Csomakörös

CSOMAKÖRÖS This is the interior of the Reformed church at Csomakörös (Chiurus, Rumania today) in the Székley-land. During the Protestant movement in the 16th century, most of the originally Catholic Hungarian population in Transylvania converted to Reformation, whereas the German (Saxon) people became Lutheran (i.e., Evangelical). While during the counter-Reformation (17th century), a considerable number returned to Catholicism, in the Székely-land, about half of the Székelys remained Reformed (very similar to Presbyterian) and beautiful Reformed churches, such as this one, remained not only outstanding landmarks in the country, but actively used worshiping places even today. Note the painted wooden panel-ceiling and the embroidered clothing on the pews. In Csomakörös was born the great Székely Orientalist, linguist and traveller Sándor Kõrösi Csoma (1784-1842) who explored Tibet, studied the Tibetian language and wrote a English-Tibetian dictionary. He became the member of the Hungarian Academy of Science, but death prevented him from further Oriental research; he is buried in Darjeeling, India.

Sándor Kõrösi Csoma