The Géza Gárdonyi Cistercian Grammar School, Technical Secondary School and College of Eger is the oldest and biggest secondary school of the town. In 1750 the Jesuits started the building of the grammar school. In 1754 teaching could start according to principles laid down in the Ratio Studiorum. After the disbanding of the Jesuit Order in 1776, through the good offices of Metód Beitler, superior of Pásztó, the Cistercians continued the work of education and training in the Christian spirit. In the main grammar school of five classes in Eger there were 250-300 students studying per year. From 1787 to 1802 it worked as a royal grammar school under the name József II. with a unified curriculum based on the Entwurf method. The fire that destroyed the town in 1827 did not spare the church, the monks' residence and the building of the grammar school either. When the church and the residence were repaired, new classrooms were established as well.

In 1900-1901 using the plans of Ignác Alpár a new residence was built converting also the old buildings. The Cistercians continued their education and training work in the Christian spirit all the way until 1948 when the State took the school into public ownership.

From 1948 to 1959 a teacher training institute operated in the building, then from 1959 to 1997 teaching was taking place in a national grammar school of four classes and a technical secondary school.

On 1st September 1997, almost 50 years after the nationalisation of Church schools, it returned into the hands of the Cistercian Order's Abbey of Zirc. In our institute education is given in the grammar school and technical secondary school based on Catholic, Christian principles. The city of Eger shows a path for its students in the direction of its historical and intellectual heritage of belief, charity, knowledge and culture.

On 15th August 2002 the Arch-abbot of Zirc combined the grammar school with the college for girls named after Saint Erzsébet.

 

The webpage of the school is: http://www.gardonyi-eger.hu/