Unitarians in Transylvania and Hungary. Records, 1852-1950.
Overview
This collection includes essays, stories and other documents concerning the Unitarian Church in Transylvania and Hungary. Photographs of clergymen, lay leaders, and churches are also included.
Dates
- Creation: 1852-1950
Access
There are no restrictions on access to this collection.
Extent
4 boxesThe collection is divided into three series. Series I consists of essays and stories written about the Unitarian Church in Transylvania arranged chronologically. Series II contains documents and writings of the Unitarian Church in Transylvania and Hungary, including papers relating to the question of religious freedom and correspondence with the League of Nations. Series III is comprised of photographs of Unitarian clergy and members and a collection of glass lantern slides with a list of descriptions written during the American Unitarian Commission visit to Transylvania in 1907.
Biographical / Historical
The Unitarian Church of Transylvania was first organized in 1568 under the Edict of Torda and led by former Calvinist bishop Francis David. The Church attracted significant opposition from other established religious groups in the region. After David’s imprisonment and death in 1579, the Unitarian Church in Transylvania entered a period of relative decline. It was not until the 1730s that the church was reorganized and strengthened by Mihály Lombard de Szentábrahám, the author of the church’s official declaration of faith. American and British Unitarians first became aware of the survival of the Unitarian Church in Transylvania in 1831. In 1899, the American Unitarian Association invited Bishop Jozsef Ferencz and the Transylvanian Unitarian Church to join the first International Association for Religious Freedom. Following the union of Transylvania with Romania at the end of World War I, Unitarian congregations were established in other parts of the country. The Transylvanian Unitarian Church is also a founding member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
- Series I. Essays and stories about the Unitarian Church in Transylvania
- Series II. Documents and writings of the Unitarian Church in Hungary and Transylvania
- Series III. Photographs and glass lantern slides
Acquisition Information
Gift of the American Unitarian Association, 1968.
Processing Information
Processed by Joseph Florez, 2012.
- Title
- Unitarians in Transylvania and Hungary. Records, 1852-1950: A Finding Aid.
- Author
- Andover-Harvard Theological Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- div00055
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University Repository
Special Collections at Harvard Divinity School Library preserves and makes accessible primary source materials documenting the history of religion and theology, with particular historical emphasis on American liberal religious traditions. Though the historical strengths of the collections have been in the field of Christianity, other religious traditions are increasingly reflected, in step with Harvard Divinity School's evolving focus on global religious studies. Known as Andover-Harvard Theological Library since 1911, it was renamed the Harvard Divinity School Library in 2021.
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