Boleslaus Balbinus

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The Jesuit historiographer of Bohemia Boleslaus Balbinus or Bohuslav Balbín (4 December 1621, Königgrätz — 29 November 1688, Prague), the "Bohemian Pliny," whose Vita beatae Joannis Nepomuceni martyris was published in Prague, 1670, ^[1] is in large part responsible for the developed legend of Saint John of Nepomuk.

His entire life was devoted to collecting and editing the materials for Bohemian history, and his researches have often been utilized by the Bollandists. He wrote over thirty works, the most important of which is Miscellanea Historica regni Bohemiae ("Miscellany of Bohemian History", 6 vols., Prague, 1679-87), in which he described the chief historical events of his native land, and presented brief vitae of prominent Bohemians. He also wrote in Latin an "Apology for the Slavic and especially the Bohemian tongue".

Balbinus was the first to edit the ancient vernacular chronicle of the tenth century^[2] known as the Life of St. Ludmilla and Martyrdom of St. Wenceslas, which is considered the oldest historical work written in Bohemia by a Bohemian. Balbinus wrote also De archiepiscopis Bohemiae ("The Archbishops of Bohemia", Prague, 1682) and Bohemia Sancta, sive de sanctis Bohemiae, Moraviae, Silesiae, Lusatiae ("Sacred Bohemia, or the Saints of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia" Prague, 1682).