Beda František Dudík was a Benedictine

Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

 Moravian historian.

Life

After studying at the philosophical school at Brno

Brno

Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...

 he attended the University of Olomouc. In 1836 he entered the Benedictine Order and in 1840 was ordained priest at Rajhrad

Rajhrad

Rajhrad is a town in Brno-Country District, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 2,722 . There is a Benedictine monastery in the town....

. Then until 1854 he taught first the classical languages and then history at the gymnasium of Brünn.

In 1855 he became Privatdozent

Privatdozent

Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...

for historical research at the University of Vienna

University of Vienna

The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...

; in 1859 he was appointed historiographer of Moravia, and in 1865 was made a member of the Academy of Sciences of Vienna. For purposes of historical research he went in 1851 to Sweden, in 1852 to Rome, in 1870 to France, Belgium, and Holland, in 1874 to Russia, a country which he later repeatedly visited.

Between the years 1853 and 1859 he established at Vienna the main historical library of the Teutonic Order.

Works

Dudik was a prolific writer; his works have a lasting value on account of the sources from which he drew. His chief works in chronological order are:

• "Geschichte des Benediktinerstiftes Raigern" (2 vols., Brünn, 1849; 2nd ed., Vienna, 1868);
• "Mährens Geschichts-quellen" (Brünn, 1850);
• "Forschungenin Schweden fur Mährens Geschichte" (Brünn, 1852);
• "Iter Romanum" (2 vols., Vienna, 1855);
• "Des Herzogtums Troppau ehemalige Stellung zur Markgrafschaft Mähren" (Vienna, 1857);
• "Waldsteins Korrespondenz" (Vienna, 1865-66);
• "Waldstein von seiner Enthebung bis zur abermaligen Uebernahme des Armeekommandos" (Vienna, 1858);
• "Des hohen Deutschen Ritterordens Münzsammlung in Wien" (Vienna, 1858, a special edition with 32 copper plates);
• "Kleinodien des Deutschen Ritterordens" (Vienna, 1866);
• "Archive im Konigreich Galizien und Lodomerien" (Vienna, 1867);
• "Erinnerungen aus dem Feldzug in Italien 1866" (Vienna, 1867);
• "Preussen in Mähren im Jahre 1742" (Vienna, 1869);
• "Schweden in Böhmen und Mähren 1640-1660" (Vienna, 1879);
• "Geschichtliche Entwickelung dor Buchdruckerkunst in Mähren von 1486 bis 1621" (Brünn, 1879).

Dudik's most important publication is: "Mährens allgemeine Geschichte" (12 vols., Brünn, 1860-89); it treats the history of Moravia up to 1350. Volumes VIII-X, which give an account of Moravia during the period of the Przemyslian dynasty, have been translated into Czech. He also published several papers in the transactions of the Academy of Sciences; in vol. LIV appeared: "Korrespondenz Ferdinands II. mit seinen Beichtvätern Becanus and Lamormain".

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