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to international processes – that still existed during The excavation corresponding to the hypothesis of
the ideological oppression – in this new aspect. Thus, the research may be concentrated into two main peri-
9
the process of critical historiography of domestic ar- ods – the division basically has a social reason. The
chitecture is extended to the peculiar milieu of church period from the turn of the century to the 1950s is the
architecture. The overall exploration and the analyti- time when the principles of modern architecture had
cal examination of the building practice of the recent their unfolding and golden age in the Roman Catholic
past can give the synthesizing evaluation of the era church architecture. The use of modern structures/
– extending the familiarization of church architecture building materials in a wider and wider range in
of the two decades from 1930 to 1950, after the ap- church architecture from the 1990s becomes the sub-
pearance of the already accepted modern architecture. ject of examination, that is complemented by the ap-
pearance of the modern as an aesthetic category from
the 1930s. In this period, through the tight cooperation
2. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS – of the church and the state this said-to-be progressive
CONTINUITY AFTER INTERRUPTION architectural trend appears in its overall style unity. In
the years following the Second World War, the prima-
According to the basic hypothesis, the transforma- ry task was the restoration of the damaged building
tion processes of the society is basically well mod- stock – while more churches were built until the mid-
elled by the architectural trend change, that could lead 1950s, mainly designed by the great master builders
to the balanced evaluation of the church architecture of the modern. (The life work of Bertalan Árkay, who
before and after the Second World War. At the same studied at the Roman Hungarian Academy and had a
time, those engaged in the history of architecture major role in the design of the church of Városmajor,
basically don’t pay a particular attention to the pres- became complete with this activity.) So the decade
entation of the church building activity regarding the following 1945 is a transition, but the political turn
period after the Second World War – this is well ex- occurring at the end of the 1940s had a significant
plained by the political change occurring at the end influence not only on the role of the church but on
of the 1940s, that means an ideological censorship as religiousness as well. Despite of the overlap, the sec-
well. Beyond certain exceptional case studies, they ond research period starting with the 1950s has new
didn’t deal with church architecture in a comprehen- characteristics. Hungarian architecture continuously
sive manner – this deficiency is intended to be made developed according to political purposes and along
up by the revising architectural criticism that started the technical possibilities provided by the building in-
off near the turn of the millennium. Analysing this dustry. In this anticlerical period, church architecture
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feature of the process is to prove the research hypoth- could survive, though with a small number of new
esis that this church building activity still subsisting buildings – researchers give account of the construc-
in these relatively limited conditions appeared in the tion of some 200 monuments, but the referred reno-
sacred architecture, too, with the accelerating pace of vations and low-quality architectural works make up a
changes in architecture, similarly to the previous (in- great part of these. The change in the liturgical space
cluding a quarter of a century) era. 11 needs after 1967 determined by the Second Vatican
Council and the new structural possibilities (airy en-
gineering supporting structures and the use of truss-
9 Christ-Janer, Albert – Foley, Mary Mix: Modern church ings providing large spanning) had a further effect on
architecture – A guide to the form and spirit of 20 century the development. Thus, the results of our architecture
th
religious buildings. McGraw-Hill Book Company Dodge Book in the peculiar cultural-social environment simultane-
Department, New York–Toronto–London 1962.; Stock, Wolfgang
Jean: Europäischer Kirchenbau 1900–1950 European Church ously appeared in church architecture, which led to a
Architecture. Prestel, München-Berlin-London-New York 2006.; more profane effect of the spaces. This development
Stock, Wolfgang Jean: Europäischer Kirchenbau 1950–2000 correlates to the international tendencies, since the
European Church Architecture. Prestel, München-Berlin- 1960-70s were about the modesty of sacred spac-
London-New York 2002.
10 Lantos, Edit: Három-négy egyszerű pasztellszín – A II. es. From the mid-1970s (the Hungarian government
Vatikáni Zsinat liturgikus rendelkezéseinek hatása a templomokra
és a templomba járókra. Utóirat – Post Scriptum Vol.8. (2008)
No.46. 42–46.; Dóczi, Erika: „Míg kövekből templomot emelnek, Architecture in Hungary from the start of 20 Century. In: Longa,
th
kövekként maguk is templommá épüljenek...” – Szakrális Giorgio Della – Marchesi, Antonio – Zahner, Walter (eds.): Arte
építészet Magyarországon 1945–1989. Utóirat – Post Scriptum Architettura Liturgia Esperienze internazionali a confronto 6.
Vol.8. (2008) No.46. 47–51. – Atti dell’8° Convegno Internazionale Venezia 21 e 22 ottobre
11 Vukoszávlyev, Zorán: Church At The Border – Church 2010. Alcion Edizioni, Venezia 2014. 17–41.

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