The first taste of monasticism in Hungary came just before year 1000 to Hungary. Geza, the father of King Stephan, Hungary’s first king, had earlier asked for priests to come to Hungary from Otto 1 (Holy Roman Emperor), and this action opened up for Christianity to take root in the nation. In year 996 the first monastery, a Benedictine monastery, was opened at St. Martin’s Hill. This is the Pannonhalma abbey, a World Heritage site in Hungary today. A school was founded at Pannonhalma quickly where Latin, writing and speaking was taught. Similar Benedictine monasteries were founded in Bakonybél, Pécsvárad and Zalavár, and quite some places schools were opened.
Benedictine monastery in Tihany
The Benedictine monasteries kept on growing, and by the 13th century almost 90 Benedictine monasteries existed in Hungary.
In the 12th century a new monastic order turned popular in Hungary, the Cistercians. The first Cistercian order was founded in 1142 in Bataszék (then Cikádor), and later the order was founded in Pilis, Pásztó, Szentgotthárd and in Zirc. The Cistercians enjoyed growth, until stagnation and decline challenged them in the 14th century.
Following the Cistercians the Franciscans entered the scene in Hungary. Based on the teachings and the order founded by Francis of Assisi they spread quickly in Hungary (starting in 1224 in Esztergom), supported by King Béla IV. One of their tasks was converting heretics in Hungary, for example Bogomils (a gnostic dualistic sect who taught that God has two sons, Satanail and the younger Michael. Satanail rebelled against God, and later Michael was sent to redeem the earth). During the Ottoman rule in Hungary, the Franciscans were the only monastic order to do pastoral work within the Ottoman Hungary.
Pauline Fathers - Cave Chapel Budapest
Another important monastic order in the Hungarian monastic history is the Pauline Fathers (The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit). This is the only Hungarian monastic order, and it was formed around 1250, based on two different monastic communities uniting under the name “Pauline Fathers.” The visionary behind this was Blessed Eusebius of Esztergom. The order received permission from the Holy See in 1308 to adopt the Rule of St. Augustine. The order grew quickly, and soon they had 170 houses within the borders of Hungary.
The Dominican order was founded in Hungary in 1221, and their first monasteries were built in Győr, Esztergom, Székesfehérvár, Pécs and in Buda. Saint Margaret of Hungary is the most famous Dominician in Hungary, and remains of her monastery can be seen at the Margaret Island in Budapest today. More ruins from another Dominican monastery can be seen inside and around the Hilton Hotel in the castle area of Budapest.
With a general decline in the monastic life during the reformation, a breath of fresh air came with the Jesuits and the Piarists in the 16th and the 17th century. The Jesuits founded boarding-schools which “gave birth” to the most famous Hungarian Jesuit Pázmány Péter. He founded a university in Nagyszombat, now to be found in Budapest under the name ELTE. The Piarists was founded in 1617 by Joseph Calasanctius in Spain. Their goal was to provide free teaching for poor children and youth. The came to Hungary by the end of the 17th century, and gymnasiums were opened in Veszprem, Vac, Pest and Szeged. By 1770 27 Piarist schools were operating in Hungary.
During the Ottoman Empire all monastic orders suffered, and even in the Benedictine monastery at Pannonhalma monastic life was stopped. The Franciscans was the only order allowed to operate in these challenging years.
As the Turks were gradually defeated, Monasticism turned stronger, and in this period the Piarists founded most of their schools for teaching of poor children and youth.
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire the monastic orders faced new challenges, especially during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II (1741-1790). The church and monasteries should be a tool in the hand of the Emperor (and not the opposite way), and therefore he did to the church what he thought would be the best for the empire. Monasteries were unproductive in his eyes, and many were closed down, sold, and the money was used to rule the empire. Accordingly, he suppressed a third of the monasteries (over 700 were closed) and reduced the number of monks and nuns from 65,000 to 27,000. In Hungary all Benedictine monasteries were closed, except from two.
Monasticism in Hungary suffered during the rule of the Turks, suffered during the reign of Joseph II, and suffered again after World War I. As Hungary lost two thirds of their lands after the peace treaty of Trianon, many Hungarian monastic communities no longer were in Hungary. This might not destroy the community in itself, but it influenced the number of active monks and nuns in Hungary.
During communism all Jesuits had to leave their place, and they lived “on the run” until the fall of communism in 1989. The Piarists were allowed keep two of their schools open (in Budapest and Kecskemet), but only 90 out of almost 240 monks were allowed to continue their work. The Benedictines were allowed to operate at Pannonhalma and in Győr and the Franciscans in Esztergom and in Szentendre.
In 1990 many monastic orders received back their buildings which had earlier been taken away, and in year 2000 there were 63 orders for women and 24 orders for men operating in Hungary.
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