Foundation of the State - Saint Stephen
Researchers agree that the greatest and most decisive turning point in the history of the Carpathian Basin was the foundation of the Hungarian state. King Stephen succeeded in attaching his country to Europe, making his people accept Christianity, and integrating them into the Christian community of Europe.
The defeat at Augsburg (955) during the raids put the Hungarian leaders in a position where they had to choose: either adapt to the political and social realities of the continent, or perish as pagans, disappearing from the stage of history. The decision was made by Prince Géza, who had himself and his son baptized. The decision was political in nature; Géza had little connection to Christianity. His wife, Sarolt, raised in the Byzantine faith, lived in a similar manner as a nomad. Thus, while the parents could pass on the royal craft to their sons, faith was hardly transferable. Adaptation was also necessary in the military field. Under Géza, the immigration and settlement of Western European knights began.
Stephen's marriage to Gisela, the Bavarian princess, brought more knights to the country. This familial bond also meant alliances and regular exchange of information. The imperial family took an active interest in organizing Hungary. The Christianization process during Stephen's time was also a top-down movement. Stephen established ten dioceses under the supervision of the archbishops of Esztergom and Kalocsa. He decreed the payment of tithes, church building, and ensured their equipment. His ecclesiastical legislation exhibited a clear and purposeful planning. Through German monks, the spirit of the Cluniac reforms also influenced the Hungarian church organization. However, the progress of church organization was not the same as the success of Christianization.
We know that Stephen was a devout Christian. The nomadic tribal chiefs were faced with a choice: either abandon their pagan beliefs and some of their influence or confront the prince. Those who chose the third way, the Byzantine baptism, like Stephen's uncle, were also destroyed by the ruler. We know little about the Christianization of the common people. It likely happened quickly, within three generations, as evidenced by the gradually weakening resistance. The presence of a significant Christian population in the country might have played a role in this. The slaves taken during the raids were resettled, and they greatly needed the comfort of faith. Muslim and Jewish immigrants also settled in Hungary, and the king accepted their arrival with tolerance. His nomadic princely background offers an explanation for this; such princes were accustomed to having peoples of different religions and languages under their rule.
Initially, missionaries mostly came from Czech and South German areas, but by Stephen's time, missionaries came from almost all countries. The spirit of the church also appeared in governance and administration. Bishops were present in the royal council, and alongside the ispán (county leader), one could find an archpriest. Stephen did much to ensure the safety of pilgrimages passing through the country. This route later brought the participants of the first two Crusades to their destination. For Hungarian pilgrims, the king established lodgings in Constantinople, Jerusalem, Ravenna, and Rome.
How did Europe receive the Hungarians? First, they had to join the Roman church and adopt its organization unchanged. They had to create the ecclesiastical province, the bishoprics, and the foundations of pastoral care. Without obtaining the royal crown, this would have been impossible. The pope was delighted with the expansion of his church to the East, and the emperor also agreed with this. The Roman Church sent a dedicated team of missionaries for this purpose. Behind the clergy, an intellectual infrastructure developed: monasteries, chapters, schools, and libraries. Information flowed freely among them. Thus, Stephen was not only known but already regarded as a saint based on his achievements. Stephen was canonized as a saint in 1083 as a missionary saint-king.
Fügedi Erik a College de France-ban 1988 január 10-én tartott előadása Hitel 1989.11.szám