Caspar Helth

Caspar Helth ( Hungarian: Heltai Gáspár ; * around 1520 in Heltau ?; † 1574 in Cluj-Napoca ) was a Protestant theologian, writer, publisher and important representative of the Reformation in Transylvania .

Life

Caspar Helth probably came from the Transylvanian-Saxon city of Heltau in Transylvania . On February 17, 1543 he enrolled at the University of Wittenberg and in 1544 went to Cluj-Napoca as a pastor, where he stayed until 1557. During this time he worked as a Lutheran reformer , but followed Franz Davidis on the path of Calvinism in 1559 .

He earned his living as a book printer. He contributed to the Hungarian translation of the Bible, edited Martin Luther's little catechism in 1550 and published catechetical and edifying writings himself. These appear primarily in Hungarian, but some also in German.

As a publisher, he primarily distributed works of theological content and played a key role in the development of Hungarian art prose. A cynical criticism of society can be seen in his works, and he confidently denounces the increasing power of the bourgeoisie.

literature

Georg Daniel Teutsch : Helth, Kaspar . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 11, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1880, pp. 711-713.
Jenö Sólyom: Helth, Caspar. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 8, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1969, ISBN 3-428-00189-3 , p. 508 ( digitized version ).
Erzsébet Forgács-Drahota: Proverbs in the works of Gáspár Heltai. In: Acta Ethnographica Hungarica. Vol. 45 (2000), No. 3/4, pp. 337-357, DOI: 10.1556 / AEthn.45.2000.3-4.8 .

Web links

Literature by and about Caspar Helth in the catalog of the German National Library

personal data
SURNAME	Helth, Caspar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Heltai, Gáspár (Hungarian form of name); Heltensis, Caspar; Heltus, Caspar; Heltai, Caspar; Helth, Kaspar; Heltai, Kaspar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Protestant theologian, writer, publisher and reformer
DATE OF BIRTH	around 1520
PLACE OF BIRTH	unsure: Heltau
DATE OF DEATH	1574
Place of death	Cluj-Napoca