Gábor Döbrentei
Encyclopedia
Gábor Döbrentei Hungarian
philologist and antiquary, was born in a city in Austria-Hungary then called Nagyszőlős (now Vynohradiv
in southwestern Ukraine
). As the son of itinerant Lutheran preacher Lajos Döbrentey, his early schooling was in Pápa
; he remained in grammar school in Sopron
on the Austrian border until 1805.
He completed his studies at the universities of Wittenberg and Leipzig
, and was afterwards engaged as a tutor
in Transylvania
. In 1814 he originated and edited the Erdélyi Muzeum, which, notwithstanding its important influence on the development of Hungarian language
and literature
, soon failed for want of support. In 1820, Döbrentei settled at Pest, and there he spent the rest of his life.
He held various official posts, but continued zealously to pursue the studies for which he had early shown a strong preference. His great work is the Ancient Monuments of the Magyar Language (Régi Magyar Nyelvemlékek), the editing of which was entrusted to him by the Hungarian Academy. The first volume was published in 1838, and the fifth was in preparation at the time of his death.
Döbrentei was one of the twenty-two scholars appointed in 1825 to plan and organize, under the presidency of Count Teleki, the Hungarian Academy. In addition to his great work he wrote many valuable papers on historical and philological subjects, and many biographical notices of eminent Hungarians. these appeared in the Hungarian translation of Brockhaus
's Conversations-Lexikon.
He translated into Hungarian Macbeth
and other plays of Shakespeare, Sterne
's Letters from Yorick to Eliza (1828), several of Schiller
's tragedies, and Molière
's A vare, and wrote several original poems.
Döbrentei does not appear to have taken any part in the revolutionary movement of 1848
. He died at his country house, near Pest.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
philologist and antiquary, was born in a city in Austria-Hungary then called Nagyszőlős (now Vynohradiv
Vynohradiv
Vynohradiv , , Yiddish: סעליש ) is a city in western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast. It has 27,600 inhabitants . It is center of Vynohradiv Raion.-Location:The city lies near the river Tisza and the border with Romania...
in southwestern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). As the son of itinerant Lutheran preacher Lajos Döbrentey, his early schooling was in Pápa
Pápa
Pápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
; he remained in grammar school in Sopron
Sopron
In 1910 Sopron had 33,932 inhabitants . Religions: 64.1% Roman Catholic, 27.8% Lutheran, 6.6% Jewish, 1.2% Calvinist, 0.3% other. In 2001 the city had 56,125 inhabitants...
on the Austrian border until 1805.
He completed his studies at the universities of Wittenberg and Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, and was afterwards engaged as a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. In 1814 he originated and edited the Erdélyi Muzeum, which, notwithstanding its important influence on the development of Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and literature
Hungarian literature
Hungarian literature is literature written in the Hungarian language, predominantly by Hungarians.There is a limited amount of Old Hungarian literature dating to between the late 12th and the early 16th centuries...
, soon failed for want of support. In 1820, Döbrentei settled at Pest, and there he spent the rest of his life.
He held various official posts, but continued zealously to pursue the studies for which he had early shown a strong preference. His great work is the Ancient Monuments of the Magyar Language (Régi Magyar Nyelvemlékek), the editing of which was entrusted to him by the Hungarian Academy. The first volume was published in 1838, and the fifth was in preparation at the time of his death.
Döbrentei was one of the twenty-two scholars appointed in 1825 to plan and organize, under the presidency of Count Teleki, the Hungarian Academy. In addition to his great work he wrote many valuable papers on historical and philological subjects, and many biographical notices of eminent Hungarians. these appeared in the Hungarian translation of Brockhaus
Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus
Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus was a German encyclopedia publisher and editor, famed for publishing the Conversations-Lexikon, which is now published as the Brockhaus encyclopedia.-Biography:...
's Conversations-Lexikon.
He translated into Hungarian Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
and other plays of Shakespeare, Sterne
Laurence Sterne
Laurence Sterne was an Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy; but he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics...
's Letters from Yorick to Eliza (1828), several of Schiller
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
's tragedies, and Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's A vare, and wrote several original poems.
Döbrentei does not appear to have taken any part in the revolutionary movement of 1848
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
. He died at his country house, near Pest.