The Evangelical Congregation in the Catholic Church
The history of the evangelical congregation in our town had a peculiar beginning. We can place the date around the year 1550. Even before that, there were signs that the Reformation was gaining ground.
According to Károly Chernel, there were people in the Jurisich family who were interested in the Reformation. Even earlier, a precursor wave of the Reformation arrived when a certain Anna Kőszegi was convicted for being a "Waldensian".
Luther’s writings soon reached the town. As a German-speaking city, people understood them—not only because they knew the language, but because they also grasped the message: “The Church needs reformation!” Thus, by the 1550s, the majority of the town identified as “Lutheran”.
In 1554, despite resistance, Pastor Mihály Álts peacefully handed over the keys of the St. Jacob’s Church to the Evangelicals. It is debated whether the two denominations held services in the same church or if the Catholics met elsewhere, such as in the “General House.” What is certain is that the Evangelical congregation held services in that ancient church—built at the end of the 1300s or early 1400s—for 117 years.
The Two Churches of the Evangelical Congregation
According to Chernel, along with the church, a school was also founded during the Reformation. At that time, the congregation had around 30 pastors—both German and Hungarian. The growing significance of the community is reflected in the fact that around 1615, the German part of the congregation built a new church—the present-day Emmerich Church—next to the old one. Thus, for half a century, the congregation had two churches.
The Evangelical Congregation Without a Church
In 1671, a bishop’s delegation returned St. Jacob’s Church to the Catholic Church. Even more painful was the loss in 1673 of the church built by the Evangelicals. Our congregation was left without a church! But the so-called “Counter-Reformation” brought even more difficult times. According to the 1681 decree of the National Assembly, Protestant worship services were only allowed in designated churches. In our region, there were four such churches: in Nemeskér, Nemescsó, Vadosfa, and Nemesdömölk. Our congregation had to travel to Nemescsó. People came from Inner Őrség and even from what is now Austria. This was inconvenient for the locals in Nemescsó, as roads and gardens became muddy. People often started walking already on Saturday to attend church on Sunday. A spiritual center was thus formed in the countryside. Field pastors like Mihály Achs and János Sartorits (who founded the Alumneum in Csó) served there. We know of one pastor (György Fridelius) who dared to return to Kőszeg—but was never seen again. The congregation lived this way for 100 years until the “Babylonian captivity” ended.
The Evangelical Congregation in the New Church
In October 1781, Emperor Joseph II issued the Patent of Toleration. People of other faiths were to be tolerated, allowed to hold public office, and to build a prayer house ("oratory") without a tower within a courtyard—if 100 families would finance it. When the decree was read out at the end of the year, it was met with enthusiasm. In Kőszeg, 352 families supported the construction; in Zsidány, 30 more. In June 1793, the cornerstone of the church was laid, and in November it was consecrated (though without altar or organ). Houses for the parish and the school were purchased in Gyöngyös Street. Only in the 18th century did the congregation in Kőszeg have its own buildings—first single-storey, later two-storey. These included apartments for pastors, space for the school, and accommodation for orphans. During this time, the youth and women’s associations were also founded. The idea of building a larger, new church also emerged. At the beginning of the 20th century, even the tower was built. But then the world wars came—and our old, beautiful church remained. "Thanks be to God!" say many.
László Keveházi
