My w mediach

Who was Comenius?

John Amos Comenius (Jan Amos Komenský; ) (28 March 1592 – 4 November 1670) was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer. He was the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, a religious refugee, and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna. He is often considered the father of modern education. Comenius originated from Moravia, but his birthplace isn't exactly known. There are three possible locations: Komňa, Nivnice, or Uherský Brod.He came from Hungary during the 16th century and his original family name was Szeges (his first name was János Szeges) according to his will found in 1968 by Milada Blekastad, a monographer of Comenius.

Komňa is a small village where his ancestors from the Szeges family lived and where he takes his name from. (Czech: Komňa - Komenský; Comenius is a Latinised form).

Nivnice is a small village where he spent his childhood.

Uherský Brod is a town where he moved during his childhood. A museum devoted to him is located there.

Comenius became a pastor at age 24; after the 1620 led the Brethren into exile when the Protestants in Bohemia were persecuted under the Habsburg Counter-Reformation. He lived and worked in many different countries in Europe, including Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Transylvania, the Holy Roman Empire, England, the Netherlands, and Royal Hungary. Comenius took refuge in Leszno in Poland, where he led the gymnasium, then moved to Sweden to work with Queen Christina and the chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. From 1642-1648 he went to Elbing (Elbląg) in Polish Royal Prussia, then to England with the aid of Samuel Hartlib, who came originally from Elbing. In 1650 Zsuzsanna Lorántffy, widow of George I Rákóczi prince of Transylvania invited him to Sárospatak. Comenius remained there until 1654 as professor in the first Hungarian Protestant college; he wrote some of his most important works there. Comenius returned to Leszno. During the Northern Wars in 1655, he declared his support for the Protestant Swedish side, for which his house, his manuscripts, and the school's printing press were burned down by Polish partisans in 1656. From there he took refuge in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he died in 1670. For unclear reasons he was buried in Naarden, where his grave can be visited in the mausoleum devoted to him.

Comenius on relief at school building in Dolany, Czech Republic.One of his daughters, Elisabeth, married Peter Figulus from Jablonné nad Orlicí. Their son, Daniel Ernst Jablonski, Comenius's grandson, later went to Berlin, where he became the highest official pastor at the court of King Frederick I of Prussia. There he became acquainted with Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf was among the first successors to Comenius as bishop in the renewed Moravian Brethren's Church.