Church of St. Nicholas, Szeged

History of the Serbs in Hungary

Before the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, Slav nations were living in the territory of Pannonia. In the Middle Ages, Hungarians called the South Slavs that lived on the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom "rác", which is derived from a Serbian region called Rascia/Raska. However, there is no evidence that they were the ancestors of the Serbs. At the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Serbia was defeated and occupied by the Ottoman Empire, (Turkey), for about 500 years. After that, Serbians started leaving their homeland and migrating to Hungary. After the Battle of Mohács, Hungary also lost 1/3 of its territories, and its capital, Buda was occupied by the Turkish army for 150 years. During this period the Great Hungarian Plain became a wilderness as the population fled from the Turkish army. After Hungary was freed from Ottoman rule in the 17th century, the Hungarian and Austrian king, Leopold I resettled large groups of various nations on the desolated Hungarian territories, which was in demographically disastrous condition. Serbians were rewarded with reedom of religion and did not have to pay taxes if they settled down in Hungary and protected the southern borders of the country. The Great Migrations of Serbs in the 17th century also involved thousands of Serbs led by Arsenije III Čarnojević (Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs) who left Medieval Serbia and moved to Hungary. At this time Serbs reached Buda, Pest, Pomáz, Lórév (the centre of the Serbian Orthodoxy's influence in Hungary), Szentendre (where they built 7 new Serbian churches) Dunaföldvár, Pécs, Villány, Mohács, Baja, and Szeged. They also built churches in Szőreg, Deszk, Újszentiván, Hódmezővásárhely, Magyarcsanád and Battonya. Over fifty additional Serbian churches were built in this period. After the flourishing Serbian history in Hungary in the eighteenth century, a large number of Serbs returned to Serbia and Kosovo, their homeland, which had been freed from its Ottoman occupation. In 1769 there were 181 Serbian households, with a population of 1417, for 1905 only 526 Serbs remained. The end of the World War I thanks to the population exchangement between Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, today only few assimilated Serbs remained in the city. The assimilation meant that most Serbs who remained in Hungary slowly forgot their language, and religion over generations, and eventually their Serbian heritage was only reflected in their names and some loanwords they still use.

A short history of the Serbs and their churches in Szeged

The Serbs moved to Szeged mostly in the centuries after the Battle of Kosovo. The Palánk, a part of Szeged, where moslty Rascians lived developed very fast during the period. A document from 1737 shows that Germans called this territory Raitzenstadt. After the restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (1557) Szeged became the county town of the metropolitanate of Bačka. At this time we surely know that a wooden Serbian church existed in the city which was built at the beginning of the 16th century within the territory of the castle. There is little information about this church. When the Turkish army was expelled from this territory, the church was destroyed by fire.
After the liberation of Szeged (1686), Serbs moved to this region in greater numbers. In Szeged they mostly lived in the Palánk and in the Upper town area. A draft of Csongrád county from 1720 shows that out of 404 buildings 40 was in Serbian possession. The second Serbian Orthodox church dedicated to Bishop Saint Nicholas, the “Wonder Worker” was already built from stone in the Palánk. It existed from 1690 till 1715 and was only demolished because of the castle rebuilding.
The third orthodox church, a little one, built in 1725 was at the location of the contemporary church. This church was built before the rise of the Serb middle class. Thanks to the industry and trade the city of Szeged developed very fast and some Rascian families became so wealthy, they could donate money to build their churches and buy icons from different parts of the world.
The fourth church, dedicated to Saint archangel Gabriel and Michael, stood in the Upper town. The church’s deed of foundation is from 1727, but is more than likely that it was built during the Turkish occupation or after the liberation of Szeged. There are reasons to believe that this church was built by Greeks. Its nickname was "small church" (it was 17 meters long, with a width of 6 meters and a height of 4 meters) and was not attended only by Greeks but also by Serbs. The church was in use until 1848. In the last decades of its usage the priests of the Saint Nicholas Church served as the parochial. Then the members of this community left this church and joined the Saint Nicholas temple, which is also in use today. In the big flood of 1879 the fourth church was so heavily damaged, that it was destroyed very soon.
The contemporary, fifth, church, the St. Nicholas Church was built around the third Serbian church, behind the Votive Church at the Dóm Square. The Serbian population was large in the 18th century and some wealthier wallahs donated a large amount of money for building it. The Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church is the most beautiful memory of the Serbian history of Szeged with its detailed iconostasis, rich icon-collection, and other sacral and religious objects.

