Matej Bel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matej Bel (German: Matthias Bel; Hungarian: Bél Mátyás; Latin: Matthias Belius; Slovak: Matej Bel z Očovej; March 22, 1684 – August 29, 1749) was a Hungarian-Slovak[1][2] Lutheran pastor and polymath, one of the greatest scholars of the 18th century in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was dubbed Magnum decus Hungariae - the Great Ornament of Hungary.
Bel was born in Očová. His father was Matej Bel, a Slovak butcher, while his mother was a Hungarian noble Erzsébet Cseszneky from Veszprém. Later he married a German woman, Zsuzsanna Hermann, with whom he had eight children. Able to speak Slovak, Hungarian, and German, he published his works mostly in Latin.[1] He displayed Slovak national consciousness, as can be seen from his praise of Slovak history in the Notitia Hungariae novae historico geographica and his deep affection for the Slovak language.[1] In the preface that he wrote for Pavel Doležal's book, Bel explained „...I both love and know the Czech-Slovak language... only our language can compete with and exceed the beauty of all European languages" (Doležal, Pavel: Grammatica Slavico-Bohemica, 1746).
Bel attended schools in Lučenec, Kalinovo ,and Dolná Strehová, followed by grammar schools in Banská Bystrica, Bratislava, and briefly Veszprém and in the Calvinist college of Pápa. From 1704–1706 he studied theology, philosophy, and medicine at the University of Halle. An appointment as rector of the school at Klosterbergen near Magdeburg was followed by periods as pro-rector and subsequently rector of the Lutheran grammar school in Banská Bystrica, where he was simultaneously pastor. As a Rákóczi-sympathisant, he was almost executed by General Sigbert Heister. Between 1714 and 1719 he was the rector of the Lutheran grammar school and - from the latter year - also pastor of the German Lutheran church in Bratislava, the city in which he was buried.
Bel was an outstanding scholar of his age. He was active in the fields of pedagogy, philosophy, philology, history, and theoretical theology; he was the founder of Hungarian geographic science and a pioneer of descriptive ethnography and economy. A leading figure in pietism, Bel wrote sacred works in Lutheran liturgical language.
As a teacher Bel wrote books, introduced natural science lessons, and emphasized the importance of using visual aid and experimental education. His methods spread and had a modernizing effect on the education system of the entirety of Hungary.
As a philologist, Bel was the first to study the Hungarian runes and also contributed to the evolution of the Hungarian literary language. He revised and republished Gáspár Károli's Bible-translation. He wrote Hungarian, Latin and German grammars - in the latter he also reviewed the German communities and dialects in Hungary. His work as a translator and editor in the field of religious work is also copious.
A pioneer of collaborative research in the history of the Kingdom of Hungary, Bel undertook a comprehensive historical and geographic examination of the territory in his well-known Notitia Hungariae Novae Historico Geographiaca. His work about the counties of Hungary was aided by many - while others accused him of espionage. Archbishop József Batthyány of Kalocsa patronized him and arranged that the authorities helped him in his work. The chancery entrusted Sámuel Mikoviny to supplement his work with detailed maps. Four volumes were published, the rest of his work remained in manuscript. He was also the author of a unique manuscript account of agriculture in the Kingdom of Hungary.
In 1735 Bel drew up a proposal for the creation of a scientific academy, to be based in Pressburg (Bratislava). Bel's works met with recognition and respect beyond the Kingdom: he was a member of a number of learned societies abroad (e.g. Prussian Royal Academy (Berlin), London, Jena, Olmütz, Saint Petersburg). He was elevated to noble rank by Charles VI of Austria, and received a golden medallion with his (Bel's) own portrait from Pope Clement XII.
Bel died on 29 August 1749. He was buried in Bratislava, the cemetery has disappeared by now.
Matej Bel University (Univerzita Mateja Bela) in Banská Bystrica is named after him.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Petro, Peter (1995). A History of Slovak Literature. Montréal: McGill-Queen's Press.
- ^ History of Hungarian literature
[edit] Works
- Notitia Hungariae Novae Historico Geographiaca ... (1735-1742)
-
- Die erste Beschreibung der Liptauer Tátra (Edited by Posewitz Theodor) (1900)
- Matej Bel o Liptovských Tatrách (Edited by Houdek Ivan) (1959)
- Matej Bel, slovenský geograf (Edited by Houdek Ivan) (1984)
- Moson vármegye leírása (1985)
- Gömör vármegye leírása (1992)
- Békés vármegye leírása (1993)
- De vetere litteratura Hunno-Scythica exertitatio
- Magyar grammatika vagy-is a' hazai nyelvnek gyökeres megtanulására való intézet...
