Interesting facts about the exciting history of the Reformed Small Church

The oldest church building in Debrecen, the Reformed Small Church of Debrecen, stands modestly between the colourful merchants’ houses and imposing palaces of Piac Street, but its history is all the more exciting. 

Here are some interesting facts about the Small Reformed Church, known locally as the “Trunken” Church.

• According to some sources, the Small Reformed Church stands on the site where the ancestors of Debrecen built the chapel of St. Elizabeth in the Middle Ages. It was one of the two chapels that existed next to the church of St. Andrew, which now occupies the site of the Great Church. The two chapels were deemed unnecessary by the Reformation and were demolished.

• In the 17th century, a building for worship already stood on the site of the present church, which was sometimes called “colour”, sometimes “small church”, sometimes “new church“. This church is thought to have been made of wood only, without a tower or bell tower, and was probably originally a place where guilds sold their wares.

• Habsburg imperial troops that ravaged Debrecen desecrated the church several times. In 1705 and 1706, imperial soldiers defiled the interior, smashed the pulpit, set fire to the pews and fences, stole the baptismal fonts and tied horses to the building. Soon after it was restored, but in 1719, a fire completely destroyed the church in the town. The new stone church, with a seating capacity of 1600, was begun to be built with a Debrecen citizen donation.

• The rebuilding of the church after the fire began almost immediately, and in 1721 services were held in it, although the work continued for several years. The tower was completed in 1725, the year in which the two new bells were installed in the shingle-roofed tower and the clock mechanism was installed. The brass knob of the new tower was installed in 1726. This was the time when the onion-shaped tower helmet was created.

• The church has suffered several natural disasters. After 1719, it was destroyed by fire in 1727, and after its restoration, it was shaken by an earthquake in 1792. Fortunately, no major damage was caused, but the church was in a state of constant deterioration over the following decades, requiring constant renovation. The next blow came on 19 April 1907, when a violent windstorm tore off part of the tin roof of the tower. The roof of the tower was repaired, but later the wind blew it down in its entirety. The architects, ‘in God’s will’, rebuilt the tower without a dome. Since then, the locals have called it the ‘truncated’ church. The church was damaged in World War II and was restored in several stages in the decades after the war.

• In the early 19th century, the church faced numerous challenges, including a cluttered surrounding area, a dark nave, a deteriorating exterior, and a fence that impeded traffic. Discussions about church renovations led to renowned architects like Pollack, Ybl, and Szkalnitzky submitting proposals. However, due to insufficient funding, the original structure and tower were preserved and the church received only a new roof and aesthetic alterations reflecting romantic stylistic features.

• A significant event in the history of the Church took place within the walls of the Church on the 11th of January 1860, when the Reformed Church District of Tiszántúl held its famous general assembly here, where they protested against the imperial command that confiscated the freedom of Hungarian Protestants. For the first time since the War of Independence, the imperial power was forced to back down. According to tradition, the imperial commissioner stood before the assembly and declared: “I forbid the assembly in the name of the king!”, to which Péter Balogh, the city’s bishop, replied with complete calmness: “And I open it in the name of God!”.

• The church, renovated in the 19th century, received a unique 46-voice 3-manual organ, which was restored in 2016, and inaugurated in October 2019 by several renowned organists.The church also features a rococo choir loft and tasseled pulpit which are also worth a visit.

• The Church is located on Révész Square, named after the famous Reformed church historian Imre Révész. The square was formed during the renovation of the church in the 19th century, when the church fence was demolished and the land on the north side was given to the council to widen the street frontage (Széchenyi Street). The bricks received for the land were used to build a bazaar on the west and south sides, the proceeds of which were intended to cover the cost of the new church to be built. The row of shops still stands today.

• The bell-tower, which evokes the atmosphere of medieval castles, has several centuries-old wooden staircases, and along the way visitors can see some period paintings and photos of the church, which originally had a domed spire, the period staple room with its period furnishings, and the clockwork, which was made in 1931 and has been preserved in its original state. Visitors can also enjoy the magnificent view from the top of the tower!

The church hosts many interesting programmes, please visit this page for more information.

Source and photo credit: visitdebrecen.com, wikipedia.org