Bethlen Almanac 2000 (Ligonier)

A pictorial history of the American Hungarian Reformed Churches

A Pictorial History of the American Hungarian Reformed Churches

The chances of storing historical documents permanently has been enhanced by the development of modem techniques and technologies, including the new digital storing methods and tools, such as CD-ROM and DVD. Thus the systematic study of the History of the Hungarian diaspora requires that a program be set up for establishing a database of the available historical sources (pictures, text, volumes of voices, and videos). It is our firm belief that with this new technology, we can disseminate information in the most efficient and rapid way to broad circles of society.

The existence of Hungarian communities is almost always linked directly to the existence of Hungarian churches. During the last 150 years many hundreds of churches were built by Hungarian immigrants in the United States. Many of them are now only reminders of the past. With the process of assimilation, the doors of many still functioning institutions may close in the near future. Their memory can be lastingly preserved on CD-ROM.

Among the historical documents, pictures play a most important role. We attach great importance to them when we take the churches into account. We begin our “Pictorial History” series with the compilation of “Hungarian Reformed Churches in the United States”. Their pictorial history will be a vivid testimony to the former Hungarian communities for centuries to come. The Bethlen Museum and Archives and the Hungarian Heritage Center in New Brunswick have entrusted Dr. Julianna Puskas and her workers with the responsibility of carrying out this project.

186