Matej Bel
Encyclopedia
Matthias Bel or Matthias Bél was a Lutheran
pastor
and polymath
from the Kingdom of Hungary
. He is also known as the Great Ornament of Hungary (Magnum decus Hungariae). He described himself as "lingua Sla-vus, natione Hungarus, eruditione Germanus" ("by language a Slav
, by nation
a Hungarian, by erudition a German"). He never edited a language book in Slovak though, what is however quite natural as the first attempt to codify written form of Slovak language was performed only in 1787, well after his death. Domestically, Slovak protestants including Bel used at that time so called biblical Czech language instead, introduced by translation of Bible known as Bible of Kralice
.
at which time it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
. His father was Matej Bel, a Slovak
wealthy peasant and butcher, while his mother was Veszprém
-born Erzsébet Cseszneky
, from a Hungarian noble family
, House of Cseszneky
.
According to some Slovak sources, he considered himself an ethnic Slovak, though Bel described himself as "by language a Slav, by nation a Hungarian, by erudition a German". In 1710, he got married to a German woman, Susanna Hermann, and the couple had eight children together.
Bel attended schools in Lučenec
, Kalinovo
, and Dolná Strehová
, and then grammar schools in Banská Bystrica
, Pressburg (today Bratislava
), and briefly in Veszprém
and in the Calvinist
college of Pápa
. Between 1704–1706, he studied theology
, philosophy
, and medicine at the University of Halle and he was appointed rector at the school of Klosterbergen
near Magdeburg
after that. Later, returning to the Kingdom of Hungary, became an assistant rector and became afterwards the rector at the Lutheran grammar school in Banská Bystrica, where he was also simultaneously a 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 then also a pastor of the German Lutheran church in Pressburg.
Bel died on 29 August 1749. He was buried in Pressburg (Bratislava), the cemetery has now disappeared.
One of his notable writings is the Institutiones linguae Germanicae (Rules of the German grammar) written in Latin
for Hungarians, of which special edition was published in Halle
in 1730 for Hungarian students studying in Germany
. He also wrote a popular book ,"Der ungarische Sprachmeister" (Hungarian language master), on Hungarian grammar for Germans. He mistakenly suspected that the Hungarian language was relative of the Hebrew
one. In the one work of him whose name is "Literatura Hunno-Scythica" published in 1718, Bél endeavoured to prove that there existed, at one time, a Hun
-Scythian alphabet ,of which he thought that that must have been known to the Székely
s.
, 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. The chancery entrusted Samuel Mikovíny
to supplement his work with detailed maps. The Notitia’s complete edition could not be achieved during Bél’s lifetime. Only eleven county descriptions were issued in print: Szepes county’s description was published in Bél’s Notitia project introduction, the Prodromus, the other ten county descriptions - namely Pozsony, Turóc, Zólyom, Liptó, Pest-Pilis-Solt, Nógrád, Bars, Nyitra, Hont, Moson – were published in five volumes of the Notitia. The remaining 37 county descriptions alongside with the Jász-Kun districts’ description were left in manuscripts due to the revising county authorities’ negligence or hostility, and the problems with the printery. These manuscripts have been scattered to several archives or collections.
Recently Hungarian historians and philologists began to publish a critical edition of the county descriptions remained in manuscripts, based on the results of a comprehensive research made by the Hungarian historian Gergely Tóth (1977-). Calculating the length of the descriptions, they find it achievable to publish all the descriptions left in manuscript in 10 volumes. The first volume has been already published, which contains the descriptions of Árva and Trencsén countries. (See the external links!)
In 1735 Bel drew up a proposal for the creation of a scientific academy, to be based in Pressburg (today Bratislava
).
(Berlin
), Royal Society of London
, Societas eruditorum incognitorum in terris Austriacis
(Olomouc
), Jena
, 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
.
Matej Bel University
(Univerzita Mateja Bela) in Banská Bystrica is named after him.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
from the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. He is also known as the Great Ornament of Hungary (Magnum decus Hungariae). He described himself as "lingua Sla-vus, natione Hungarus, eruditione Germanus" ("by language a Slav
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
, by nation
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
a Hungarian, by erudition a German"). He never edited a language book in Slovak though, what is however quite natural as the first attempt to codify written form of Slovak language was performed only in 1787, well after his death. Domestically, Slovak protestants including Bel used at that time so called biblical Czech language instead, introduced by translation of Bible known as Bible of Kralice
Bible of Kralice
The Bible of Kralice was the first complete translation of the Bible from the original languages into the Czech language. Translated by the Unity of the Brethren and printed in the town of Kralice nad Oslavou, the first edition had six volumes and was published between the years 1579 and 1593...
.
