Bohuslav Balbín

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Bohuslav Balbín

Bohuslav Ludvík Balbín (Latinized also Bohuslav Balbinus ; * December 3 or December 4, 1621 in Königgrätz ; † November 28 or November 29, 1688 in Prague ) was a Bohemian Jesuit , man of letters , historian and geographer . As a patriot , he campaigned for the promotion and use of the Czech language . He also pursued the goals of recatholicization . He was one of the most influential scholars of his time.

Life

Bohuslav Ludvík Balbín came from the East Bohemian knightly family of the Balbínové z Vorličné ( Balbin (us) von Worliczna ). He was the seventh and youngest child of the Pardubice royal burgrave Lukáš Škvornic Balbín z Vorličné, who died in 1622. At the baptism Bohuslav was held by Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Waldstein , who was probably also his godfather. After the death of his father, he was brought up by Otto von Oppersdorf , a friend of the family, at the Častolovice Castle , where he moved with his mother Susanna. Both were also supported by Nikolaus von Schönfeldt. He was often ill as a child, but eventually outlived all of his six siblings. He was an avid reader and was primarily interested in history. He is said to have read Václav Hájek z Libočan's chronicle three times at the age of seven . He grew up in a Catholic area, which shaped him and his faith strongly.

At the age of nine he was admitted to the Benedictine school of the Braunau monastery for a year , after which he attended Jesuit schools in Jičín , Prague , Olomouc , Brno and Glatz . He studied classical languages, literature and philosophy and deepened his knowledge of the history of Bohemia. In Olomouc he was under the influence of Father Mikuláš Leczy, whose life story he later wrote down. He spent his holidays at the Častolovice Castle . He accompanied Otto von Oppersdorf on the hunt and got to know the beauties of nature.

In 1636, at the age of fifteen, he became a novice at the Jesuit college in Brno, and two years later he took his first religious vows. At the age of eighteen he began studying philosophy at the Prague Jesuit College, Clementinum . After completing his bachelor's degree , he taught at the high school of the Clementinum and at the Jesuit school in Wittingau , so that he could later continue studying theology according to the rules of the Jesuit order . He graduated with a doctorate .

For Ferdinand IV's coronation in 1646, his first work was published with the title “Legatio apollinis coelestis ad universitatem Pragensem”. It was not a purely geographic work, but rather, as was customary in the time of humanism , a poetic work. He wrote this and all of his later works in Latin .

Two events during his student days had a particular impact on Balbín. In 1642 he accompanied the Spanish pedagogue Rodrigo Arriaga on a trip through Bohemia, where he was able to collect material for his later historical research in libraries and archives. Six years later, shortly before the end of the Thirty Years' War , he participated as a member of the Student Legion in the defense of Charles Bridge against the Swedes and was injured in the process.

In 1649 Balbín was ordained priest, along with the title of master of fine arts . At his own request he became a missionary in Bohemia, for example in the area around Kunvald . His endeavor was to convert the last of the Hussite believers and the Protestants . In contrast to other advocates of recatholicization , he proceeded mildly. After finishing his missionary work, he returned to teaching in 1653. He often changed his place of work and taught at Jesuit colleges in Glatz , Prague, Český Krumlov , Brno , Jičín and Jindřichův Hradec . In 1661 he had to stop teaching, the reasons for this were insufficient religious belief and his strong patriotism . He had to leave Prague because of his criticism of the authorities, especially of the highest state official and deputy Bernard Ignác Bořita von Martinic , who also did not approve the printing of his excerpts from the history of Bohemia. Balbín was sent to the province and charged with writing a history of the Bohemian Province of the Jesuit Order. He was only able to return to Prague in 1676.

Balbín later had big problems with his superiors, isolated himself more and more and devoted himself to his geographic work. He recognized the danger of Germanization after the battle of the White Mountain and began to fight for the preservation of the Czech language and culture. Already during his missionary time he collected old writings and books. Not to burn them, but to document national history.

Due to his frequently changing whereabouts, Balbín had the opportunity to research in many libraries and archives. He summarized the results primarily in his 20-volume work “Miscellanea Historica Regni Bohemiae”, of which 10 volumes were published. Since he described all the important cultural and historical monuments of Bohemia, as well as the nature, the inhabitants, the Bohemian saints and the Czech language, he became the most important defender of the during the Counter-Reformation , when all Bohemian-national expressions had almost come to a standstill bohemian folklore. Because of his knowledgeable and illustrative representations, Balbín received the title of "Titus Livius de la Bohéme".

Despite illnesses and almost complete blindness, Balbín worked on his literary and historical work even in old age. After suffering two strokes, he continued work with the help of a clerk. He died in 1683 four days before he would be 67 and was buried in the crypt of the Church of St. Salvator in Prague.

plant

Memorial plaque on the basilica in Stará Boleslav

Bohuslav Balbín was an admirer of the chronicler Václav Hájek z Libočan , who had a great influence on his work. He also took over from Hájek some historical mistakes that contributed to the glorification of Bohemian history.

His first historical work in two volumes under the title "Diva Vartensis seu Origen et Miracula magnae Dei hominumque Matris Marie, quae a dead retro saeculis Wartae in limitibus Silesiae comitatusque Glacensis ... colitur" was published in 1665. It describes the Marian shrine Wartha on the border between the Silesian Duchy of Münsterberg and the County of Glatz . The 304-page book deals with the pilgrimage site and its history in the first part, and the miracles in the second. The book had great success and was soon translated into German. He later wrote similar books about the pilgrimage sites in Tuřany near Brno and the monument to the Virgin Mary of the Holy Mountain near Příbram . He was then commissioned by the Jesuits to edit the history of the order in Bohemia. However, he never finished the complete work. However, in some writings he foresaw the difficulties of the Jesuit order.