The history of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church

The contemporary church got its name from a very popular orthodox saint, the bishop of Myra. The bishop of Myra is the patron of the wallahs, which was the occupation of most Serbs in Hungary. The building was designed by Jovan Dobić and was built at a fast pace. Two German masters from Pest, a tinsmith and a carpenter built the tower, while a third painter from Buda, Mihailo Sokolović decorated it with gold and paintings.

In 1775 the bishop of Novi Sad, Szeged and Eger, Arsenije Radojević, sent his blessings to the church but it is not known exactly when they got a permission to build it. Soon after the blessing the builders were permitted to prepare the bricks, showing that they must have received an official permission for building.

The base of the church was consecrated on the 11th July 1778. The lead tablet recording this event was built into the basement of church with a paper copy reserved in the church history archive. The church nave was under roof in 1780 and the tower was finished in 1781. During building the tower another lead plaque was built into the church, also with a copy for the church history archive. The five new bells were consecrated in 1781. The interiors were finished a bit later, bishop Jovan Jovanović only sanctified the church in 1805. The calciferous stone document recording this can be seen at the bottom of the upper circle in line with the back gate. The inner part of the church is decorated with a great number of icons from different parts of the world, as well as sacred books, which were donated by the members of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Szeged around that time.

The iconostasis

The iconostasis is the most beautiful and ornamental part of the church. The iconostasis divides the altar from the nave as according to the rules of the Church women cannot enter the altar areas.

The rococo, richly decorated, intricate, golden wall is consisting of seventy-four icons. The upper part was made by unknown masters. Its lower part was made for the previous, third church where it was taken to the contemporary, fifth church. This lower part of the iconostasis, except for the immolate (or offering)-icons, was made by Jovan Popović, a Serbian baroque artist, a follower of the Russian-Ukrainian school. This is written down in a contract from the 7th of June 1761. The year 1761 can also be seen written upon the Temptation of Jesus Christ icon.

There are some doors on the wall. The two side doors are called the deacon’s doors, for those, who help in the liturgy. On the left (or northern) deacon’s door Moses, the writer of the first five books of the Old Testament can be seen, on the right (or southern) side his brother, it is Aaron, who was a prelate, a preacher. Above Moses there is Melchizedek's sacrifice depicted. Above Aaron, Abraham's sacrifice can be seen.

At the center there is the King's door, used by the priests, as only they can stand in front of the altar, and no layman. There are six icons on the door. At the top of Saint Gabriel the Archangel can be seen with a lily in his hands, next to Virgin Mary. This is the depiction of the annunciation, Gabriel informing Mary that she would give birth to and become the mother of Jesus.

Below there are the four evangelists, namely Matthew with the angel, John with the hawk, Luke with the bull and Mark with the lion. A snake, which symbolizes the bronze snake from the Bible, is climbing upwards on the door. After Moses and his nation left Egypt they were wandering in the desert searching for a new homeland. Many at that time abandoned their faith, to be punished by God with venomous snakes. Most people died from the snakebites, but those who looked upon the bronze snake which was hanging from a tree were healed. The snake is therefore the symbol of reverting to one’s belief in God.

Above the door an eye in a triangle observes the spectator, the eye of God that sees everything and everybody.

South (or right) from the King's door there is the icon of Jesus Christ and north (or left) from the door one with Virgin Mary and little Jesus. Next to the icons there are angelic heads coming out from the sky.

Next to the King’ s Door there are four larger icons, usually referred to as the throne icons. Next to the icon of Jesus Christ there is John the Baptist and next to Virgin Mary’s icon Saint Nicholas, the patron of the church, is situated. It is usual for these four throne icons to be the most decorated icons in orthodox churches. In front of them, there are four lanterns hanging that are from the mountains of Athos and from Russia, decorated with the crucified Jesus Christ, Saint George and detailed plant motifs. The Last Supper is above the King's Door. At the bottom, between the throne icons there are two smaller religious icons placed, the Flight into Egypt is between Saint Nicholas and Virgin Mary, and the Temptation of Christ is between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. The holiday icons, one larger with eight smaller icons around are above the throne icons. The Transfiguration of Jesus is on the north (left) side, around it, if going round counterclockwise, the Epiphany, Palm Sunday (Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem), the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Annunciation, the birth of John the Baptist, the Circumcision of Christ, the Dormition of the Mother of God, and Presentation of Mary at the temple are presented. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is depicted on the icon on the south (right) side, around them, (if going round counterclockwise) the birth of Christ, the beheading of John the Baptist, the The protection of Virgin Mary, the stoning of Saint Stephen, the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, the Pentecost and the Visitation can be seen.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit illustrated as a dove, were painted below the red frame. The four characters in red and blue around them are the Evangelists. On the other icons the Apostles and the Church fathers are painted. In the Lunette above the red stave there is the crucified Jesus. On the left, at his feet Virgin Mary, and John, the Apostle can be seen. The rest of the icons depict the prophets from the Old Testament, and at the top of the wall the Last Judgment was painted. The church was damaged during the great flood of 1879. In 1881 the church was renovated, and the iconostasis was unfortunately unprofessionally restored.

