UNIVERSITY BIOGRAPHICAL MOSAICS – LÁSZLÓ SENNYEY

Two hundred and fifty years ago, in 1773, Pope Clement XIII dissolved the Jesuit order, accelerating the process of the university's transfer to the state. Between 1635 and 1773, many distinguished Jesuits of great knowledge taught at our university, leaving a lasting mark on the history of the institution. In October our feature is on László Sennyey, a former university lecturer, rector and head of our library.

László Sennyey was born in 1631 in Kistárkány, Zemplén county. He entered the Jesuit order in 1648. From 1666 he was a theology professor at the University of Nagyszombat. He was rector of the University of Nagyszombat three times: from 1671 to 1675, from 1686 to 1690, and from 1700 to 1702. In 1691 he was the head of the University Library. He visited Rome serveral times and wrote accounts of his travels. During his rectorship of the University he kept a diary, which he began in 1686, the year Buda was liberated from the Turks. The diary is now in the manuscript collection of our library. László Sennyey died on 12 January 1703 in Nagyszombat.  

Picture: signature of László Sennyey as rector of the University of Nagyszombat (Coll. Pray 20. 207.) 

Source/author of illustration: ELTE University Library and Archives