President of Hungary: Hungarian territory was first to recognise freedom of conscience in 16th century

The freedom of conscience was recognised on a Hungarian territory as early as the 16th century while Europe “burned in the religious impatience of rival teachings”, Hungarian President János Áder said at a celebratory event marking the 500th anniversary of the start of Reformation in Wittenberg on Tuesday.

Áder, who was the sole foreign speaker at the event that was also attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela Markel and Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, said that the Principality of Transylvania was the first territory in the world to recognise religious freedom and equality.

“Barely more than 50 years after the historic events in Wittenberg, in 1568, the Diet of Transylvania passed a law in the city of Torda [now Turda in Romania] declaring that all people and communities have a right to choose their religious denominations, priests and churches,” Áder said.

This was how it became natural in Transylvania and all of Hungary to have villages where churches of up to two or three different denominations would coexist peacefully instead of them having a single state or provincial religion, Áder said.