Origin, life
Matthias Bel was born in Ocsova, OčováOcová
Očová is a village and municipality of the Zvolen District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia. -Official name:...
at which time it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. His father was Matej Bel, a Slovak
Slovak
Slovak may refer to:* Related to, from, or belonging to the country of Slovakia* Slovaks, An ethnic sub-group of the Western Slavic people inhabiting the nation of Slovakia.* Slovak language...
wealthy peasant and butcher, while his mother was Veszprém
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
-born Erzsébet Cseszneky
Erzsébet Cseszneky
Erzsébet Cseszneky de Milvány et Nemesvarbók was a Hungarian noble who lived in the 17th–18th centuries.Erzsébet Cseszneky was either a member of the Veszprém branch or of the Nemesvarbók branch, of the Cseszneky family. Her parents had probably became impoverished because despite her high-born...
, from a Hungarian noble family
Nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary
The origin of the nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary can be traced to the Magyar conquest of Pannonia in the 9th century, and it developed over the course of the Middle Ages...
, House of Cseszneky
House of Cseszneky
The House of Cseszneky was one of the most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Counts Cseszneky de Milvány et Csesznek have produced many individuals notable in Hungarian and general European history and culture.-Name and origin:...
.
According to some Slovak sources, he considered himself an ethnic Slovak, though Bel described himself as "by language a Slav, by nation a Hungarian, by erudition a German". In 1710, he got married to a German woman, Susanna Hermann, and the couple had eight children together.
Bel attended schools in Lučenec
Lucenec
Lučenec is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of the Nógrád county of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia...
, Kalinovo
Kalinovo
Kalinovo is a small village in Poltár District, in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.- External links :* *...
, and Dolná Strehová
Dolná Strehová
Dolná Strehová is a village and municipality in the Veľký Krtíš District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia.-History:In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1251 . It belonged to many feudatory families. In 1534 it passed to Levice town...
, and then grammar schools in Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia...
, Pressburg (today 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...
), and briefly in Veszprém
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
and in the Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
college of 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....
. Between 1704–1706, he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and medicine at the University of Halle and he was appointed rector at the school of Klosterbergen
Klosterbergen
The Kloster Berge school or Berge monastery school was a gymnasium at the Kloster Berge at Buckau on the outskirts of Magdeburg, Germany which was founded in the mid-16th century and during its heyday from 1660 to 1806 was known for the quality of its education.-History:Both Thietmar of Merseburg...
near Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
after that. Later, returning to the Kingdom of Hungary, became an assistant rector and became afterwards the rector at the Lutheran grammar school in Banská Bystrica, where he was also simultaneously a pastor. As a Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
-sympathisant, he was almost executed by General Sigbert Heister
Sigbert Heister
Sigbert Graf Heister was an Imperial Field marshal.His father was Gottfried Heister , Vicepresident of the Hofkriegsrat....
. Between 1714 and 1719, he was the rector of the Lutheran grammar school and then also a pastor of the German Lutheran church in Pressburg.
Bel died on 29 August 1749. He was buried in Pressburg (Bratislava), the cemetery has now disappeared.
Selected works
Been able to speak Slovak, Hungarian, and German, and his works had been published mostly in Latin ,which were steeped in the Hungarian national consciousness as had been manifested for instance in his writing ,the Notitia Hungariae novae historico geographica, which is an extolment of the Hungarian history, influenced by his deep affection for the Hungarian language.One of his notable writings is the Institutiones linguae Germanicae (Rules of the German grammar) written in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for Hungarians, of which special edition was published in Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
in 1730 for Hungarian students studying in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He also wrote a popular book ,"Der ungarische Sprachmeister" (Hungarian language master), on Hungarian grammar for Germans. He mistakenly suspected that the Hungarian language was relative of the Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
one. In the one work of him whose name is "Literatura Hunno-Scythica" published in 1718, Bél endeavoured to prove that there existed, at one time, a Hun
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
-Scythian alphabet ,of which he thought that that must have been known to the Székely
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
s.
Legacy
Bel was an outstanding scholar of his age. He was active in the fields of pedagogyPedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
, philosophy, philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and theoretical theology; he was the founder of Hungarian geographic science and a pioneer of descriptive ethnography and economy. A leading figure in pietism
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
, 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
Old Hungarian script
The Old Hungarian script is an alphabetic writing system used by the Hungarians before the Middle Ages...
and also contributed to the evolution of the Hungarian literary language
Literary language
A literary language is a register of a language that is used in literary writing. This may also include liturgical writing. The difference between literary and non-literary forms is more marked in some languages than in others...
. He revised and republished Gáspár Károli
Gáspár Károli
Gáspár Károli was a Hungarian Calvinist pastor.Károli started his school in Nagykároly and finished in Brassó. In 1556 he went to the Wittenberg Academy. In 1566 he ordered the Synod of Gönc....
