Learning Languages among Aristocrats in Hungary (1867-1918)

Abstract

In the present study, by means of private letters, memoirs, as well as school registry forms, we focus on aristocratic children’s language education: what languages did they study, with whom did they study them, with what methods and for what purpose – whether at home or in school. After 1867, the aristocracy retained its multilingual facility. The daughters of the family typically continued studying at home, guided by foreign governesses and Hungarian home tutors. Besides Hungarian, they usually acquired three languages (French, German, English) to a proficient level, by help of a method that placed the emphasis on speaking. The boys’ language studies progressed in a similar way, the difference being that they were more likely to study in public schools – abroad or in Hungary. Within the high society, the two most sought-after foreign institutions were the Theresianum in Vienna and the Jesuit secondary grammar school in Kalksburg. In these, the students had the chance to choose from among several classical and modern languages to study; moreover, however surprising it might seem at first glance, they also placed a great emphasis on nurturing the Hungarian language. Thus, by the time they reached adulthood, the daughters and sons of high nobility became polished speakers and readers of foreign languages, which, besides cultivating their international family relations, also helped them in keeping abreast on world events, as well as in literature and the sciences, not to mention – in the case of the boys – constituting an advantage in their career fields.