The Creation of the World

The church was heavily damaged in the great flood in 1879. It was being renovated between 1880-1881.

During the 1881 renovation the not really well-known Slovak master, Jan Hodina painted a fresco on the ceiling depicting The Creation of the World. The starry sky shows us how God created the light and the sky, and how the Earth is emerging. At the bottom of the globe the painter indicated his name, Hodina J. and year 1881.

The church divided into three parts

The church is divided into three parts. The altar is behind the iconostasis, which is not only a border of the terrestrial, but is also a door to the heaven. From the iconoclastic till the so-called King's gate, which is in the last third of the church, is situated the naos or the "Man church". Behind this gate is the pronaos or "Woman church". God's altar table is in the center of the altar, on which is a red veiled Gospel Book, on it a cross. A metallic and a gilded wooden crucified Jesus cross was also put on the table with a sanctuary lamp, and 2 silvered candlesticks. There is a little offset behind the altar table, where the throne of the bishop is. Above that a crucified Jesus painting is, where Virgin Mary and John the Apostole are at his legs and are praying for God's son. Next to this a Virgin Mary icon is, who is painted with the little Jesus, on the other side we can see again a Jesus icon. Under the window on the center again a crucified Jesus wood-print was put. On the two sides an icon from the coronation of Virgin Mary was put and an icon from the Three Holy Hierarchs is hanging, with Basil of Caesarea, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus. The preparation table is on the left side.

Upside, a dove is painted in a triangle (referring to the trinity) covered with clouds which is the holy spirit. Walking out the altar we find ourselves in front of the iconoclastic on the soleas which is raised with a stair. On the two sides the cantor chairs are, decorated with plant motives.

At the left cantor chair in its side an icon from Saint Nichoas and Saint George was put. In front of the cantor chairs wooden, richly decorated candlesticks are. Two thrones are in front of the soleas, the left one is for the bishop. If the Serb bishop of Buda visits the church (as a tradition he comes to Szeged at the orthodox New Year, at the 13th or 14 January), this is the place of him. Or if the Serbian Patriarch visits Szeged, this is the place for him. The other throne is for Virgin Mary, in front of her picture interesting silvery things are hanging, which are the votives symbolizing the requests and thanks of the prayers. The ear and the leg are connected to the related sicknesses and were put in front of the icon for the convalescence, the heart can symbolize the love.

