"John Calvin (1509-1564), a decisive figure of the 16th century religious revival of Europe, was born 500 years ago. By organizing the city state of Geneva, he set a still valid example of capitalist, economic, cultural and urban development; his ideas deeply influenced the growth of scientific thinking, among other things.Hungarian students studying at German universities, tradesmen in business contact with these towns, and the printed books imported Calvin’s thoughts to Hungary. The most effective disseminators of the Reformation were the itinerant preachers trained abroad, but they could not have pursued their work without some supportive aristocrats or receptive towns, market town or village communities.
The exhibition presents the culture and religious life of various social layers of the Calvinist populace along the Danube, as well as the important influence that Calvinists along the Danube have exerted upon Hungarian culture, literature, arts and science over the past five centuries.
In addition to the ecclesiastic art and material culture of the Calvinists, this also encompasses the achievements of writers, artists, scholars such as Mihály Sztárai, István Szegedi Kis, Albert Szenczi Molnár, János Arany, Mór Jókai, Lajos Fülep and Klára Tüdős who played a great role in both the Protestant public life and the Hungarian society in general. The framework for all this is the theological-historical background of the Calvinist congregations along the Danube.
Through the example of three towns (Kecskemét, Cegléd, Nagykőrös) the way of life and material culture of the burghers of market towns are shown, also to illustrate the manifold interplay between elite and popular culture. Another unit of the exhibition is devoted to the peasant culture of the Ormánság which has preserved some archaic ethnographic and religious traits.
The exhibition also reconstructs the process how Pest-Buda, and later Budapest became gradually a centre of Calvinism after the edict of religious tolerance, and how the congregations once consisting of serfs and nobles came to be the church of the middle class and the working strata. The multiple cultural and social services rendered by the Reformed Church for hundreds of years were consummated in the 20th century.
The exhibition concentrates on the material culture of the Calvinists, on their art collection and the works by Calvinist artists, and church construction is also touched upon. Such outstanding art works as copies of János Sylvester’s New Testament, Cranach paintings from the Ráday family’s collection, portraits by Ádám Mányoki, paintings by Miklós Barabás and István Csók and pieces of goldsmith’s art ranging from Kecskemét metalwork to masterpieces by József Szentpéteri of Europe-wide renown are put on display.
After the great Calvinist exhibition in 1934 also conjured up by some of its finest exhibits, this exhibition makes the next major attempt to appropriately acquaint the wider public with the historical role and cultural legacy of the Calvinists along the Danube."
Name of location: Budapest History Museum
Address of location: 1014 Budapest, I. kerület, Szt. György tér 2., Buda Castle Building E
Organiser´s tel.: 1/487-8800
Source: Hungarystartshere.com
08.02.2010