Portrait of Comenius by Rembrandt

John Amos Comenius (Czech: Jan Amos Komenský; German: Johann Amos Comenius; Polish: Jan Amos Komeński; latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) (March 28, 1592 – November 15, 1670) was a Czech teacher, scientist, educator, and writer. He was a Unity of the Brethren/Moravian Protestant bishop, a religious refugee, and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna. Comenius became known as the teacher of nations. Image File history File links Rembrandt_Komensky. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606– October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... In literature, latinisation is the practice of writing a name in a Latin style when writing in Latin so as to more closely emulate Latin authors, or to present a more impressive image. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 30 - The death of Pope Innocent IX during the previous year had left the Papal throne vacant. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The Unity of the Brethren (Czech Jednota bratrská also known under the Latin name as Unitas Fratrum. ... The Moravian Seal, as rendered by North Carolina artist Marie Nifong The Moravian churches form a modern, mainline Protestant denomination with a religious heritage that began in 15th-century Bohemia, Czech Republic. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... // Public education is education mandated for the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. ...

Life and work

Comenius on relief at school building in Dolany, Czech Republic.

Comenius on a stone in Berlin, Germany

The birthplace of Comenius is not known. There are three possible locations: Komňa, Nivnice, or Uherský Brod in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1954x1090, 279 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Comenius ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1954x1090, 279 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Comenius ... In the art of sculpture, a relief is an artwork where a modelled form projects out of a flat background. ... Dolany is name of several places in the Czech Republic: village Dolany in Pardubice District This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 780 KB) en: Description: Johann Amos Comenius in Berlin (Germany) Author: Denis Apel (Stardado) Date: 13. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 780 KB) en: Description: Johann Amos Comenius in Berlin (Germany) Author: Denis Apel (Stardado) Date: 13. ... Location of Berlin within Germany / EU Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE3 City subdivisions 12 boroughs Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) Governing parties SPD / Left. ... Location Uhersky Brod Uherský Brod is a town situated in the south-east of Moravia (Czech: Morava). ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech RepublicCzechia. ...

• Komňa is a small village where his parents lived and where he takes his name from. (Czech: Komňa => Komenský; Comenius is a latinised form).
• Nivnice is a village where he spent his childhood and the most likely birthplace.
• Uherský Brod is a town where to he moved during his childhood. There is a museum devoted to him there.

He studied at Herborn in Hesse and at Heidelberg in the Palatinate. He was greatly influenced by the Irish Jesuit William Bathe, who wrote Janua Linguaram (The Messe of Tongues) as well as his teachers Johann Piscator, Heinrich Gutberleth, and particularly Heinrich Alsted. The Herborn school held the principle that every theory has to be functional in practical use, therefore has to be didactic, ie morally instructive. Comenius had a few wrinkles on his mentors' thoughts later published in Janua linguarum reserata (1631) which may have made him and the Moravian Church especial targets of the Counter Reformation. Alternately, the work may have resulted from the pogroms which drove him and his church out of its homeland into exile, but in any event, the work led him to widespread prominence and fame while suffering exile. Herborn is a little town in the Lahn-Dill district, Hessen, Germany. ... Hesse (German: Hessen) is a state of Germany with an area of 21,110 km² and just over six million inhabitants. ... Heidelberg and the other cities of the Neckar valley The castle (Schloss) above the town Main Street (Hauptstrasse) Shopping district View from the so called alley of philosophers (Philosophenweg) towards the Old Town, with Heidelberg Castle, Heiliggeist Church and the Old Bridge Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... William Bathe (1564 - 1614) was a Jesuit priest, born in Dublin, Ireland. ... Johann Heinrich Alsted (March 1588 - November 9, 1638) was a German Protestant divine. ... The Counter-Reformation (sometimes called the Catholic Reformation[1][2] or Catholic Revival[2]) was a movement within the Catholic Church to reform itself and to protect itself from Protestant attacks (protests), starting with the middle of the sixteenth century, in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. ...

