The John Sigismund Unitarian Academy (; ), located at 9, 21 December Boulevard,

Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

(formerly Kolozsvár), Romania, was a theological school founded in 1557 by the Unitarian Diocese of

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

.Rezi Elek

Foundation

The Diet of Torda (1557) established three schools in the former monasteries of Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), Marosvásárhely ( Târgu Mureş) and Nagyvárad (

Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...

). Queen Isabella, regent for the infant John Sigismund, granted the school in Kolozsvár the annual sum of 100 forints. The then

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

Ferenc Dávid Ferenc Dávid (also rendered as ''Francis David'' or ''Francis Davidis''; born as Franz David Hertel, – 15 November 1579) was a preacher and theologian from Transylvania, the founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, and the leading f ...

was appointed rector but shortly afterwards he converted to

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

(1564–1567) and then Anti–trinitarianism, and from 1568

Unitarianism Unitarianism () is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian sect of Christianity. Unitarian Christians affirm the wikt:unitary, unitary God in Christianity, nature of God as the singular and unique Creator deity, creator of the universe, believe that ...

. His son-in-law Johann Sommer was moderator of the Academy. In the next generation György Enyedi was moderator of the Academy.

Habsburg Rule

When Transylvania fell under Habsburg rule the Diploma Leopoldinum (1690) granted the rights of all four received Christian denominations (''religio recepta''): ''Catholic'', ''Augustan'' (

), ''Helvetic'' (

Reformed Church in Hungary The Reformed Church in Hungary (, MRE, ) is the largest Protestant church in Hungary, with parishes also among the Hungarian diaspora abroad. It is made up of 1,249 congregations in 27 presbyteries and four church districts and has a membershi ...

) and '' Unitarian'' and a process of re-Catholicisation followed. The building which had been used 1557–1693 for the Unitarian High School was returned to the Jesuits. The school moved to four buildings on the Town Square, nearby St. Michael’s Church which remained in Unitarian hands. However on 6 May 1697 most of Cluj-Napoca was destroyed in major fire - including the School. The school's rector was sent to the Netherlands to raise funds from Unitarian and

Arminian Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the Christian theology, theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remo ...

supporters. Following the defeat of

Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...

, the Catholic church finally regained possession of St. Michael’s Church, and in 1718 the recently rebuilt school buildings on the square. The school relocated to what is today 21 December St. Andrzej Wiszowaty Jr., great-great grandson of

Fausto Sozzini Fausto Paolo Sozzini (; ; 5 December 1539 – 4 March 1604), often known in English by his Latinized name Faustus Socinus ( ), was an Italian Renaissance humanist and theologian, and, alongside his uncle Lelio Sozzini, founder of the Nontrinit ...

, taught at the college 1726-1740, during the period in the 1730s when the Unitarian Church was reorganized and strengthened by Mihály Lombard de Szentábrahám.

19th century

The school was rebuilt in baroque style in 1801, home today to the Healthcare School. A second house was added in 1887, giving the school 55 rooms. From 1850 the school had an average of 400 students, 200 of whom lodged in the dormitories, and 25 professors. Prominent Hungarian-speaking Unitarian alumni of the 19th century included

Sámuel Brassai Sámuel Brassai (15 June 1797 or 1800 – 24 June 1897) was a Hungarian linguist and teacher sometimes called "The Last Transylvanian Polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, know ...

, poets Mihály Szentiváni and János Kriza, historians Elek Jakab and László Kővári, chemist Áron Berde and the writer Domokos Gyallai.

Modern history

The present building next to the Unitarian Church, constructed in 1901, is the largest school building in Cluj-Napoca. Between 1950–1993 the school was renamed as the

School. In 1993 it was reopened and renamed in 2003 after

John II Sigismund Zápolya John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

, the first prince of the Principality of Transylvania.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
High schools in Romania Hungarian-language schools in Romania Unitarian Church of Transylvania Protestantism in Romania Christian schools in Romania History of Christianity in Romania 1557 establishments in Europe Schools in Cluj-Napoca