In front of the thrones on the two icon-holding stands a Jesus Christ (this icon is changed depending what kind of holiday or panegyric is) and a 3-handed Virgin Mary icon were put, this last's interesting is that the third, silvery cut hand seen downside symbolizes the hand of John of Damascus, who opposed to the iconoclasm and persecution of Christians, because of this his hand was cut down, but thanks to the praying to God and Virgin Mary he got back his hand, which was a great miracle. In the center of the Men church a strange wooden snaky table was put with a Saint Nicholas icon. It is also referring on the bronze snake, which was previously seen on the King's door. These three icons, according to the tradition are kissed by the orthodox believers, when they enter and leave the church. In front of the table with the Saint Nicholas icon the rotundious amvon is (Greek word which means pulpit, hustings), from where the priests were reading the Gospel in the older times and were preaching. Two huge stellars, donated by a wealthy Serbian, Lefter family in 1850, are giving the lights in the Man church, which are from Venice, Murano. The older and the sick people were sitting in the chairs in the older time ("elbowing" chairs), later they could be bought, so the name-plates are referring to their "renters". Icons from different parts of the world are on the marble-patterned walls in front of the chairs. A white-clothed Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian schools, icon is right from the bishop's throne as he is propagating the Gospel. History tells us, that the descendant of the Nemanjić dynasty went to the mountains of Athos, which is today in Greece (some old monasteries are there), where he founded the monastery of Hilandar in 1198 and later when he returned to his homeland brought the orthodoxy, and attached the Serbs to the eastern Christianity. Under his icon, the patron of the church, Saint Nicholas is situated, left from him in the little icon John Chrysostom is, former archbishop of Constantinople, preacher, public speaker, ecclesiastical writer, hierarch, the liturgy under his name is also in use today (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), on the right side Gregory of Nazianzus can be seen, who was also an archbishop of Constantinople, theologician. Downmost a Ukrainian cross can be seen, which is strange because Jesus Christ was portrayed willowy, with very long legs, body and hands. It is also curious to mention, that on this orthodox cross Jesus is retiring his legs on a lower horizontal part, which is a kind of scale. Right from this cross the icon of Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans (or Sveta Petka) was put, who in the western, catholic church is not existing, donated her whole life to the Christianity, popularized it and lived in a very poor condition and died very young. Right from these icons, in front of the side gate, a martyr, Demetrius of Thessaloniki can be seen, who is the patron of the soldiers, citizens and shepherds. He was killed, because he helped a gladiator to become Christian in the catacombs, who killed the Roman emperor's best warrior. Right from this icon 7 "pictures" can be seen, among them is the oldest one. The 400 year-old, Russian originated icon on the right side was very likely made by a follower of the well-known Russian master Andrei Rublev and shows us the face of Jesus Christ. The Holy Mandylion or Veronica's shroud tells us the story of the death of Jesus Christ. Before he was crucified on the Golgotha, towards there a woman called Veronica wiped his sweltering face, and the imprint of Jesus’ face remained in that shroud. It is told, that this kind of pictures are not made by humans. The coronation of Virgin Mary by the Trinity is under this icon, which symbolizes the rewarding of the mother of Jesus in heaven because of her vicissitudes on the Earth. John the Baptist is left from these pictures at the top of the wall, who baptized Jesus at the Jordan River. He was beheaded, and held his own head in a tray. The crucified Jesus Christ is under this picture, at his legs Virgin Mary and John the apostle are standing. Under this the Feast of the Cross can be seen. The stoning of Saint Stephen by the Jews in A. D. 34 is left from this picture, who was the first Christian martyr. His unsuccessful attempt to evangelize the Jews was honored by killing him. Above this picture Saint George is, a military saint, who on the overleaf is portrayed as he is killing that dragon, which symbolizes his war against the pagans.

Above and next to this icons the Trinity and The coronation of Virgin Mary are. The crucified Jesus on a cross and the coronation of a medieval Serbian king, Stefan Dečanski are on the left side. This emperor got his name from a monastery which he founded in Dečani, Kosovo, which is still existing and working. Right from these icons, under the glazed display, in front of the side gate, a lot of old religious books together with different objects from the liturgy ceremony are exhibited. Two gospel books, a Liturgikon (Book of divine services) from 1702 from Lvov, Homilies of St. Gregory Theologian from 1656 from Moscow, a silver candlestick, a silver vessel for Holy water from the XVIII. century, an aer (lerge veil) from the same century and the foundation plaque of the Szeged Upper-city church from lead were reserved. Nine other icons are between this display and the throne of Virgin Mary. Under the biggest one, The creation of the world, these icons were put: three Jesus Christ, two Ignatius of Antioch, one Simeon Stylites, a Saint Stephen icon and an engraving from the Three Holy Hierarchs. Walking to the pronaos, we have to step again a stair higher, which has a meaning, that men are taller a head to the women, but because of this "floor-difference" everybody becomes "equal" in the church.

The white-clothed Saint Sava is at the top of the wall on the left side, under him several icons are from different origins and dating from different periods which were given to the church by prayers who became wealthy from industry and trading and are mostly portraying Virgin Mary with the little Jesus Christ. Under Saint Sava, from left to right, we can see Lebanese, Egyptian and Serbian icons. The Egyptian, a rather unusual, made by coptic orthodoxes, the Black Madonna is one of the most interesting artwork of the church, where Virgin Mary and Jesus were painted black-skinned.

It is the replica of the famous miraculous Theotokos Icon of Brno (Czech Republic). On the left side 4 other icons are. The two on the sides are from Kosovo and were brought to Hungary when the Serbs left with their patriarch that territory during the Great migration of the Serbs. The coronation of Virgin Mary is at the top of the wall, under it a Bleeding Mary on a forehead is, an orthodox replica of the pictures of Krisztinaváros and Makkosmária is. It is the memory of the pilgrimage of the Serbs, who went to Buda to these two pictures, asking the help of the God because of different epidemics (plague etc.) and illnesses.

