Isusovački stručnjaci u Varaždinu
Jesuits’ experts in Varaždin

Summary/Abstract: Jesuits of the old Society did not formally teach physics in Varaždin until the last years before the abolition of the Jesuits. Nevertheless in Varaždin worked many prominent mathematicians and physicists starting from Varaždin-born Andrija Makar and Francis Jambrehovića from Carniolian Vinica, who presented to Varaždin the science of Roman mathematician Athanasius Kircher which they learned in today Slovak University in Trnava. In the following generations of the Jesuits were had arguments about physics and the philosophy of Descartes. Varaždin born Josip Novoselić opposed Cartesians. Dilemmas regarding the introduction of new physics in the Jesuits’ curriculum solved only at the time of Bošković after Novoselić passed away. Bošković ideas were accepted in Varaždin curriculum at the time of surveying of Bosković’s associate Joseph Liesganig in Varaždin environment. Joseph collaborator was his own brother Ignatius who worked in Varaždin College in 1763 and 1764. Varaždin School and its Jesuit College developed in the framework of the worldwide network of Jesuit institutions which branched on all continents. The power of the old society of the Jesuits can be perfectly described with the help of the modern theory of self-organizing communication networks. With one important exception because the old network of the Society of Jesus was very much centralized contrary to the modern World Wide Web. Varaždin Jesuits’ college was subordinated to the Rector who in his turn reported to the Austrian provincial in Vienna. The information from all provinces was centralized in the Roman office of the Jesuit General. As a part of the Central European Jesuit network Varaždin experienced no noticeable delay in accepting the latest scientific ideas. The Jesuits highly mobile experts spread the novelties in the framework of the rapid rotation of Jesuits’ manpower from one college to another. The Jesuit college of Varaždin was closely linked with the Jesuits in Ljubljana and Trnava. The University of Trnava served for the education of the Jesuits mostly from the Hungarian part of the Habsburg Empire, while the Universities of Graz and Vienna educated the most Jesuits from Austrian part of the province. Special attention was paid to the life and work of the Jesuit Anthony Rajšp from Ptuj. He became the very first official professor of technical subjects in Varaždin. Rajšp was indispensable for Varaždin School just like similar educated experts were indispensable in Ljubljana, Provence, or other smaller Catholic communities. Therefore Rajšp stayed in Varaždin School after the ban of the Jesuits in 1773. His director position in Varaždin was the recognition of his pedagogic skills and humanity.

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