Unitarians in Croatia and Slovenia according to other sources

Baranya/Baranja county:

• Grabovac: 1910: 22
• Baranyavár/Brnajin Vrh: 1941: 6
• Dárda/Darda: 1910: 2
• Pélmonostor/Beli Manastir: 1910: 1
• Torjánc/Torjanci: 1910: 563 (73,21 %)

Vas county

• Muraszombat/Murska Sobota: 1910: 2
• Zsidahegy/Volcja Gomila: 1910: 2 - 1941: 1

Zala county

• Lendva/Lendava: 1910: 1
• Bagonya/Bogojina: 1910: 3
• Drávaszilas/Podbrest: 1910: 1

Source: A Délvidék településeinek vallási adatai (1880-1941), Budapest 1999

Unitarians in the Serbian-Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom

The number of Unitarians in 1910 in the territory annected by the Serbian-Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom in 1918-20:

• Lendva/Lendava region: 6
• Muraköz/Medjimurje: 1
• Drávaszög/Croatian Baranja: 3
• Bácska/Bačka: 63
• Bánság/Banat: 81
• Modrus-Fiume/Rijeka county: 4
• Pozsega/Požega county: 5
• Szerém/Srijem county: 1
• Zimony/Zemun city: 6
• Verőce/Virovitica county: 1
• Zágráb/Zagreb city: 4
• Fiume/Rijeka city: 16

Forced conversions in Baranya

According to Turkish sources between 1686 and 1688 more than 2000 "Arians" and some Muslims were forced to convert to the Catholicism in the zone of Pécs ( Pečuh) and Pélmonostor (Beli Manastir).

Avar Tengrism in Croatia

In the 8th and 9th century the Avars, an Eurasian equestrian people was present in Croatia. Ladislav Heka (Heka László) a Hungaro-Croatian historian of law affirms that Croats as a nation were still forming during 9th century and that the non-Slavic tribes - among them the Avars- were a significant numerical addition to them. According to the opinion of Heka the slavised Avars held their political autonomy under the rule of the bans in Lika, Korbávia and Gács (Lika, Krbava, Gačko) counties and maybe also some elements of theire traditional Tengrist religion was preserved.

Tengrism, an essentially monothesitic faith, revered heavenly Tengri, as the sole God. The early Hungarians were followers of Tengrism as well.

A prominent scholar, Louis Elteto (Éltető Lajos) supposes that the ancient Hungarian monotheism had an important influnece on the birth of Unitarian faith in Transylvania and it is not an accident that Unitarianism could survive as an institutionaliz ed religion only among Hungarians.

We can say that Tengrism, as one of the possible sources of the Unitarian thought, was present in Croatia directly and indirectly as well.

Dispute in Nagyharsány

Nagyharsány (Veliki Hršanj) is a small village in Baranya with a significant Croatian minority near to the Croatian boarder. In 1574 there was a religious dispute in Nagyharsány between the Unitarian preacher, György Alvinczi, and the followers of the Swiss Reformation. Alvinczi was condemned to death by his opponents and they killed him. This is a flagrant example of the religious intolerance in the 16th century.

The Turkish authorities wanted to punish the Calvinist community for this unjust and barbarous deed and condemned the guilty persons to death. But as a manifestation of forgiveness the Unitarian preacher of Pécs (Pečuh), György Válaszuti begged for pardon for the killers and the beglerbeg of Buda (Budim) set them free.

Gejza Malašić

Gejza Malašić (Malasits Géza, 1874 – 1948) was born of a Croatian family of the Mura region (Medjimurje). A member of the Social-Democratic Party, Malašić was a deputy of the Hungarian parliament after 1924. As a self-educated worker, he learned several languages beyond Hungarian and Croatian and broadened his outlouk in England. He was arrested in 1944 by the Gestapo and deported to a concentration camp, but survived the afflictions.

Following his conviction, Malašić converted to the Unitarianism and later became a member of the Church Council.

Pavao Janković

Pavao Janković (Jankovich Pál, 1854-1909?) a Unitarian physician of Croatian descent (probably from Daruvár), was after 1894 the superintendent of the Unitarian High School in Székelykeresztúr (Cristuru Secuiesc, Transylvania).

Stjepan Čazmanski

Stjepan Čazmanski (Császmai István, a 16th century) Unitarian preacher came from Csázma (Čazma, Slavonia). Čazmanski was one of the first followers of Blandrata and Dávid. He published in 1567 several pictures which chipped at the Trinity. In 1568 he took part in the dispute of Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia, Transylvania).

A Unitarian king with Croatian ancestry

According to the opinion of the Hungarian historian, Miklós Istvánffy (1538–1615), the Szapolyai (Zapolja) family is originated in Croatia. Istvánffy says in his book - Historiarum de rebus Ungaricis - that in Slavonia near Csázma (Čazma) was Szapolya village. Later the the Szapolyais became counts of Szepes, and János Szapolyai (Ivan Zapolja, 1487-1540), voivod of Transylvania in 1526 came to the throne of Hungary and Croatia as John I.

King John's son John Sigismund (János Zsigmond, 1540-1571), elected king of Hungary and Croatia, prince of Transylvania, was a very intelligent and educated ruler. In the court of John Sigismund, the Italian Anti-trinitarian refugee Giorgio Blandrata found a congenial religious environment and under the influence of Blandrata and Ferenc Dávid the young John Sigismund became the first Unitarian king in the world.

In 1568 the famous Decret of Torda was issued. King John Sigismund did not decree that everyone become Unitarian, though many citizens did so, but issued an edict of religious tolerance.

A Unitarian prince in Croatia

The Italian Odescalchi family in the end of 17th century got the Principality of Szerém (Srijem) from king Leopold I. Szerém was part of of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, so the Odescalchis became Croatian peers.

Prince Artúr Odescalchi de Szerém (Knez Artur Odeskalki Srijemski, 1836-1925) writer and politician, converted to the Unitarian faith and became a meacenas of his new church.

His mother was a Croatian Countess: Keglevich de Buzin (Keglević Buzinski)

1910 census in Croatia

According to the national census in 1910 21 persons declared themselves Unitarians in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. (Without Fiume/Rijeka, Dalmatia, Istria, Baranya/Baranja and Mura region.)

The Perušić family

The Perušićes, relatives of the Petričević family appeared in Hungary in the 16th century.

Gašpar Perušić (Perusith Gáspár) is mentioned as a warlord in 1551 and 1558. He was the brother-in-law of Bishop Juraj Ućešenić Martinuzzi (Fráter György, 1482-1551). As an ardent Protestant , Perušić later patronized the Reformation in southern Hungary and Transylvania.

Gašpar's son, Mate Perušić (Perusith Máté) was a Unitarian. He died in the battle of Bárca in 1603 as the captain of Mózes Székely (1550-1603), the last Unitarian prince of Transylvania.