Reformed Churches

The various Reformed churches of Hungary—though differing in architectural style—share one defining feature: all were built after Emperor Joseph II’s Edict of Toleration (1781). This decree restored Protestants’ right to hold public office, granted freedom of religion, and once again permitted the construction of Protestant churches. In our latest selection, we invite you to explore some of the most beautiful Reformed churches in Hungary.

The history of Budapest’s Reformed churches is closely intertwined with that of the capital itself, as in many cases the city provided the plots on which the churches were later erected. Perhaps the most famous is the one at Kálvin Square, although the oldest stands in Óbuda.

From Kálvin Square to the Fasor

In 1796, the Reformed Ecclesia of Pest declared its intention to build its own church. The first proposed site was outside the Váci Gate, but since the city of Pest planned to erect a permanent theatre there, the location of the old Turkish cemetery beyond the Kecskemét Gate was offered instead. The foundation stone was laid in 1816, and the construction was overseen (or perhaps inspected—accounts differ) by Vince Hild for an annual salary of 400 forints.

The church was consecrated in 1830, but it soon became evident that its acoustics were poor. The congregation therefore commissioned the noted architect József Hild—Vince Hild’s nephew—to improve the sound by adding two side galleries. Hild solved the problem ingeniously with a soundboard above the pulpit.
The Great Flood of Pest in 1838 did not spare the church either: it offered shelter to many people regardless of denomination, yet suffered serious damage, including the collapse of its crypts. The current entrance, featuring a portico supported by four Corinthian columns, was designed by József Hild in 1848 after the flood.
Beyond its elegant exterior, the church’s organ is also remarkable. Though organs were not always typical in Reformed churches—where communal singing traditionally provided the only melody—the original instrument was crafted by the Viennese firm Deutschmann and later restored in 1891 by the renowned Angster company of Pécs.

The church at Szilágyi Dezső Square (formerly Fazekas Square), built of red brick, is one of the iconic sights along the Danube. Its architect, Samu Pecz, also designed the Central Market Hall and the Central Library of the Technical University. Pecz entered the design competition under the motto “Pentagon” and won. Interestingly, even the church furnishings were made according to his plans. Construction began in 1892, and the building was consecrated on Palm Sunday in March 1896. The roof is adorned with brown, yellow, and green Zsolnay tiles. This centrally planned church, with its 62-meter tower, has become a distinctive landmark on the riverbank. Within its walls were celebrated the marriages of Endre Ady and István Horthy.

The Reformed community of Budapest’s 6th and 7th districts held a meeting as early as 1902 to discuss the construction of their own church, as the rented hall at 20 Rózsa Street had grown too small. On April 1, 1903, the first public donation lists were issued with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior. The largest single contribution—300,000 crowns—arrived anonymously in spring 1908 from the silversmith Adolf Laky. A design competition was announced on April 15, 1909, but it turned out the designated plot was too small. After lengthy negotiations, the city agreed to provide financial aid instead of land, contributing 200,000 crowns toward the project. With this help, the Reformed Church purchased the current plot on the southeastern side of Városligeti Fasor for 265,000 crowns.

The architect Aladár Árkay was commissioned to design the church. Born the son of the master craftsman Sándor Árkay—who created the wrought-iron decorations of the New York Palace and the Nyugati Railway Station—Árkay built the church over two years, and it was consecrated in 1913. Its distinctive façade is adorned with majolica tiles inspired by Hungarian folk art, produced by the Zsolnay factory of Pécs. The Art Nouveau complex, now a protected monument, has undergone several renovations—the interior was restored in 1981.

From Debrecen to Szeged

By the mid-16th century, nearly all of Debrecen’s population had embraced Protestantism, earning the city the nickname “the Calvinist Rome.” At the end of the main street, Piac utca, stands the Great Reformed Church, whose silhouette still serves as a compass point in the cityscape. Its present neoclassical form is the work of architect Mihály Péchy; construction began in 1805 and was completed in 1827. Covering the largest floor area of any Reformed church in Hungary, it can accommodate nearly 2,000 worshippers. It also holds immense cultural and historical significance: here Lajos Kossuth proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, making it one of the nation’s most important historic monuments.

In Szolnok, the first Reformed church opened in 1894; until then, the congregation worshipped in a small prayer house.
The foundation stone was laid in 1893 on a plot donated by the city in the 1880s. Designed by architect Ottó Sztehlo (1851–1923) and constructed by Lajos Kocsis of Arad, the 28-meter-high, pentagonal, neo-Gothic structure was consecrated in December 1894. With its red brick façade and fortress-like form, the church gives the impression of a small castle to the untrained eye.

In Hungary, Frigyes Schulek was the first architect to seek a new and distinctive architectural vocabulary for Calvinist churches. His Reformed Church of Kálvin Square in Szeged, built in 1884, displays the characteristics of North German Gothic and is considered one of his finest works. Its construction exemplified the spirit of unity that defined the city’s reconstruction after the Great Flood. The site was chosen thanks to the intervention of Lajos Tisza, the royal commissioner; the city granted the land to the church free of charge. The low-lying terrain was filled at the expense of Guilbrandt Gregersen, a Norwegian construction entrepreneur. Opposite the church stands the Reformed Palace, an eclectic-Art Nouveau building designed by Ede Magyar in 1911.

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translated by László Gönczi

Sources :

Dr. Judith Koós: Reformed Churches in Budapest. Bíró Family, 1996.

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