Reformed Church, Keszthely
The Calvinist church of Keszthely was dedicated in 1932, with the famous Hungarian writer Zsigmond Móricz being present at the ceremony. The building, standing opposite of the Helikon Park, is decorated with wooden ornaments and its steeple is also covered in wood. The carvings, and stylistic elements from Kalotaszeg are typical to Transylvanian architecture though the designer, Bálint Szeghalmy referred to its style as Hungarian folk. The design contains a mixture of the Calvinist puritanism, the style of the nearby villas, and different tradition Hungarian styles. But the steeple is considered Transylvanian in style by him as well.
The church was built in 9 months and even the local priest and presbyters took part in the construction. Since, the building was renovated many times, in 1959-60 the steeple was reinforced and in 2007 the exterior walls were renovated.
The bell in the steeple named"Galley Slave" was casted by László Szlezák. The bell was a gift from a relative of pastor István Süllye Komáromi. The pastor, along with many protestant priests - was condemned by the court of Bratislava and after spending a year in prison, he was sold as galley slave in Naples. He was freed from slavery in 1676. The bell's name is a memorial for his story.