Kuno Klebelsberg’s Educational Policy

Abstract

By presenting the main features of Hungary’s cultural and educational policy in the 1920s, the government’s search for a path and its view of the completely changed economic and political situation in the new country can be vividly described. The government tried to find a way out of the national shock caused by the Treaty of Trianon by trying to improve the quality and quantity of education and culture, but without wanting to give up revenge. This bipolar process of vacillating between past and future was led by Count Klebelsberg, who, as Minister of Education, headed the Ministry for Religion and Popular Education. Klebelsberg consciously took over these responsibilities, having a precise idea and knowledge of the ministry’s work. Through his activities and speeches we can learn a lot about the zeitgeist, the most important currents in politics and humanities, most importantly what people thought about the Treaty of Trianon and how they dealt with it. It must also be emphasized that his influence and the spirit of the era can still be felt today.