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but I have to ask: Why does a nice fallen-away Catholic/recovering Communist country like Hungary have a "Calvin Square"?  
by Matt in NYC on Sat Nov 4th, 2006 at 12:31:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hungary's theists are majority-catholic, but not catholic-only :-)

When Protestantism spread, it found fertile ground in different parts of what was left of the Kingdom of Hungary (this was after the Ottoman invasion). Chiefly in Transsylvania, which already had a history of widespread hereticism (bogumils, arianism), and then had many Calvinists, and then was actually the source of Unitarianism. there were more Lutherans in the Austrian-held Northern part (today Slovakia), but the Habsburg rulers' (often bloody) recatholisation efforts decreased Protestant numbers.

In today's Hungary, according to the last (2001) census, 55% called themselves Catholic, 15% Calvinist, 3% Lutheran (note though that for many this is only cultural identifier -- you had Catholic baptism, Catholic family --, not actual belief). Hungary's second-largest city Debrecen (incidentally, also Fidesz's strongest base), near the Romanian border, is their main centre.

I note one of my grandfathers was a Calvinist (who married a Catholic).

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Sat Nov 4th, 2006 at 02:11:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
As to why the square is called so: because of a relatively old (pre-flood-of-1838) church, which is just behind the photographer of the previous picture.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Sat Nov 4th, 2006 at 02:27:22 PM EST
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