Student honors awarded in the 19th century

Preserved honors dating back to the 19^th century began to arrive in the Museum soon after the idea of its establishment emerged, in particular toward the end of that century, most of them donated by the Provincial Government, Department of Worship and Education, or the Croatian Literary-Educational Association. The honors are divided into two classes: student honors and other honors.

There are very few preserved student honors dating back to a period before the 20^th century and those kept at the Croatian School Museum represent a very rare and valuable artefact that allows zs to review the broader context of the history of Croatian school education. In the early 20^th century, Antun Cuvaj wrote in his 12-volume History of School Education: Student ribbons. They have practically vanished without a trace by now, being a legacy of the past that eventually emerged as silver coins, awards, books… Cultural history fails to mention them, although they are valuable and accurate witnesses of the past, showing us what the terms such as school, teacher, education or diligence implied at the time (Cuvaj, 1910, Vol. I, 199-200).

Student honors were awarded for excellence in studying and conduct. Although their origins date back to the 16^th century, their widespread use began in the schools of the Habsburg Monarchy during the reign of Maria Theresa, especially in Austrian schools. For schools in present-day Croatia, these honors were mostly commissioned by patrons or philanthropists. Josip Horning, a physician and philanthropist in Osijek, had a student ribbon made in 1858 and donated it to the uptown school on Ulica sv. Ane in Osijek. This ribbon was awarded to and worn by a student who gave an outstanding or the best answer that demonstrated his knowledge of the lesson being addressed that day. The teacher attached it to his chest and he would… wear it in school all day and could also take it home to proudly present it to the public and his parents. This medal is kept at the Osijek Museum of Slavonia (Cuvaj, 1910, Vol. IX, 132).

The Croatian School Museum keeps seven student honors dating back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Two ribbons were donated by the Primary School in Marinska Ves, three by the Primary School in Križevci, one by the Primary School in Samobor, and one is of unknown origin. Dating back to Maria Theresa’s era, the student ribbons received from the Primary School in Križevci are the oldest and most visually appealing ones. These ribbons are shaped as a star and a flower, respectively, one of them featuring a red silk band with a red glass pearl in the center, giving it a particularly formal appearance. The ribbons received from the Primary School in Marinska Ves are not decorated but feature embossed writings, namely Honor (on the face) and Martinskaves School (on the back), and were used in the second half of the 19^th century. The medal received from the Primary School in Samobor features a German-language inscription – Für Fleisz und gute Sitten (for diligence and good behavior) and most likely originates from mid-19^th century, whereas the ribbon for which no particulars are available features Croatian language inscriptions – Sign of diligence and good behavior (on the face) and For the homeland (on the back).