The Appointment as Professor of Zsigmond Purjesz and his Decorations. A Centennial Commemoration

Zsigmond Purjesz (1846–1918) was born at Szentes (Hungary), and he became MD at Budapest in 1870. In 1880 he applied for and won by competition the professor’s chair of Internal Medicine at Cluj/Kolozsvár University. He taught there for three decades, and founded a medical school. In 1911 he retired and moved to Budapest. According to his wish, he was buried at Kolozsvár.

The first part of our study presents the preliminaries of Purjesz’s appointment to Kolozsvár, based on the documents of the Kolozsvár Medical Faculty kept in the State Archives at Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureş. Endre Takács from Budapest and Ignác Büchler from Kolozsvár were the other two applicants. A board of three university professors proposed Purjesz on the first, Takács on the second and Büchler on the third place to be appointed as professor. On ministerial proposal the king decided to appoint Purjesz on the 2nd of May, 1880.

In the second part of the study we take into account the recognitions and decorations Purjesz got. In 1893 for his activity during the cholera epidemic he was awarded with the Iron-Crown Order, 3rd class. In 1901 he got the title of Court councilor, which implied the form of address “Right Honorable”. In 1906 at the 25th anniversary of his professorship his students and colleagues compiled a memorial volume dedicated to him. In 1910 the Royal City of Kolozsvár declared him Honorary Citizen. Following his retirement his bust made by György Vastagh was unveiled at the courtyard of the hospital. In 1911, the king recognizing his healing and teaching activity raised him to the rank of Hungarian nobility.