Landscape Architecture, the profession of the future - 30 years independent Landscape Architecture education in Hungary: 1992 - 2022
The landscape as a place of living is defined by both the conscious and unconscious human activities, and is always dependent on the mentality of people living there. The notion of landscape is based on sense and emotions. On the one hand, tangible and physical, on the other hand, it represents the temporal and spatial processes of less tactile, but still comprehensible spiritual components. A physical and cultural unit that exists not only through personal perceptions, but also through the memory of the community.
It is important to teach how to discover, form and develop landscapes. This very task has been carried on by our School for over a century, and for the last 30 years by the Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art as an independent institution and fortress of the landscape education.
The Institute is unique in Hungarian higher education and research for many reasons. Programmes run in three different disciplines (agricultural, engineering and arts), and at three levels: undergraduate, masters and doctoral; it has the only university programme to study landscape architecture in Hungary, it is the founder and mentor for the cross-border Hungarian landscape architecture programme, and it has a pioneer role among the landscape schools in the Central-Eastern European region.
In 1894, the Horticultural Institute was founded. In 1908, Béla Rerrich became professor and began to teach garden architecture as an independent discipline. In 1939, the Institute was renamed as the Hungarian Royal Horticultural Academy and the Department of Garden Art was established.In 1963, professor Imre Ormos started the independent educational programme in Landscape and Garden Design. In 1968, under professor Mihály Mőcsényi’s guidance landscape planning education started officially. More recently, in 1992, the government established the independent Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Protection and Reclamation. Denominations and affiliations changed several times since. As of 2021, landscape architectural education is part of the Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art in Budapest, housed in the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE). With over 660 students and 58 staff members, the Institute is one of the largest institutes of higher education in Central Europe.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the independent Faculty, the Institute’s staff organize a jubilee conference on 22-23 September 2022, with the participation of several national and international professional organizations, schools and partner institutions.
The detailed programme is available on our website: https://tajepiteszek.hu/esemeny/tajepiteszet:-a-jovo-szakmaja-30-ev-onallo-tajepiteszeti-oktatas-budan/156
