Egyháztörténeti Szemle 15. (2014)
2014 / 4. szám - SUMMARIES IN ENGLISH - Rajki Zoltán: Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Hungarian State Authorities between 1945 and 1989
112 Egyháztörténeti Szemle XV/4 (2014) broadcasting in an area the lack of information, what is full in a measure rings it, that the Felesik circumference’s rural dean, Potyó Ferenc did not attest too big interest the ensued for changes, nothing which can be documented made a revolutionary activity. The rural dean’s indifference did not characterize the circumference’s full priesthood, only it made very difficult the revolutionary taking a role. Can be emphasized since, that on the beginning of the revolution active inspiring activity is noticeable which can be revealed in the area, on the other hand because of the Archdeacon’s indifference under an informational blockade the priesthood from Felesik missed the diocesan synodical works already, the war of independence was not able to occur uniformly on his beginning, so the Austrian counterrevolutionary effect was stronger here in Felesik. Like this only the Russian intervention age the priests may have attested his commitment unambiguously beside the case of the revolution, when they obey the direct decrees excluding the Archdeacon broadcasting. The revolutionary government asked the adjacent rural dean for the deduction of the circumference’s assembly counting on the help of the Archdeacons advocating the war of independence at the time of the Russian burglary. The priests confronted it on this assembly that their Archdeacon did not send on the earlier circulars. Into the war of independence the participation of the area’s priesthood - despite the Archdeacon indifference — is after all considerable, since the bigger part of the priesthood serving in the area after the driving in of the revolution and a war of independence the Austrian retribution was seriously affected. Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Hungarian state authorities between 1945 and 1989 Rajki, Zoltán The political changes at the turn of 1944-45 were promising for small churches in Hungary, being in an unfavourable legal situation at the time. Thus, the previously (1939) banned small churches (including Jehovah’s Witnesses as well) were granted free operation from July 31,1945 on. Thus their members who had been incarcerated in prisons and internment camps regained their freedom in the spring of 1945. What’s more, leaders of the organisation gathered their followers, who had been scattered during the war, into congregations. To settle their legal situation, they founded Jehovah’s Witnesses Association of Hungary on July 28,1946. Jehovah’s Witnesses were the most significant illegally operating religious entity. Firstly, local authorities banned their gatherings in several towns, on the pretence of various administrative reasons. On November 13, 1950, their property on Gvadányi street, serving as a branch office was collectivised by the state. More arrests took place and several of them spent years in prison. Jehovah’s Witnesses were prohibited in 1952 and leaders of unauthorised gatherings were taken to internment. Furthermore, authorities banned the distribution of the Witnesses’ several publications and ordered the confiscation and destruction of still extant copies.
