Pál Tittel

Pál Tittel was born in 1784. He became a student of the Theological College of Eger in 1800. The intellectual life of the city was hosted by Count Mihályné Sztáray, niece of bishop Károly Eszterházy. Tittel – as a student – met writers and scientists in her house, he could learn languages.

Theological College
Photo: György Szántó

Archbishop István Fischer supported Tittel's studies and travels, he also always assisted in purchasing astronomical books for him.

The astronomical tower of the Lyceum
Photo: György Szántó

Tittel became professor of mathematics at the Archbishop's School in Eger in 1806. He taught theoretical and applied mathematics in the Lyceum. Archbishop Fischer appointed him the director of the Observatory in 1809. The astronomical tower of the Lyceum was built by bishop Eszterházy and Maximilian Hell, the well-known astronomer. It was one of the best-equipped observatories of the era.

Tittel's mathematical book (1810)

Tittel travelled to Vienna to make researches in astronomy. His article on the moons of Jupiter was published in Vienna and Berlin. He returned to Eger in the summer of 1811. During his studies in Vienna, reading the works of Carl Friedrich Gauss, he decided to become a student of the German scientist in Göttingen.

Göttingen

Tittel spent six semesters in Göttingen, attended Gauss' lectures, and also participated in asteroid research. He published his articles in German astronomical journals.
Tittel resumed his journey and arrived in Paris in the spring of 1817. He visited meetings of the French Academy and made observations at the Royal Observatory. In October he travelled to London and Greenwich. He was received by William Herschel, discoverer of the planet Uranus, one of the leading astronomers of the 19th century.

Tittel's passport is in the Archdiocesan Library of the Lyceum

He returned home at the end of 1817 and continued his work as the professor of mathematics and astronomy. Pál Tittel moved to Buda in 1824, where he became director of the observatory and professor at the University of Pest.

Ferenc Albert

Tittel's most important colleague was Ferenc Albert. Albert later became a teacher at the Lyceum, director of the Specula and he was also the librarian of the Archdiocesan Library. Tittel was elected a regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in November 1830. He died in 1831.

Our library was named Pál Tittel in 2011.

Photo: György Szántó

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