The territory which we term the Hungarian Mission consists of that part of the Austria-Hungarian empire which is known as the kingdom of Hungary. It has a population of nineteen million three hundred thousand. Austria is itself a separate mission field, known as the Austrian Mission. Austria, with Bosnia, contains twenty-eight million inhabitants. The empire-monarchy of Austria-Hungaria comprises “five kingdoms, one principality, two archduchies, eight duchies, two margravates, four counties (provinces ruled only by counts), and several lordships—in all fifty-six States.” Twenty different languages are spoken here; half a dozen coinages are in use. There is no common bond of nationality or speech to hold the people together; they were formerly compelled to combine against the Turk, but now the Hapsburgs alone hold them in a state of confederation.
GENERAL VIEW OF BUDAPEST
The empire is seven hundred miles wide from north to south; from east to west it is nine hundred miles long. It contains two hundred and forty-one thousand square miles. It is made up of the three mountain systems known as the Eastern Alps, the Bohemian-Moravian mountains, and the Carpathians; the plateau of Bohemia; and the vast plain of Hungary.
Among the cities are Prague, “the town of the hundred towers,” with four hundred and ninety-six thousand inhabitants; Trent, where the great church council assembled in 1545-63; the strong fortress of Peterwardein, called after Peter the Hermit, as he here marshaled the thousands who went on the first crusade (in 1095); the two famous watering-places of Carlsbad and Toplitz; Salzburg, where Mozart was born in 1756; Crawcow, near which are the famous Wielicza salt-mines, whose galleries are more than fifty miles in length, containing a “chapel with pulpit, crucifixes, and statues that have been cut out of the solid rock salt;” on the Danube, that mighty commercial artery of the country, and lying in the plain where the three mountain systems of Austria meet, is Vienna, the capital of the empire, whose one million seven hundred and sixty-two thousand inhabitants are supplied with pure Alpine water by an aqueduct fifty-six miles long, while a little farther down is the twin-city capital of the kingdom of Hungary—Buda on the right bank, and Pest on the left bank of the river, with seven hundred and thirty-two thousand people.
There are three well-defined climates in the empire. On the northern slope the chief crops are wheat, rye, hemp, and flax; farther to the south is the middle zone, where we find maize and wheat on the plains, and the vine on the southern slopes; while on the Mediterranean slopes the vine, maize, and the olive, and the silkworm are found, and even tropical plants grow well in some parts. There are forests of oak, ash, elm, and beech; in the extreme south the orange, lemon, and pomegranate flourish. There are mines of iron and silver and lead and quicksilver and gold, and especially of rock salt.
On the Hungarian steppes, “troops of horses pasture in battle array; herds of oxen are scattered over the plain; buffaloes rest in the swamps. Now and then a stork or long-shanked crane is seen.”
Such, in part, is the great country of Austria-Hungary, a land where European and Asiatic, and German and Magyar, and Slav and Italian live together as neighbors, the one often compelled to learn the speech of the other. Be the mother tongue Czech, as in Bohemia, or Polish, or Ruthenian, or Romanic, we know that the message is to be proclaimed in all these languages.
The state religion of Austria is Roman Catholic. There is said to be complete toleration, but we find Catholicism here, as everywhere, intolerant toward true16Protestants. Although Hungary is mostly Catholic, yet there is no established church. Hungary contains three million six hundred thousand Protestants.
After this brief glimpse of the country, we will now speak of our own work. Here we have a membership of one hundred and fifty-eight; one hundred of these are Hungarians, thirty are Germans, and twenty-eight are Rumanians. Representatives of these three nationalities, as well as a few Servians, were at the annual meeting of the Hungarian Mission field, which was held in Arad, November 4-8. About ninety of our brethren were here. There was a good outside attendance at the evening meetings. Five were baptized in the Maros River. One of these was a Servian, to whom a knowledge of the truth was brought by a backslidden brother, who would draw disciples unto himself. He taught the obligation of the Sabbath, but held to various unscriptural doctrines. He visited the Servian village, and found there a company of about twenty people who had at one time belonged to the Nazarenes, but had formed an independent organization of their own. They heard from this man about the binding claims of the law of God, but were also taught that it was unnecessary to pay tithe, “as the Adventists do,” and they were asked to receive certain meaningless forms and ceremonies into their worship. They saw that some things which he taught were true, and accepted them; they also imbibed some errors. They believe that it is wrong to say that we should not eat swine’s flesh; that we do not need to pay tithe; and that a minister of the gospel should work without any salary. It is now two or three years since this company first became acquainted with our work, and some of them have all this time been convinced that we have the special truths for this time. Those who believed as we do did not wish to go forward and be baptized until their fellow worshipers would come with them. But one of these, who has believed the message ever since becoming acquainted with it, resolved to go forward, not waiting for the others. This is a very intelligent, simple-hearted, devout young woman, about twenty years of age, whose calm and peaceful face reveals a deep Christian experience. We hope that her example will prove an encouragement to the other members of the little group, and that erelong others will follow in her steps.
As to the statistics of this field: During the last nine months (the first three quarters of 1903) the tithe was three hundred and seventy dollars; Sabbath-school donations amounted to fifty-four dollars; First-day offerings to seven dollars; thirty-four persons were baptized, and four received by vote.
Our force of Hungarian workers has been augmented by the coming of Brother K. Reifschneider, from South Russia, a licentiate; there is also but one ordained minister, Brother Huenegardt, the superintendent; there are five Bible workers.
The resolutions passed expressed thankfulness for God’s blessing during the year; recommended the renewal of our earnestness in scattering our literature, both health and evangelical; called upon us to remember the poor fund; to sell as many as possible of “Christ’s Object Lessons,” for the help of the Friedensau School; and to increase the First-day offerings, which were dedicated to the East African Mission.
The outlook for Hungaria was never brighter for our work. We believe that this is a promising field. Although there are many things here which one does not have to contend with in countries that have not been under Catholic influence, yet our brethren are of good courage, and go forth to their work with more determination than ever to succeed. We are just now entering Budapest, and hope that a good church may be raised up there.
A word may not be out of place about the Austrian Mission. The field is as yet young, and newly entered. We have about twenty-one members here, Brother L. Mathe is in charge. He is assisted by a Bible worker, in Vienna. Elder Conradi, en route from Hungaria to Germany, was able to speak to a small company of fifteen in that city. There are two other Bible workers in Austria. Canvassing is not permitted there at all. In two places near the German border, the truth crossed over, and so we will have a few additions to the Austrian Mission during the present quarter, from this source. There is not so much liberty granted to our workers here as in Hungaria. During the first nine months of 1903, the tithe of the Austrian Mission was one hundred and twenty-one dollars, Sabbath-school donations, seventeen dollars.
We trust that these two large mission fields will prosper. Let them be kindly remembered by our people.