'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
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
was aided by many - while others accused him of espionage. The chancery entrusted Samuel Mikovíny
Samuel Mikovíny
Samuel Mikovíny or Mikoviny Sámuel was a renowned Hungarian mathematician, engineer, map maker, and professor. He was a leading representative of science and technology in the 18th century Kingdom of Hungary and Habsburg Monarchy...
to supplement his work with detailed maps. The Notitia’s complete edition could not be achieved during Bél’s lifetime. Only eleven county descriptions were issued in print: Szepes county’s description was published in Bél’s Notitia project introduction, the Prodromus, the other ten county descriptions - namely Pozsony, Turóc, Zólyom, Liptó, Pest-Pilis-Solt, Nógrád, Bars, Nyitra, Hont, Moson – were published in five volumes of the Notitia. The remaining 37 county descriptions alongside with the Jász-Kun districts’ description were left in manuscripts due to the revising county authorities’ negligence or hostility, and the problems with the printery. These manuscripts have been scattered to several archives or collections.
Recently Hungarian historians and philologists began to publish a critical edition of the county descriptions remained in manuscripts, based on the results of a comprehensive research made by the Hungarian historian Gergely Tóth (1977-). Calculating the length of the descriptions, they find it achievable to publish all the descriptions left in manuscript in 10 volumes. The first volume has been already published, which contains the descriptions of Árva and Trencsén countries. (See the external links!)
In 1735 Bel drew up a proposal for the creation of a scientific academy, to be based in Pressburg (today 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...
).
Honours and Awards
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 AcademyPrussian Academy of Sciences
The Prussian Academy of Sciences was an academy established in Berlin on 11 July 1700, four years after the Akademie der Künste or "Arts Academy", to which "Berlin Academy" may also refer.-Origins:...
(Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), Royal Society of London
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, Societas eruditorum incognitorum in terris Austriacis
Societas eruditorum incognitorum in terris Austriacis
Societas eruditorum incognitorum in terris Austriacis was the first learned society in the lands under control of Austrian Habsburgs. It was established, formally, in 1746 at the university and episcopal town of Olomouc in order to spread Enlightenment ideas...
(Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
), Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
). He was elevated to noble rank by Charles VI of Austria
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
, and received a golden medallion with his (Bel's) own portrait from Pope Clement XII
Pope Clement XII
Pope Clement XII , born Lorenzo Corsini, was Pope from 12 July 1730 to 6 February 1740.Born in Florence, the son of Bartolomeo Corsini, Marquis of Casigliano and his wife Isabella Strozzi, sister of the Duke of Bagnuolo, Corsini had been an aristocratic lawyer and financial manager under preceding...
.
Matej Bel University
Matej Bel University
Matej Bel University is a university in the central Slovak town Banská Bystrica. It was established on 1 July 1992 and inaugurated on 23 October 1992...
(Univerzita Mateja Bela) in Banská Bystrica is named after him.
Publications
- Forma sacrorum verborum (Halle, 1707)
- Compendium (1713)
- Invitatio ad symbola conferenda dum historia linguae hungaricae libri II...edere parat... (Berolini, 1713)
- Grammatica latina (Leutschoviae, 1717)
- Rhetorices veteris et novae praecepta (Lipsiae, 1717)
- Institutiones linguac germanicae et slavicae in Hungaria ortu (Leutschoviae, 1718)
- De vetera literatura hunnoscythica exercitatio (Lipsiae, 1718)
- Christophori Cellarii latinitatis probatae et exercitae liber memorialis naturali ordine dispositus (Norimbergae, 1719)
- Flos medicinae scholae Salernitanae (Posonii, 1721)
- Hungariae antiquae et novae prodromus (Norinbergae, 1723)
- Preces christianae (Lipsiae, 1728)
- Die Gatt suchende Seele (1729)
- Der ungarische Sprachmeister. (Pressburg, 1729)
- Adparatus ad historiam Hungariae. Decades II. (Posonii, 1735–46)
- Notitia Hungariae novae historico-geographica. Partis I. Tom. I–IV. Partis II. Tom. V. Viennae, (1735–42)
- Compendium Hungariae geographicum (Posonii, 1753)
- Kurze und zuverlässige Nachricht von dem Zustande der protestantischen Kirche in Ungarn
- Compendiolum regnorum Slavoniae, Croatiae, Dalmatiae, Gallicae et Lodomeriae. Posonii et Cassoviae (1777)
- Miscellanea Berolinensia (1734)
External links
- Matthias Bel: Notitia Hungariae novae historico geographica... Comitatuum ineditorum tomus primus, in quo continentur... Comitatus Arvensis et Trentsiniensis. Edd. Gregorius Tóth, Ladislaus Glück, Zoltanus Gőzsy. Budapestini, 2011. (The introduction in Hungarian and in English can be read on this link)
- BME Irányítástechnika és Informatika Tanszék
- Jószerencsét!
- Magyar Protestáns Panteon
- Catalogus manuscriptorum Matthiae Bél, quae in bibliotheca Lycei Evangelici Posoniensis asservantur
- Tóth, Gergely: Discipuli Posonienses Matthiae Belii. Lymbus 2007. 179-208.