At the top of the wall on the right side Saint Nicholas is in a pink cloth. Under him from left to right Arabic, syrian, and armenian icons were put. On the right side again a brown Arabic icon is, under it a mirror is, where Saint George is engraved to a glass, as he is killing the dragon. In the center Saint Paraskeva is watching us, under her an old-Slavic writing was put, which is the copy of the foundation plaque of the tower, right from this an icon is donated by a Serbian tradesman Petar Grujić from Szeged from 1897, under it the crucified Jesus can be seen. Some interesting things can be surveyed in the two glazed displays. A gilded silver artoclasia tray (for the blessing of the five loaves) from 1717 is in one, which symbolizes, that Jesus Christ at one time from 5 breads and 2 fishes could feed 5000 people as the Bible says. Around this object a golden Gospel Book from Moscow from 1745, a silver baroque candlestick, a collection tray from the XVIII. century, three angel-patterned chalice veils from the XVIII-XIX. century, a hand-washing vessel for the bishop from the early XIX. century and a silver lantern from the same century were reserved. In the other display we can see again two Gospel Books decorated with precious metals from Moscow from the XVIII. century, an old-slav Prayer Book from XVII. century, 3 angel-patterned chalice veils from the XVIII-XIX. century and some belts (or zones) were put. Walking out the church, toward the back gate, on the left side we find a little "room", where the prayers can light their candles in a metallic stay above for the living people and underneath for the deceased ones. We can see here also a huge flagstone from 1797, which informs us on old-slav and latin language, that next to the church, near to the Hild-gate a church school existed in the older times, where the priests taught the young Serbs on Serbian, old-Slavic, Latin and Hungarian language.

Good to know

From outside, a lot of tombstones and memory tablets were built in the walls of the church. Right from the back-gate, a stone-tablet was put, which is a remembrance of the 300th anniversary of the Great migration of the Serbs. On the south frontispiece, from the Somogyi street a national monument title informs about when the church was built and from its tower built in cop style. Next to the side gate a cross was built in the wall in 1774, which is a tombstone exactly, the other title remembers on the building of the church on old-slav language, dated to the 27th of June 1778. In this "writing" in the upper part a short citation can be read from the 8th poem of the 25th psalm. Here we can see also a tablet for the memory of the death of Dr. Veljko Ž. Nikolašev (03. 01. 1979.), who was the only son of the former paroch of Szeged, Živan Nikolašev. A tombstone, put by his mother, wife and two daughters, is remembering on Mihail Živanović (09. 04. 1822), who died very young, at the age of 30. Walking toward the Hild-gate, we find the tombstone of a previous priest of Szeged, Prokopije Radulović, who died at the age of 67 in 1825. The tombstones of Georgije Veselinović (1841) and his wife Vireavija (maternity name: Pavlović, 1831) are not far from him. The light-green building against the back gate is the parochial. The Serbian orthodox priest lives there, and on the first floor a Serbian Club is working, which gives home to several Serbian or Serbian-connected books and cultural events. A Serbian Cyrillic writing in front of the door from 1910, remembers on a school which was in this building, and on the priest, educator and the name of the people, who helped to build up this house. The church originally had 5 bells, as it is written in 1781, but in 1820, a huge storm destroyed all of them, except the biggest one. Later, the prayers collected donations for 4 new bells, but when the World War I came, all the bells were taken away and were made weapons from them. For more than 90 years, until 2007, the church did not have any bells, at that year, thanks to the donations of the people and to the city of Szeged a new one was bought. Serbian Orthodox Days are held, as a charitable event in the church and its garden, with the aim to present the Serbian culture, belief and traditions.

On the first orthodox days, held in 2011, donations were collected for the wall built around the Serbian cemetery in Szeged, on the second one, organized in 2015, a new(er) bell was aimed. The Serbian church of Szeged is also in use today, not a lot of Serbs are living in this city nowadays, but mostly on every Sunday and if there is a bigger holiday, on weekdays there are liturgies. The Serbian orthodox church of Szőreg (today, thanks to the urbanization, it is the part of Szeged, the church is about 10 kilometers from the center of Szeged) also belongs to the Serbian priest of Szeged, monthly at one time he serves a liturgy there.

Montly at one time a Romanian orthodox liturgy is served in the Serbian orthodox church of Szeged (mostly at the fourth Sunday in every months) and very rarely there are Greek ones and Georgians.

A bigger holiday of the church is at the 22nd of May, when the prayers remember on the patron of the church, Saint Nicholas. At this time milk-loaf and koljivo (Serbian sugary "food" from cereals and walnut etc.) consecrations are.

The church was robbed several times, some of the most valuable objects were stolen which has not been found yet.