Adam František Kollár
Adam František Kollár, German Adam Franz Kollár ( born April 17, 1718 Terchová, Kingdom of Hungary, now Slovakia, † July 10, 1783 in Vienna) was a Slovak writer, historian, court librarian; he belonged to the gentry. Kollár was Hofberater of Queen Maria Theresa. He is considered the personality of the Enlightenment and champion of absolute monarchy. In addition, the creation of the concept of Ethnology and the definition ascribed to it.
Name forms
- English and German are outdated: Adam Franz Kollár
- Latin: Franciscus Adamus Kollarius
- Slovak and Czech: František Kollár Adam
- Hungarian: Ferenc Ádám Kollár
Life
Kollár was born into the family of a nobleman in town Terchová, about 25 km east of Žilina. He attended a Jesuit school in Banska Bystrica and later a high school in Schemnitz. He then studied at the University of Trnava ( 1734-36 ), where he also became members of the Society of Jesus. 1748 completed his theology studies at the University of Vienna; after graduation he left the Society of Jesus.
During his studies he worked on a variety of languages . So dominated Kollár next to the Slovak, his native language, also German, Hungarian, French and Hebrew as well as classical (Latin, Greek) and oriental (Turkish, Persian) languages.
During his studies began his career as a professor in Liptau- Saint Nicholas. After graduation he was Skriptor in the Kuk Court Library at Vienna. A year later he was promoted initially second curator, in 1758 for the first curator of this library. From 1772 he stood before the court library as their leader; since 1774 until his death he was the chief librarian.
At the court of Maria Theresa, he was Hofberater and acted as a promoter of an enlightened absolutism. With his works (eg De Originibus & Usu perpetual motion potestatis Legislatoriae circa sacra Apoststolicorum Regum Ungariae ) he prepared spiritual foundations for far-reaching reforms in the Hungarian part of the Habsburg Empire, as he outlined in these works, for example, the end of serfdom, the introduction of Urbars, improving the living conditions of the peasantry, the regulation of the nobility or religious tolerance. This of course provoked significant resistance of the Hungarian nobility, as a result Kollár had to apologize; his book was set Prohibitorum for more than two centuries on the Index Librorum.
Kollár also dealt extensively with the relationship between the absolutist state and the church at that time. In his work, Historiae diplomaticae iuris patronatus apostolicorum Hungariae regum libri tres he described it as the law of the Hungarian king - when he was at that time Maria Theresa crowned - to appoint bishops and other high dignitaries of the Church and to the Church property without the consent of the Pope expropriate. Understandably, this ran into violent opposition of the Hungarian clergy.
Last but not least Kollár had through his writings in no small measure share of the Teresian school reforms. His work Ratio educationis (1777 ) aimed at standardizing teaching methods, curricula and textbooks. Unsuccessful, he remained, however, with the sought of him establishing an Academy of Sciences, indention Kollar proposal to this effect by Maria Theresa in 1774 was shelved.
Due to his extensive knowledge of languages to Kollár was able to deal intensively with historical sources. He translated works of Ottoman scholars Saneddin into Latin ( Saad ed- dini scriptoris turcici. Annales turcici usque ad Muradem I cum textu turcico impressi ). In addition, annotated and he translated texts of various treaties with the Ottoman Empire into Latin, Arabic and Persian. In addition, he edited the works of De Bello Pannonico the German scholar Velius and Hungaria et Attila sive de originibus gentis regni Hungariae ... Hungarian theologians Olahus and collected documents on the history of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Since 1769 Kollár was a member of the Electoral Palatinate Academy of Sciences in Mannheim.