The John Sigismund Unitarian Academy ( hu, János Zsigmond Unitárius Kollégium), located in

Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...

(formerly Kolozsvár),

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, was a theological school founded in 1557 by the Unitarian Diocese of

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

Foundation

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

Târgu Mureş Târgu (Romanian for "the market") starts off the names of several places in Romania: *Târgu Bujor *Târgu Cărbunești *Târgu Frumos * Târgu Gânguleşti *Târgu Jiu *Târgu Lăpuș * Târgu Logreşti *Târgu Mureș *Târgu Neamț *Târgu Ocna ...

) and Nagyvárad (

Oradea Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...

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

forints The forint ( sign Ft; code HUF) is the currency of Hungary. It was formerly divided into 100 fillér, but fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step in the post-World War II sta ...

. The then

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

Ferenc Dávid Ferenc Dávid (also rendered as ''Francis David'' or ''Francis Davidis''; born as Franz David Hertel, c. 1520 – 15 November 1579) was a Unitarian preacher from Transylvania, the founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, and the lea ...

was appointed rector but shortly afterwards he converted to

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

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

Unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there i ...

. His son-in-law

Johann Sommer Johann Sommer ( la, Ioannes Sommerus; 1542–1574) was a Transylvanian Saxon Protestant theologian, poet and Despot Vodă's biographer. Sommer was born in Pirna. In 1562 he enrolled at University of Frankfurt, but did not graduate. Born in ...

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 The ''Diploma Leopoldinum'' was a legal document which determined the basic principles of the government of the Principality of Transylvania within the Habsburg Empire. The diploma was drafted by Miklós Bethlen, Chancellor of Transylvania. The H ...

(1690) granted the rights of all four Christian denominations,(Which ones? This should be more specific.) and a process of re-catholisation 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 branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

supporters. Following the defeat of

Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confedera ...

, 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, also known as Faustus Socinus ( pl, Faust Socyn; 5 December 1539 – 4 March 1604), was an Italian theologian and, alongside his uncle Lelio Sozzini, founder of the Non-trinitarian Christian belief system known as Socinian ...

, 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 Mihály Lombard de Szentábrahám ( Városfalva, 1683 – Kolozsvár, March 30, 1758) was a Hungarian Unitarian bishop.Earl Morse Wilbur ''A history of Unitarianism'' Vol.2 "Michael Lombard Szentabrahami was born in a Szekler village in 1683. H ...

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 – 24 June 1897) was a Hungarian linguist and teacher sometimes called "The Last Transylvanian Polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") ...

, 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 * Secon ...

, the first prince of the Principality of Transylvania.

External links

Official website
{{coord missing, Cluj County 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