Peter Macho
Official and Private Travelling in the Life of Slovak Protestant Priests in the Long 19th Century
Travelling was a common part of the life of Protestant (Lutheran) clergy. Future pastors often went to study at foreign universities (especially in Germany). Travelling and staying abroad brought them various benefits: they got to know new countries and cities and more advanced cultural environments and they gained new stimuli and impulses for their personal development. As spiritual administrators of their churches in the domestic environment of the Kingdom of Hungary, they undertook both official and private journeys (e.g. trips to church meetings, i.e. conventions; in the private sphere visits to relatives and friends as well as trips for cultural purposes). Due to the underdeveloped railway network in the Kingdom of Hungary, they were forced to travel not only by train but also by horse-driven carriages (coaches, wagons). In most cases, they hired a means of transport and the services of professional coachmen (postillions), or they used the help of their parishioners. Only few clergymen owned a carriage including horses; it was certainly not part of the usual standard of living for Protestant clergy at this time. The highlight of Pavel Štefánik's travels was his journey and study stay in Rostock, North Germany, in 1867. In his leisure time he also visited two Danish islands in the Baltic Sea. Paradoxically, travelling to more distant destinations abroad was associated with a younger age. In the second half of the life of priests, long-distance travelling activities generally declined sharply, and for most of them the predominant travel was short-term and geared towards shorter distances, and it was also less demanding in financial terms.
Keywords: Protestant (Lutheran) pastors - Pavel Štefánik - official and private travelling
design by Bedřich Vémola