Comenius became a pastor at age 24 and led the Brethren into exile when the Protestants were persecuted under the 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 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. Comenius went to Leszno again and during the Northern Wars in 1655 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. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or ; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / or / ) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... The extent of the Holy Roman Empire in c. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Consequences of the Battle of Mohács, and the conquest of Buda in 1541 by the Ottomans: the Kingdom is partitioned. ... Leszno ( ), German Lissa, is a town in central Poland with 63,300 inhabitants (2001). ... A gymnasium (pronounced with or, in Swedish, as opposed to ) is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English Grammar Schools and U.S. High Schools. ... Christina (Kristina) (December 8, 1626 – April 19, 1689), later known as Maria Christina Alexandra and sometimes Count Dohna, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. ... Count Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna   listen? or Oxenstjerna (June 16, 1583 - August 28, 1654), Lord High Chancellor of Sweden, was born at FÃ¥nö in Uplandia, and received his education with his brothers at the universities of Rostock, Jena and Wittenberg. ... ElblÄ…g (IPA: ; until 1946:German: ) is a city in northern Poland with 130,000 inhabitants. ... Map of Royal Prussia (light pink) History  - Established October 19, 1466  - Loss of autonomy 1 July 1569  - Annexed August 5, 1772 Royal Prussia (German: ; Polish: ) was a province of the Kingdom of Poland and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772. ... Samuel Hartlieb (ca. ... King Charles X of Sweden The Northern Wars (1655-1661) is a name sometimes used for the series of conflicts between Sweden and its adversaries Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (The Deluge, 1655-1660), Russia (1656-1661), Brandenburg-Prussia (1657-1660), the Holy Roman Empire (1657-60) and Denmark (1657-1658, 1658... Nickname: Motto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant, Determined, Compassionate) Location of Amsterdam Coordinates: Country Netherlands Province North Holland Government  - Mayor Job Cohen (PvdA)  - Aldermen Lodewijk Asscher Hennah Buyne Carolien Gehrels Tjeerd Herrema Maarten van Poelgeest Marijke Vos  - Secretary Erik Gerritsen Area [1][2]  - City 219 km²  (84. ... Naarden is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ...

Interesting facts surrounding Comenius' life include his being considered a father of modern education and having been asked to be the first President of Harvard University. Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ...

His book, Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart, is actually a reflection of his life experience. Comenius and studies into his life and teachings have become better known since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Warsaw Pact countries to the east of the Iron Curtain are shaded red; NATO members to the west of it — blue. ...

One of his daughters, Elisabeth, married Peter Figulus from Danzig (Gdańsk). 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 the among the first successors to Comenius as bishop in the renewed Moravian Brethren's Church. GdaÅ„sk ( ; IPA: ), also known by its German name Danzig ( ) and several other names, is the sixth-largest city in Poland and is Polands principal seaport and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. ... Location of Berlin within Germany / EU Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE3 City subdivisions 12 boroughs Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) Governing parties SPD / Left. ... Friedrich I of Prussia, Kurfürst of Brandenburg, King in Russia (Fredrick I, July 11, 1857 -- February 25, 1913), Hohenzollern, was the first King in Prussia, reigning from January 18, 2001, until his death. ... Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, (May 26, 1700 – May 9, 1760), German religious and social reformer, was born at Dresden. ... A Moravian is a Protestant belonging to a religious movement that originated in Moravia, Czech Republic. ...

Comenius was the author of numerous publications, such as Janua Linguarum Reserata (a new Dutch translation by CFJ Antonides is available), Orbis Sensualium Pictus (World in Pictures) (1657), probably the most renowned and most widely circulated of school textbooks,[1] and the Protestant Hymn songbooks (Gesangbuch). Orbis Pictus, or Orbis Sensualium Pictus (The Visible World in Pictures) is a textbook for children written by Czech educator Jan Ámos Komenský. It is something of a childrens encyclopedia and is considered to be the first picture book intended for children. ...

Legacy

Comenius on a Czechoslovak 20 koruna banknote

During the 19th century Czech National Revival, Comenius became idealised as a symbol of the Czech nation. This image persists to the present day. Comenius on a 20 KCS bill. ... Comenius on a 20 KCS bill. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The koruna is the name of several European currencies and former currencies: Czech koruna Slovak koruna Austro-Hungarian krone (localized as koruna in Czech/Slovak) Bohemian and Moravian koruna Czechoslovak koruna Slovak koruna (WWII) The word koruna means crown in English. ... Czech National Revival was a cultural movement, which took part in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th century. ... Czechs (Czech: Češi) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. ...

