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Buntzler’s hope was that since he previously enjoyed full support from the town, the
council members would not discontinue fi nancing his studies for another year enabling him
to successfully complete his stay in Wittenberg. The student assured his audience that this
‘small’ inconvenience (i.e. lack of money) would not frighten or cause him to interrupt his studies
even though he would have to live only on bread and water. Basic needs of students are
mentioned, such as accommodation, books, clothes, light, wood, a bed and other necessary
things, the expenses of which made it impossible for him to live on 75 taler (fl orins) per year.
However, he continued, he would be happy to receive even this amount – thus I ask your
honourable wisdom to assign me a certain yearly amount, namely 75 taler […]. 16 Should it be
diffi cult for the town council to respond to this request, then his last hope is for 50 taler (florins)
to be sent to him out of his inheritance that he has from his father, – thus I ask your honourable
wisdom most humbly that you would wish to send me at once fi fty talers out of my fatherly inheritance
17 – otherwise he would not be able to remain in Wittenberg – I am not able to remain
here without food, and will be forced to give up my studies and to go home […] 18 – a solution
that would have been a great sorrow for him to the extent that he would have preferred not to
have seen Wittenberg at all – I better wished I never have seen Wittenberg. 19
Buntzler sent his fi fth letter from Wittenberg in October 1589. In this short letter he implored
the council to send him the fi fty florins (mentioned in the previous letter in German as 50
talers) out of the inheritance from his father, promising all his efforts to assure the town council
of his good will. The sixth letter is sent in March 1590. In it he expressed his joy at a letter he
had received from the town council in the meantime confi rming that it had been agreed to send
him the required fi fty fl orins. This letter itself contains a note written by a third person, most
probably the town notary, who confi rmed the allotment of this sum – the council decided to give
50 fl orins. 20 This is a good illustration of a case where a student was supported by the town
council for a relatively long period of time – seven years. However, the letters sent from Wittenberg
certify that it was not easy to get this kind of long-lasting support for various reasons
so that only a convincing number of letters of request, could, eventually, achieve a successful
end. Buntzler was in Wittenberg from 1586, and, most probably, received support for his studies
for two years, after which time it became more diffi cult for the student to get a share even
from his own inheritance. The fact that his father had died in the meantime may be another
explanation for why it became necessary to appeal to the town council: it was probable that
Buntzler received some fi nancial aid from his family as well, which was reduced with the death
of his father. Both these factors might explain the the increase in the number of letters in 1589
and 1590 and their absence previously, when, presumably, his fi nancing was assured without
any problems.
One other student who enjoyed the generosity of the town council of Košice in the fi rst half
of the seventeenth century was Adamus Kys (Kis). He received support from the town council
to study at the University of Königsberg, from where he sent the seven letters preserved in the
town archives. 21 In addition to dealing with the usual academic expenses, Kys was in much
trouble because of some of his debts. He hoped that the town council would assist him in reehre,
unnd derer hilff unnd förderung biβher reichlich genossen, unnd hinfort auch zue genissen verhoffe[…]
16
so bitt ich E.E.W. […] mir ein gewisse summa jarlich zuesagen, nemlich 75 taler […].
17
so bitte ich E. E. W. gantz demüttig, sie wollen mir auff mein väterlich erbteil, so noch vonstunden funftzig
taler schicken.
18
den ich sonst alchier nicht weiss zue verbleiben ohne zerrung, sondern werde gezwungen, die studia zueverlassen
unnd heim zue ziehen […]
19
wolte lieber wunschen das ich Wittenberg nicht gesehen hette.
20
Ratt haben beschlossen die 50 fl . fürzustrecken.
21
AMK H I, no. 7312/21; no. 7312/19; no. 7467/20; no. 7467/21; no. 7467/22, no. 7598/17; and no. 7598/18.
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