Hungarian days in Wittenberg the week of August 21 is a program jointly organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary and the Reformation Memorial Committee. As a token of gratitude for lending the Last Will and Testament of Luther to the world exhibition, Dr Stefan Rhein, Head of the Luther Foundation in Wittenberg and Stephan Dorgerloh, former Minister for Culture of Saxony-Anhalt offered the opportunity for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary and the Reformation Memorial Committee to hold Hungarian days in Wittenberg, at the location of the great events related to the Reformation, in the middle of the jubilee year.

The program of the long weekend lasting from Thursday to Sunday includes, among others, the organization of a theological conference, the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the “Hungarian Luther”, Mátyás Dévai Bíró, the organ concert of László Fassang in the City Church of Wittenberg, and state and church receptions; the program is furthermore linked to the programs of the world exhibition organized by the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche Deutschland). The aim of the Hungarian days in Wittenberg is to look back on the origin, 500-year-long history, and social impact of the Hungarian evangelicalism, as well as on the topical cultural, public, and political results achieved by the Reformation Memorial Committee. Bishop Dr. Károly Fekete from Debrecen, Vice-President of the Synod of RCH, and Bishop László Fazekas from the Evangelical Reformed Church in Slovakia will be in attendance.

Zoltán Balog, Hungary’s Minister of Human Resources, and Péter Gáncs, Bishop and head of the Hungarian Evangelical Church, will open the four-day event on Thursday. On the opening night, Gergely Prőhle, the Hungarian Evangelical Church’s national supervisor, will give a lecture entitled “What does Luther’s last will and testament mean to us today?” On Friday, a theological conference will be held, and, in the evening, Liszt Ferenc prize-winning organist László Fassang will give a concert in the town’s main church.

Other events include a Hungarian state reception on Saturday evening with the participation of Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt Province; László Trócsányi, Minister of Justice; and Heinrich Bedform-Strom, President of the German Protestant Church.

In Hungary, close to 400 programs are being held in 2017 to mark the 500th anniversary of Reformation in Europe. According to the 2011 census, 13.8% of Hungarians are Protestants (11.6% Calvinists, 2.2% Lutherans). The Reformed Church is the second largest church in Hungary with 1,622,000 adherents and 600,000 active members.

Article via hungarytoday.hu, Hungarian News Agency (MTI), and dailynewshungary.hu

Edited by Kearstin Bailey