The Dual Foundation of the Rittberg (Végvár/Tormac) Reformed Parish in 1786 and 1794

15 December 2018


Authors
Ádám Hegyi
Abstract

Protestant settlers could settle in the Banat under organised conditions only after 1781. Reformed settlers spoke German or Hungarian as their mother tongue. The parish of Rittberg was first founded by people whose native language was German, but the establishment of this settlement was unsuccessful and the congregation was dissolved a couple of years later. Afterwards, Hungarian Calvinists settled in the village in 1794, and managed to organise a parish that is still active. However, the establishment of the new parish was not without problems, because its financial status was quite instable. In addition, compared to older congregations, the practice of religious life showed signs of looser discipline.

Keywords
foundation of parishes, settlers, Calvinist religious life, the Reformed Church, the Banat, church administration.