The Church with the Truncated Tower

On the odd-number side of Piac Street around the Reformed Small Church, which is also called the Church with the Truncated Tower (Csonka templom), lies Révész Square, which was named after the famed Protestant ecclesiastical historian of the past century, Imre Révész.

Until the 18th century a simple wooden platform stood here as a place for worship. At first simply known as the ‘stage’, it was then called the ‘small church’ since the great church was the András Church. During the Rákóczi War of Independence it was de-consecrated by the occupying imperial forces and used as a stable. The fate of the wooden church was sealed in the fire of 1719. The new stone church, which was able to accommodate 1600 people, was started with donations from a Debrecen resident, András Szabó Báthory. In 1726 a brass globe was placed on top of the church. Unfortunately this building fell victim to fire as well, which seriously damaged it in 1727. It took four whole years to restore it. Its special, Copf plaited-style pulpit was made in 1790, and its organ was built by István Kiszely in the middle of the last century.

Originally there was an onion-shaped helm roof on top of the church but in 1907 the roof was damaged by a heavy storm. It was repaired, but later the wind brought down the whole tower-top. The architects, accepting the will of God, constructed a bastion-like tower without the helm roof. From that time it was also called the Church with the Truncated Tower. Several times plans were made to demolish the church, but thanks to Frigyes Schulek it still exists.

Forrás: www.debrecen.hu