Martin Rakovský
Encyclopedia
Márton Rakovszky de Rákó was a Renaissance
era Hungarian poet and humanist scholar who lived in what is modern day Slovakia
during the mid 16th century. He used the Rakóczy as pen-name, as the name of the family-estate was called "Rakouch," where the name "Rákóc" derives from.
, which is now in the Martin District
of the Žilina Region
in Slovakia. Before 1554, Rakovszky studied at the school in Körmöczbánya/Kremnitz
, now Kremnica
. Thereafter, Rakovszky moved on to Bártfa/Bártfeld, now Bardejov
, where he studied with noted humanist Leonard Stöckel, and later Brassó
/Kronstadt
, now Brasov
before spending 1555-56 at the University of Wittenberg studying under Phillip Melancthon, an associate of Martin Luther
. In 1556, Rakovszky studied in Prague
briefly before returning to Wittenberg to earn his Master's degree, which he did in 1558. During his time of education, Rakovszky served as rector of the school in Saaz in 1556 and then at Loun from 1557-1559. Between 1559-1569, Rakovszky served as a clark of the Royal Chamber of Hungary in Pozsony, Pressburg in German, now Bratislava
, which was the capital of Royal Hungary
at that time as the country's historical capital Buda (now part of Budapest
) was occupied by the Ottoman Turks in 1541. During Turkish
incursions into the region during the late 1560s, Rakovszky stayed at the mansion in Turóckelemenfalva, now Kaľamenová
where he participated in defending his family's property against the Turks in 1569. Rakovszky died suddenly on a visit to his brother Miklós's house in Kutná Hora in 1579.
, the Hungarian crown passed to the Habsburgs, whose officials were mainly Bohemian or German. Thus many Hungarian names were converted by these into a slavic form. The Rakovszky family name went through a number of variations over the years, including: de Rakouch, Rakouczky, Rakoczy, Rakovsky, Rakovszky. All of which are found in the "Royal books" (Liber Regis). His ancestor László de Chernek was in the entourage of the Hungarian king Béla IV in the battle of Muhi against the Tartars/Mongols in 1242. For his and his brother's (Márton de Chernek, a royal chaplain) loyalty they were given estates at Zanasan in Turócz, while still retaining some south-east of lake Balaton. (Documents from 127x).
, Rakovszky published a verse translation of the astronomy textbook Procli sphaera. Upon arrival in Prague, Rakovszky soon became part of the humanistic scholarship ring of Jan, Elder of Hodějov. Elder Jan had an impact on Rakovszky's poems in his work Elegiae et epigrammata (1556), which mostly included hymns and poems written in honor of prominent personalities of the then current Czech life. Rakovszky further developed his poetry by focusing on humanistic civil and political poetry during his time in Loun. The city of Prague is celebrated in his work Boiemicae Lunae Descriptio Urbis (1558) wherein there are hymns dedicated to the city and its character, prayer, speech and exercises, as well as other incidental poems. After arriving in Pozsony (now Braislava, a name invented much after his death), Rakovszky wrote Libellus de causas partibus et reipublicae mutationum regnorum imperiorumque, a civil and political commentary dedicated to Emperor Maximilian II
. This work analyzed the social strata in the country and indicated its place and function in society.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era Hungarian poet and humanist scholar who lived in what is modern day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
during the mid 16th century. He used the Rakóczy as pen-name, as the name of the family-estate was called "Rakouch," where the name "Rákóc" derives from.
Life
Márton Rakovszky was born around the year 1535 in the village of Rakouch, in the county TurócTuróc
Turóc may refer to:* Turóc County* Turóc River...
, which is now in the Martin District
Martin District
Martin District is a district in the Žilina Region of central Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was part of the Hungarian county of Turiec.- Municipalities :*Belá-Dulice*Benice*Blatnica*Bystrička*Diaková*Dolný Kalník*Dražkovce...
of the Žilina Region
Žilina Region
The Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
in Slovakia. Before 1554, Rakovszky studied at the school in Körmöczbánya/Kremnitz
Kremnitz
Kremnitz:* German name of Slovak town Kremnica* Ernst Kremnitz , German entrepreneur* Georg Kremnitz* Mite Kremnitz, née Marie von Bardeleben , a German-Romanian writer* Mordechai Kremnitzer, an Israeli professor...
