Samuil Micu-Klein
Encyclopedia
Samuil Micu Klein was a Romanian theologist, historian, philologist and philosopher, a member of the Enlightenment-era movement of Transylvanian School
(Şcoala Ardeleană).
n village of Sadu
, in the Austrian Empire
(now in Sibiu County
, Romania
), he was the son of a Greek-Catholic protopope
and the nephew of bishop Inocenţiu Micu-Klein
.
He began studying to study at the Seminary of Blaj
and he joined the Order of Saint Basil in 1762. Micu received a scholarship in 1762 and began studying at the Catholic Pázmáneum
University of Vienna
. There is little known about his life in Vienna, but it is known he was attracted to science, studying experimental physics, mechanics and mathematics, in addition to theology and philosophy.
In 1772, returning to Blaj to teach ethics and mathematics at the Seminary, Klein met and befriended bishop Grigorie Maior, whom he accompanied in visits throughout his diocese, trying to win converts to Greek-Catholicism. These trips proved to be useful in his study of the Romanian language
, especially of the language spoken by the peasants, gathering materials for a future grammar. Klain was also interested in Romanian folklore, his writings being one the earliest works on it.
In 1774, he finished writing a work of history named De ortu progressu conversione valachorum episcopis item archiepiscopis et metropolitis eorum, which talked about the Roman origins of the Romanians and the origins of their faith in the Roman Christian Church in ancient Dacia
. Apparently, his goal was to make the bishopric become a metropolis, so it would no longer belong to the Archdiocese of Esztergom.
He went to Vienna in 1779 to become a prefect of studies at the Saint Barbara College, he published in 1780, together with Gheorghe Sincai
the first Romanian grammar, Elementa linguae daco-romanae sive valachicae.
Klein returned to Blaj, and between 1782 and 1804, he was very productive both in his translations and in writing original works:
Klein moved to Buda
in 1804 to become the editor at the University of Buda press for the Romanian-language books, hoping that this would allow him to publish his historical works, a project which did not become true because of his death just two years later.
Transylvanian School
The Transylvanian School was a cultural movement which was founded after part of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Habsburg-ruled Transylvania accepted the leadership of the Pope and became the Greek-Catholic Church . The links with Rome brought to the Romanian Tranylvanians the ideas of the Age of...
(Şcoala Ardeleană).
Biography
Born as Maniu Micu in the TransylvaniaTransylvania
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...
n village of Sadu
Sadu
Sadu is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 27 km south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area...
, in the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
(now in Sibiu County
Sibiu County
Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km²....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), he was the son of a Greek-Catholic protopope
Protopope
A Protopope , or Protopresbyter, is a priest of higher rank in the Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches, corresponding in general to the Western archpriest or Latin dean.-History:...
and the nephew of bishop Inocenţiu Micu-Klein
Inocentiu Micu-Klein
Iaoan Inocenţiu Micu-Klein was a Bishop of Făgăraş and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1730 to his resignation in 1751...
.
He began studying to study at the Seminary of Blaj
Blaj
Blaj is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,758 inhabitants.The landmark of the city is the fact that it was the principal religious and cultural center of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in Transylvania....
and he joined the Order of Saint Basil in 1762. Micu received a scholarship in 1762 and began studying at the Catholic Pázmáneum
Pázmáneum
The Pázmáneum is a university in Vienna, founded in 1623 by Péter Pázmány as a seminary for theological candidates. It was created at a cost of 200,000 florins.-References:* -Further reading:...
University of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. There is little known about his life in Vienna, but it is known he was attracted to science, studying experimental physics, mechanics and mathematics, in addition to theology and philosophy.
In 1772, returning to Blaj to teach ethics and mathematics at the Seminary, Klein met and befriended bishop Grigorie Maior, whom he accompanied in visits throughout his diocese, trying to win converts to Greek-Catholicism. These trips proved to be useful in his study of the Romanian language
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, especially of the language spoken by the peasants, gathering materials for a future grammar. Klain was also interested in Romanian folklore, his writings being one the earliest works on it.
In 1774, he finished writing a work of history named De ortu progressu conversione valachorum episcopis item archiepiscopis et metropolitis eorum, which talked about the Roman origins of the Romanians and the origins of their faith in the Roman Christian Church in ancient Dacia
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
. Apparently, his goal was to make the bishopric become a metropolis, so it would no longer belong to the Archdiocese of Esztergom.
He went to Vienna in 1779 to become a prefect of studies at the Saint Barbara College, he published in 1780, together with Gheorghe Sincai
Gheorghe Sincai
Gheorghe Șincai was an ethnic Romanian Transylvanian historian, philologist, translator, poet, and representative of the Enlightenment-influenced Transylvanian School....
the first Romanian grammar, Elementa linguae daco-romanae sive valachicae.
Klein returned to Blaj, and between 1782 and 1804, he was very productive both in his translations and in writing original works:
- translation of textbooks for Blaj schools
- translation of over seventy-seven titles and 7,500 pages from the Church FathersChurch FathersThe Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
- a history of Romania entitled Scurtă cunoştinţă a istoriei Românilor (1792)
- a translation of the bible (Biblia de la Blaj, 1795)
- a four-volume Latin draft of Istoria, lucrurile şi întâmplările Românilor (1800, though only a 1805 translation to Romanian survived)
Klein moved to Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1804 to become the editor at the University of Buda press for the Romanian-language books, hoping that this would allow him to publish his historical works, a project which did not become true because of his death just two years later.
Further reading
- Pompiliu Teodor, Sub semnul luminilor. Samuil Micu Editura Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj, 2000, 507 p.