Debrecen-The calvinist Rome
Debrecen with its almost 205 thousand inhabitants is the second largest city in Hungary, and the city 220 kilometres far from Budapest has a rich history more than 6 centuries long. It is not only the cultural and scientific centre of the region, but also a marvellous place of various festivals and cultural events. Moreover, Debrecen is the city of a flourishing bath culture and a distinctive health centre as well.
The mild climate characteristic of Hajdú-Bihar County reflects a usually dry summer and a rather cold winter compared to other parts of the country. The exact geographical parameters of the city are the following: it lies on northern latitude 47° 32’ 10” and eastern longitude 21° 38’ 40”, its area covers 462 square kilometres and the city is only 85 metres above sea level, which means that it is situated in a small basin, which also indicates the lack of various geographical forms and patterns.
The Protestant Great Church or Great Reformed Church (Hungarian: Nagytemplom) is probably the most best known building in the city of Debrecen. It stands in the city centre, between Kossuth square and Calvin square. It is the symbol of the Protestant Church in Hungary, and it is because of this church that Debrecen is sometimes referred to as "the Calvinist Rome". With a ground space of 1500 m² it is the largest Protestant church in Hungary. It also has the largest bell of all Hungarian Protestant churches. The Great Church was built between 1805 and 1824 in neoclassical style.The main nave of the church is 55 m long and nearly 15 m wide, the transept is 38 m long and more than 14 m wide. Similar to other Protestant churches, the inside walls are painted white. The interior is 21 meters high. The church accommodates about 5000 people (with 3000 seats).
The Great Church also has historical significance: during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 Lajos Kossuth made the Hungarian Declaration of Independence here on April 14, 1848, and was elected governor of the country here. The armchair in which he sat can be viewed in the church.
The church has two organs, one of them is in the southern part, above the main entrance. This is a new, electronic organ with resonance pipes, three manuals and 52 registers, built by Péter Albert in 1981. The older, Classical organ is behind the pulpit. It was built in 1838 by Jakob Deutschmann. It is a cabinet organ with 3 manuals and 43 registers.
