Református lelkészek a pesti cs. kir. hadbíróság előtt (1849–1855)

Abstract

Reformed Pastors before the Imperial Court Martial of Pest (1849–1855). An overall analysis of the Calvinist victims of the reprisals following the 1848/49 revolution has not yet been made. Our study describes the investigations conducted against Calvinist pastors at the Imperial Court Martial in Pest. At the military court martial in Pest, where serious political cases were referred, a number of Calvinist pastors were also prosecuted. The date of sentencing was important, as initially death sentences were carried out as a deterrent, while later they were reduced to long prison sentences. András Kantsúr, a Calvinist pastor from Szokolya, was executed on 27 August 1849. The charges often included insulting the ruler, supporting the popular uprising, and scrupulously carrying out decrees from the Hungarian authorities. An aggravating circumstance was to have committed reprehensible acts after the dethronement. However, a careless utterance during a sermon was enough to open an investigation against the person concerned. The cases of Calvinist pastors who were prosecuted as a result of the 1848/49 War of Independence are also an indication of the important role they played therein and in the life of their local congregations.