Wooden Church
Step through the Székely gate and marvel at the Reformed church rich in wooden Transylvanian architectural elements and motifs!
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A bit of history: In 1698, there was already a wooden church on this site, which was rebuilt and renovated several times before being demolished in 1938. A new wooden church in the Székely style was constructed based on the plans of Bálint Szeghalmy, the city's chief engineer. On 4 December 1997, the church fell victim to arson. Rebuilt through public donations according to the original plans, the church was consecrated on 2 May 1999. On 29 October 2000, the ashes of its designer, Bálint Szeghalmy, and his wife, brought back from Germany, were buried near the church. On the same day, the organ designed by Miklós Albert was inaugurated, completing the ensemble of ecclesiastical art. The western blade wall, southern gateway, and small gallery arches form the ancient Hungarian script letter 'S', symbolising the heavens. This aligns with the life tree flower pattern seen on the pew ends. The reconstruction of the western stained glass windows was carried out by glass designer Mária Horváth. The chalice, the hand holding the burning heart, and the Holy Spirit dove represent the Lord's Supper, a life dedicated to God, and the work of the Holy Spirit, according to Reformed symbols. The eastern stained glass windows, created by János Keve Kovács, depict elements of the Reformed Church's coat of arms: the lamb with the flag symbolises Christ, the burning sun disc represents Christ's glory, and the phoenix bird signifies resurrection and the Reformation. This latter symbol is also featured on the pulpit crown. The central relief on the communion table depicts a chalice, and its cover's frame originates from the 200-year-old oak gate of the Szentlászló church in southern Hungary. The interior carvings and sawed patterns of the church – including hearts, Székely stars, St. Andrew's crosses, and tulips – are exquisite examples of ancient Hungarian and Christian symbols. The symbolic imagery adorning the entire iconography of the Wooden Church expresses the meeting of life and death, where life triumphs through the power of Christ. The church's timber is 95% pine (red, Scots, and spruce). The building's knee-braced, twin-posted, suspended structure reflects the traditions of Székely master builders, revived here for the first time in the 20th century by the former designer, Bálint Szeghalmy. The church can be visited during worship services or by prior arrangement on weekdays between 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–15:00. Prior arrangement: Gábor Szabó +36 20 238 7844.
A bit of history:
In 1698, there was already a wooden church on this site, which was rebuilt and renovated several times before being demolished in 1938. A new Székely-style wooden church was constructed based on the plans of Bálint Szeghalmy, the city's chief engineer. On 4 December 1997, the church fell victim to arson. Rebuilt according to the original plans with public donations, the new church was consecrated on 2 May 1999. On 29 October 2000, the ashes of the designer Bálint Szeghalmy and his wife, brought back from Germany, were buried near the church. On the same day, the organ designed by Miklós Albert was inaugurated, completing the ensemble of ecclesiastical art.
The western blade wall, the southern gateway, and the small gallery's pointed arches form the ancient Hungarian runic letter "S," symbolising the heavens. This aligns with the central motif of the tree of life flower pattern seen on the pew ends. The reconstruction of the western stained glass windows was carried out by glass designer Mária Horváth, depicting the chalice, the hand holding a burning heart, and the Holy Spirit dove, which symbolise the Lord's Supper, a life dedicated to God, and the work of the Holy Spirit according to Reformed symbols. The eastern stained glass windows, created by Keve János Kovács, depict elements of the Reformed church's coat of arms: the lamb with the flag symbolises Christ, the burning sun disc represents Christ's glory, and the phoenix signifies resurrection and reformation. The latter symbol also appears on the pulpit crown. The central relief of the communion table features a chalice depiction, with its cover frame originating from the two-hundred-year-old oak gate of the South Slavic church in Szentlászló. The interior's sawn and carved patterns – the heart, the Székely star, the St. Andrew's cross, and the tulip – are exquisite examples of ancient Hungarian and Christian symbols. The entire iconography of the Wooden Church, adorned with symbolic representations, expresses the meeting of life and death, where life triumphs through the power of Christ.
The church's wood material is 95% pine (red, Scotch, and spruce). The building's knee-braced, twin-post suspended structure reflects the traditions of Székely master builders, revived here in the 20th century by the former designer, Bálint Szeghalmy.
The church can be visited during worship services or by prior arrangement on weekdays between 9:00 and 12:00, and 13:00 and 15:00.
Prior arrangement: Gábor Szabó +36 20 238 7844.