1672–73 in Klatovy Balbín wrote the "Dissertatio apologetica pro lingua Slavonica, praecipue Bohemica". This anonymously published work, which was banned at the time, is his most famous book. Here Balbín defends the right to his own language, condemns the renegade nobility and expresses opinions against the ruling class, but also against the civil servants, schools and the church. He ends the work with a prayer that “ St. Wenceslas will not let us and the future die out…” The book was only published in 1775 by František Martin Pelcl . It did not appear in the Czech language until 1896.

He saw his life's work in the writing of Czech history. First he wrote a Latin excerpt from the history of Bohemia with the title "Epitome historica rerum Bohemicarum" about the beginning of Christianity in the country up to 1526. Here he particularly emphasized the reign of Emperor Charles IV , whose era he considered the height of the Bohemian history held. However, the censors insisted that many chapters be revised, especially those relating to Habsburg rule and taxes. The first part of the actual main work, which should consist of a total of 30 books and was never completed, was published by Balbín in 1676 under the title "Miscellanea historica regni Bohemiae" ( Diversity from the history of the Bohemian kingdom ). Part of it was an elaboration of the Bohemian cultural history with the title "Bohemia docta" ( learned Bohemia ). This part of the work looks at the history of Bohemian literature and the cultural endeavors of Bohemia. Although written in the spirit of Catholicism, it testifies to Balbín's love for his homeland, the country and its history. The first book, “Liber naturalis”, deals with the natural history of Bohemia, the second, “Popularis”, deals with its inhabitants, the third, “Chorographicus”, deals with the topography and the description of the place. The book “Hagiographicus” or “Bohemia sancta” is a collection of all 134 saints of Bohemia, the beatified, the martyrs and their miracles. This is followed by the book “Parochialis” or “Sacer dotalis” about parishes, “Episcopalis” about the Archdiocese of Prague , “Regalis” deals with Bohemian rulers and “Epistolaris” explains constitutional treaties. Two books are devoted to the genealogy of the Bohemian families. This book was published a second time in 1770 by J. Diesbach with his own comments. Another book deals with courts and offices in Bohemia: "Liber curialis seu de magistratibus et officiis curialibus regum Bohemiae".

Bohuslav Balbín is also the author of works on the history of religion and the life of John of Nepomuk and other saints. He left a handwriting in which he describes the places and history that are dedicated to the Virgin Mary or that were named after her. In 1666 he wrote “Verisimilia humanorum disciplinarum” for his students, and eleven years later “Auxilia poetices”. The life of Archbishop Ernst von Pardubitz deals with “Vita venerabilis Arnesti primi archiepiscopi Pragensis”. In "Origines illustrissimorum comitum de Guttenstein, ubi refertur Vita B. Hroznatae" he processes the origin of the Count Gutštejn and proves that they are descended from Hroznata von Ovenec . Bohuslav Balbín also wrote poems and published them in "Examen melissaeum". The last completed work is the “Vita vener. Patris Nicolai Lancicii “(Life of the worthy father Mikuláš Leczycký).

bibliography

  • Legatio Apollinis coelestis ad universitatem Pragensem etc. - published at the coronation of Ferdinand IV (1646). Because of this writing he had to leave Prague and then stayed in Klattau .
  • Epitome historica rerum Bohemicarum - extract from Bohemian history. Prague, Soc. Jesu, 1677 (Complete title: Epitome historica rerum Bohemicarum; quam ob venerationem christianae antiquitatis, et primae in Bohemia collegialis ecclesiae honorem, Boleslaviensem historiam placuit appellare.)
  • Dissertatio apologetica pro lingua Slavonica, praecipue Bohemica - defense of the Slavic language, especially the Czech language. Because it was too demanding, it was not widely used.
  • Diva Vartensis seu Origines et Miracula magnae Dei hominumque Matris Marie, quae a tot retro saeculis Wartae in limitibus Silesiae comitatusque Glacensis… colitur
  • Diva Turzanensis - in Tuřany (Moravia)
  • Diva S. Monti - Holy Mountain near Příbram
  • Origines Comit. de Guttenstein - origin of the Counts of Gutštejna
  • Vita venerab. Arnesti - The life of the Archbishop Ernst von Pardubitz
  • Miscellanea historica regni Bohemiae - Bohemian history
    • Liber naturalis - The nature of Bohemia
    • Liber popularis - The population
    • Liber chorographicus - description of the place
    • Liber hagiographicus - also Bohemia sancta - Of saints
    • Liber parochialis - also Sacer dotalis - of parishes
    • Liber episcopalis - The Prague Archdiocese
    • Liber regalis - from rulers
    • Liber epistolaris - collection of contracts
    • Bohemia docta - The learned Bohemia, deals with the Bohemian literature and teaching
    • Liber curialis seu de magistratibus et officiis curialibus regem Boohemiae - book about courts and offices of the Czech crown
  • Quaesita oratoria - textbook
  • Verisimilia humaniorum disciplinarum - textbook
  • Examination Mellisaeum - Poems

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Balbín, Bohuslav
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Balbín, Bohuslav Ludvík (full name); Balbinus, Bohuslav
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian Jesuit, man of letters, historian and geographer
DATE OF BIRTH December 3, 1621 or December 4, 1621
PLACE OF BIRTH Königgrätz
DATE OF DEATH November 28, 1688 or November 29, 1688
Place of death Prague