Pápa

Pápa was a market town of western Hungary, where fairs and skilled crafts supported a lively community. Its castle and estates belonged to influential noble families, while the town became an important centre of Protestant learning during the Reformation.

Tradition dates the beginning of its Reformed college to 1531, when the parish school came under Protestant influence. By 1585 it offered both grammar and theological instruction. Religious conflict later placed the school under pressure: in 1660 Count Pál Esterházy returned Franciscans to the town and took the old church and school buildings from the Reformed community. The congregation built a new college near the market. After Joseph II's Edict of Toleration, a Reformed church was built in 1783, reflecting the community's continuing presence in Pápa.