Debreceni Református Nagytemplom
The Debreceni Református Nagytemplom ( German Reformed Large Church of Debrecen ) is one of the most famous buildings in the city of Debrecen . It is located in the center of the city between Kossuth tér and Calvin tér . It is considered a symbol of the Protestant faith in Hungary. In this context, Debrecen is also referred to as the Calvinist Rome . The church building is Hungary's largest reformed church in terms of surface area (1,500 square meters) and also houses the largest bell of a reformed church. It is the main church in the parish on the other side of the Tisza in the Reformed Church in Hungary .
history
On the site of today's church there was already a church in the 10th century, which, like the subsequent church buildings, was destroyed by fire. Between 1297 and 1311, the St. Andrew's Church was built in its place. That was a Gothic hall church . The 16 by 46 meter church burned down again in 1564. The townspeople, already professing Protestantism at the time, began to rebuild St. Andrew's Church in 1626. With the support of György Rákóczi , the building was completed in 1628. In 1640–42 an extraordinary tower was built in which a 60 hundredweight bell, which was cast from Austrian cannon balls, was hung. In 1707 the church was damaged by imperial troops during the struggle for independence. On June 11, 1802, the church burned down again in a conflagration.
Today's church building
The current building was built between 1805 and 1824 in the classical style . The construction of the new classical church began on April 8, 1805. The original plans come from Mihály Péchy , but they were changed several times before the church was completed. The original plan was for a church with a circular floor plan and a large dome next to the two towers, but this was discarded for economic reasons. The western tower was completed in 1818, the eastern one on August 6, 1821. Both towers are 61 meters high. The original plans also included a dome, but this was never realized. In 1823/24 the south facade was redesigned according to the plans of Károly Rábl . The tower helmets with clocks also have baroque style elements. The tower on the left can be climbed. It also houses the 50 hundredweight old Rákóczi bell, which was newly cast after the fire.
architecture
Architecture inside
The main nave of the church is 55 meters long and almost 15 meters wide. The transept is 38 meters long and 14 meters wide. As is customary in Reformed churches, the interior is designed in white. The interior is 21 meters high. The church offers seats for 3,000 believers, up to 5,000 in total.
Lajos Kossuth's armchair
Opposite the main entrance is the pulpit, the altar table and the Moses armchair, as well as the armchair in which Lajos Kossuth sat during the national assembly sessions in the Hungarian Revolution of 1849 . From this chair, Lajos Kossuth declared Hungary's independence from the Habsburg Empire on April 14, 1849. The armchair is still on display in the church today, continues to attract crowds of visitors and, together with the Kossuth statue in front of the main portal of the church, makes Debrecen a center of Hungarian Kossuth worship.
Organs
The church has two organs. One is located directly above the main entrance in the south of the church. This is a new, electronic organ with three manuals and 52 registers , built with resonance tubes , which the electronics engineer Péter Albert planned in 1981. The older classical organ is located opposite it behind the pulpit. It was built in 1838 by Jacob Deutschmann . This is a classical box organ with 3 manuals and 43 stops.
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 31 '54.8 " N , 21 ° 37' 26.2" E