Category:Hungary

• BACK TO THE COUNTRIES--INDEX

Hungary is a country in Central Europe.

• See Hungarian -/- Hungarian language -/- Hungarian Scholarship -- Hungarian Scholars -/- Hungarian Fiction -- Hungarian Authors

Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Hungary

The majority of Hungarians became Christian in the 11th century. With the Reformation, Lutheranism, then soon afterward Calvinism, spread among the population. Roman Catholicism effectively fought back and by the 17th century, Hungary was predominantly Catholic, with a significant Protestant minority and smaller Orthodox communities.

Groups of Muslims lived in Hungary already in the Middle Ages. From 1541 to 1699, most Hungary was under Ottoman rule and Islam flourished, although the majority of population remained Christian. The Hungarian reconquista left no room for a Muslim presence.

The presence of Jews in Hungary is attested since the Middle Ages. They experienced persecution and expulsion both under Christian and Muslim rule. Under Ottoman rule Hungarian Jews were exiled and sent to Constantinople (Istambul), Plevna (Pleven) and Sofia, where they maintained their separate community for several decades. It was only in the 19th century that conditions became more favorable and Hungary became home of one of the largest Jewish community in Europe (up to more than 800,000 Jews or 5-6% of the entire population). Until the Holocaust, Judaism was a very influential component of Hungarian culture and society (Budapest, which was 23% Jewish, built the largest synagogue in Europe).

Contemporary times

Today, the majority (around 50-55%) of Hungarian population is Roman Catholic (of Greek Catholics), with a strong Protestant minority (20%) and smaller communities of other Christian denominations.

After the Holocaust wiped out two-thirds of Hungarian Jews, people of Jewish descent are now estimated to be less than 100,000, with only 10,000-15,000 openly professing their religion.

The Muslim population has recently grown in Hungary as the result of immigration. Hungary is now the home of more than 20,000 Muslims

External links

• Wikipedia