremony) with torchlight procession and with the ‘valéta’ ball are all essential parts of the student traditions.
Beyond the external formalities the internal contents are much more important. That’s what we call ‘Moral of Selmec’ and its main features are happiness, friendship, patriotism and the sense of vocation. The student traditions of Selmec enhance the binding to the educational institution through the revival and the transmission of old positive patterns as well as it can develop an inward connection between the upper-year students and their younger fellows.
The responsible institution for the professional coordinating of the UNESCO Convention in Hungary:
Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hungarian Open Air Museum