Becskeháza: History of the Reformed Church

You can get to know Becskeháza through the history of its Reformed Church. It spans a destroyed wooden church, several replacement buildings and the present-day structure. For travellers seeking a specific cultural and historical point of interest as well as a place to stay, the town’s history brings together building phases, architectural details and personal names on bell inscriptions.

Four churches and their building history

The first Reformed wooden church in Becskeháza was destroyed during the Ottoman raids. A second church was built around 1728 and probably had room for 50 to 60 people. The building was closed in 1775 and reopened only after Joseph II’s Edict of Toleration. Destruction, rebuilding, closure and later reopening thus mark different stages in the church’s history.

The third Reformed Church in Becskeháza was built in 1847. The present-day, fourth church was built in 1928 to plans by the architect Doszpoly Károly. The building sequence thus runs from the first wooden church to the present structure; 1928 marks the construction of the current fourth church, not the beginning of the town’s history.

The tower and bells of the present-day church

The tower of the present-day Reformed Church stands in front of the south façade and is 20 metres high. The church has a 150 kg bell by Szlezák László. Its inscription names Székely István and his family, as well as the year 1928. Another bell weighs 80 kg. According to its inscription, it was cast in Kassa in 1834 by bell-founder Wiesner Lajos, at the expense of the Reformed congregation of Becskeháza.

The inscriptions emphasise different details: the heavier bell highlights the family and the year, while the 80-kilogram bell names the bell-founder, casting location, date and congregation. Together with the tower’s position, these details offer a concrete glimpse of the church building and its fittings, without conflating the different dates.

Beyond Becskeháza: Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén

Across the wider destination of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, other themes emerge alongside local church history. The Baradla-Domica Cave System is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst. Another regional activity is the short Aggtelek cave tour: it is 1 kilometre long, takes 60 minutes and is rated easy. Its length, duration and difficulty rating offer different points of reference for planning.

The Zemplén Landscape Protection Area also offers a distinct connection with nature within the wider destination of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén. It is part of the Zemplén Mountains, whose landscape influences the area’s plant and animal life. In the regional context, cultural history and nature themes sit side by side, while the history of the Reformed Church focuses attention on Becskeháza itself.

Another historical point of interest in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is Diósgyőr Castle in Miskolc. Its heyday came during the reign of King Louis the Great in the 14th century. Later, the castle served as a residence and as a wedding gift for six queens. In contrast to the succession of churches in Becskeháza, the castle’s history tells of different historical contexts: rule, residence and royal connections.

Discover more destinations: Bódvarákó, Tornaszentandrás, Égerszög, Debréte, Viszló, Damak, Szögliget, Jósvafő.

See the wider travel overview: Edelényi.