Debrecen Literature

Literary life in Debrecen

The common roots of a traditional ‘Debrecen identity’ are perhaps best exemplified by the fact that the same emblem – the lamb bearing a flag – is emblazoned on the coat of arms of the municipality, the Reformed church district and the Alföldi Printing House alike. This connection represents a unique local culture that we may define as a Debrecen-based literacy. Debrecen literacy is a historical construct founded on the five-hundred-year-old presence of the Reformation: its basic framework is provided by the Reformed College and the printing press and it is first and foremost represented by books.