, now Kremnica
Kremnica
Kremnica is a town in central Slovakia. It has some 5,700 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world.-History:...
. Thereafter, Rakovszky moved on to Bártfa/Bártfeld, now Bardejov
Bardejov
Bardejov is a town in North-Eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Šariš region and has about 33,000 inhabitants. The spa town, mentioned for the first time in 1241, exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely intact medieval town center...
, where he studied with noted humanist Leonard Stöckel, and later Brassó
Brassó
Brassó may refer to:* Brassó, the Hungarian name for Braşov, Romania* Brassó County, a county of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1876 to 1920 with the above city as county seat...
/Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
, now Brasov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
before spending 1555-56 at the University of Wittenberg studying under Phillip Melancthon, an associate of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
. In 1556, Rakovszky studied in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
briefly before returning to Wittenberg to earn his Master's degree, which he did in 1558. During his time of education, Rakovszky served as rector of the school in Saaz in 1556 and then at Loun from 1557-1559. Between 1559-1569, Rakovszky served as a clark of the Royal Chamber of Hungary in Pozsony, Pressburg in German, now Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, which was the capital of Royal Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
at that time as the country's historical capital Buda (now part of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
) was occupied by the Ottoman Turks in 1541. During Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
incursions into the region during the late 1560s, Rakovszky stayed at the mansion in Turóckelemenfalva, now Kaľamenová
Kalamenová
Kaľamenová is a village and municipality in Turčianske Teplice District in the Žilina Region of northern central Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 472 metres and covers an area of 5.795 km². It has a population of about 69 people.-External...
where he participated in defending his family's property against the Turks in 1569. Rakovszky died suddenly on a visit to his brother Miklós's house in Kutná Hora in 1579.
Historical Context and Family
Due to the death of King Louis II in the battle of MohácsBattle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
, the Hungarian crown passed to the Habsburgs, whose officials were mainly Bohemian or German. Thus many Hungarian names were converted by these into a slavic form. The Rakovszky family name went through a number of variations over the years, including: de Rakouch, Rakouczky, Rakoczy, Rakovsky, Rakovszky. All of which are found in the "Royal books" (Liber Regis). His ancestor László de Chernek was in the entourage of the Hungarian king Béla IV in the battle of Muhi against the Tartars/Mongols in 1242. For his and his brother's (Márton de Chernek, a royal chaplain) loyalty they were given estates at Zanasan in Turócz, while still retaining some south-east of lake Balaton. (Documents from 127x).
Work
Márton Rakovszky was one of the most accomplished and widely known humanist scholars of the 16th century, with some of his work gaining notice in a larger European context. During his studies in WittenbergWittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, Rakovszky published a verse translation of the astronomy textbook Procli sphaera. Upon arrival in Prague, Rakovszky soon became part of the humanistic scholarship ring of Jan, Elder of Hodějov. Elder Jan had an impact on Rakovszky's poems in his work Elegiae et epigrammata (1556), which mostly included hymns and poems written in honor of prominent personalities of the then current Czech life. Rakovszky further developed his poetry by focusing on humanistic civil and political poetry during his time in Loun. The city of Prague is celebrated in his work Boiemicae Lunae Descriptio Urbis (1558) wherein there are hymns dedicated to the city and its character, prayer, speech and exercises, as well as other incidental poems. After arriving in Pozsony (now Braislava, a name invented much after his death), Rakovszky wrote Libellus de causas partibus et reipublicae mutationum regnorum imperiorumque, a civil and political commentary dedicated to Emperor Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
. This work analyzed the social strata in the country and indicated its place and function in society.
Some of his works
- 1556 – Elegiae et epigrammata, a collection of epigrams and elegies
- 1563 – Palusus, a poem celebrating the coronation of King Maximilian
- 1574 – De magistratu politico, the author's most important work. Originally there were to have been nine volumes, but ultimately only three were written.
External links
- http://www.rakovszky.eu the homepage of the ancient hungarian noble family Rakovszky de Nagyrákó.
- http://www.rakovszky.eu/default_Dev.shtml?id=LiL3SMarton16c1
- http://mek.niif.hu/03600/03630/html/
- http://zlatyfond.sme.sk/autor/103/Martin-Rakovsky