Erika Maliniaková: Matrimonial Law and Parliamentary Discussion in Hungary in the Year 1894
We situated our research in the second half of the 19th century. In stated time we observe the change in character of religious experience and sentiment. Since it is not possible to encompass all factors, which secularised Hungarian society within one article, and we focused on one significant step, which changed the legislation and nature of marital relationships. 1894 was marked by turbulent voting in the Hungarian parliament about issues of civil marriage. The law on the civil marriage proposal was drawn up earlier, as part of the proposed church-political proposal, but it was passed only after a vigorous fight under the rule of Alexander Wekerle. The law on the civil marriage proposal changed the character of marriage. The law didn't view marriage as something holy, blessed by Jesus Christ, but as a marital-legal contract. The ministering rights for marrying were passed from the church to the state. The law allowed for divorce. 1894 was also the year of initiating many congresses, at which the politically active part of Hungarian citizens were either for or against upcoming changes. At the same time it was a year of several paradoxes. A set of church-political laws (law on civil marriages, law on faith of children and law on civil registries) came into effect on the 1st of October 1895. A legal article on the reception and emancipation of Jews (XLII/1895) came into effect on the 2nd of November 1895 and a legal article on free faith (XLIII/1895) came into effect on the 22nd of November after being approved by the ruler.

church-political laws, civil marriage, Liberal Party, Sándor Wekerle, Kingdom of Hungary, secularization