In Sárospatak, Hungary, a teacher's college is named after him (the college now belongs to the University of Miskolc.) Sárospatak is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. ... The University of Miskolc (before 1990: Technical University of Heavy Industry) is the largest university of Northern Hungary. ...

March 28, the birthday of Comenius, is celebrated as Teachers' Day in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. In some countries, Teachers Days are special days for the appreciation of teachers. ...

The Comenius Medal, one of UNESCO’s most prestigious awards honouring outstanding achievements in the fields of education research and innovation, is named after him. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

In 1892 Comenius Hall, the principal classroom and faculty office building on Moravian College's campus, was built. In 1892 the three-hundredth anniversary of Comenius was very widely celebrated by educators, and at that time the Comenian Society for the study and publication of his works was formed.[2] very old building at moravian college in bethlehem, pa ... Moravian College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. ...

In 1919 the Comenius University was founded in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, (now in Slovakia). It was the first university with courses in the Slovak language. Nickname: Location of Bratislava within Slovakia Coordinates: Country Slovakia Region Bratislava Region Districts Bratislava I-V City parts 17 city boroughs Cadastral areas 20 cadastral areas First mentioned 907[1] Government  - Type City Council  - Mayor (Primátor) Andrej ÄŽurkovský[2] Area  - City 367. ... Slovak (slovenčina, slovenský jazyk) is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Slavic languages (together with Czech, Polish and Sorbian). ...

A European Union school partnership program (Comenius - European Cooperation on School Education) has been named after the teacher of nations.

The education department at Salem College has an annual Comenius Symposium dedicated in his honor; the subjects usually deal with modern issues in education. Salem College is a small, womens liberal arts college located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ...

Gate to Languages, a project of lifelong education, taking place in the Czech Republic from October 2005 to June 2007 and aimed at language education of teachers, was named after his book Janua linguarum reserata (Gate to Languages Unlocked). Gate to Languages is a project of lifelong education of teachers, organized in the Czech Republic by National Institute for Further Education (NIFE) since 17 October 2005. ... Lifelong learning is the concept that Its never too soon or too late for learning, a philosophy that has taken root in organisations such as the UK Governments Department for Education and Science. ...

A primary school in Skopje Republic of Macedonia is named after Comenius (Jan Amos Komenski in Macedonian). The school was built by the Czechoslovakian government after the catastrophic earthquake in 1963 that levelled most of Skopje. The church of St. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Comenius Foundation is a non-governmental organisation in Poland, dedicated to the provision of equal opportunities to children under 10 years of age. The term non-governmental organization (NGO) is used in a variety of ways all over the world and, depending on the context in which it is used, can refer to many different types of organizations. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Comenius

• Jan Amos Comenius Medal, established by UNESCO and the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic in 1992
• Moravian College
• Comenius Hall
• History of philosophy in Poland

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Moravian College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. ... very old building at moravian college in bethlehem, pa ... The history of philosophy in Poland parallels the evolution of philosophy in Europe generally. ...

Bibliography

• Orbis Pictus
• Gesangbuch
• Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart
• Spicilegium Didacticum (1680)

Orbis Pictus, or Orbis Sensualium Pictus (The Visible World in Pictures) is a textbook for children written by Czech educator Jan Ámos Komenský. It is something of a childrens encyclopedia and is considered to be the first picture book intended for children. ...

Publications

• Keatinge, The Great Didactic of Comenius (London, 1896)
• Laurie, John Amos Comenius (1881; sixth edition, 1898)
• Quick, Essays on Educational Reformers (London, 1890)
• Müller, Comenius, ein Systematiker in der Pädagogik (Dresden, 1887)
• Löscher, Comenius, der Pädagogik und Bischof (Leipzig, 1889)
• Monroe, Comenius and the Beginning of Educational Reform (New York, 1900)

Robert Herbert Quick (1831-91) was an English educaor, born in London. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

John Amos Comenius

• Comenius' biography
• Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, Central Europe
• J.A. Comenius Museum in Uherský Brod
• Comenius Museum & Mausoleum, Naarden, NL
• The Comenius Foundation, Poland
• Article by the psychologist Jean Piaget on the importance of Comenius (PDF)