A végvári református magyarok 20. századi vallásos élete a privát fényképek tükrében
Religious Life of Reformed Hungarian Christians in the 20th Century on the Edges of Their Community in the Mirror of Private Photos

Summary/Abstract: The study examines through family photographs the religious life of a Romanian village inhabited by the Hungarian people who belong to the Reformation Church. Among the more than four hundred photographs included in the collection, nearly fifty photographs depict some kind of religious-related events that give us insight into church rites or particular details of sacred activities taking place within the family. Most photographs perpetuate the rites of passage associated with significant life changes, with the largest number of photographs being group photographs depicting a change in age that is justified by the rite of confirmation. In addition to these photographs, there are also large numbers of photos showing religious celebration, as well as the church itself as a very significant and symbolically powerful building in the settlement itself. Family photo collections perform a function similar to other photographs, preserving primarily the memory of a family member or acquaintance immortalized in the photograph, as well as their religiosity that was part of their whole life. Belonging to the Reformed Church played an important role in the survival of the Hungarian community in the border town during the 20th century, as well as in its separation from the culture that surrounded them.

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