St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-26
who merits not only this token of esteem

who merits not only this token of esteem
from his countrymen, but the respect of
all the civilized world where the present
educational system is in use. His
works, especially his 'Informatorlum"
and 'Didactika," have just rs great in-
fluence today as they had a quarter OF a
century ago. 1t was on the foundation
of Komensky's works that other great
educational reformers, especially Pesta-
l0ZZi. built upon and perfected.
Lit is the 300th anniversary OF his
birth that the Bohemians are to cele-
brate tomorrow, with a grand parade
through the streets and gathering at
Market hall. The parade will assemble
at 80 at c. S. P. s. hall, corner of
Western avenue and West Seventh
street, and will consist OF sixteen or
more societies of st. Paul and Minneap-
oils, three military bands, ladies' So
ceteS in carriages and several state
and city officials. Among the latter,
invitations have been accepted by his
excellency Gov. Merriam, Secretary e.
p. Brown, State Treasurer Col. Joseph
BobIeter, School Inspector Prof. Kirk,
Mayor Smith, O. 0. Cullen and Will
lam Pitt Murray; beside j. q. Pyle, G.
B. Gilbert, Secretary w hite, of the
school board; and Prof. Carman, of the
high school.
The programme at Market hall will
be very interesting, consisting of:
Music.
address of welcome by the president of the
national committee, a. Jurka, introducing j.
C. Bryant, principal of Humboldt school, the
English orator.
Songs by the singing societies Lumir and
Libussa.
Poem, by Miss Anna Ceska
'Legenda,'' violin solo, pla yed by Emil
Straka.
Grafton in Bohemian by Emil Povolny Sr.
Music.
Short speeches BY invited guests, ending
| with the national song "Kde domoy muj,"
sung by the whole assemblage, together with
| the singing societies and orchestra.
The fact that the KomenSky celebra-
tons in Austria have been forbidden is
| a still greater impetus for the Bohe-
mians in America to celebrate with
greater ceremonies than ever.
Jan Amos Komensky was born March
| 2S, 1892, in Mivnitz, and not in Komna,
as some authorities have it. On ac
count of his guardians he had no oppor
tunIty to enter the higher school until
| he reached the age of sixteen, and it is
very probable that coming to such an
| important step at such mature age he
more fully cOmprehended how lacking
| the educational system was at that
time, and was also great incentive for
| him to pursue the studies in educa-
tional literature; and feeling himself
| the disadvantages of the then unnatural
| system of education brought him to
| thinking how the system could be
| changed. His studies lasted six years,
| principally in Heidelberg and Heilborn,
| where were then located the greatest of
! European schools. In 1914 he returned
| to his native land (Bohemia) when he
| was appointed by Karel of Zerotin as
| director OF the schools at PrerOv in
! Morayia. Karel of Zerotin was great
| follower of the religious sect known as
the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren,
which Komensky also joined, and was
| honored later with the title of bishop of
that sect. While he was enjoying this
| peaceful life, the thirty-yearS war
broke out, and that country was subject
! to the depredalionS of both friendly
! and hostile armies. and, finally. in 1921,
| when the Spanards crossed that
country, he lost everything. including
| great many valuable manuscripts.
| During this time even the government
was opposed to his sect, and he, with
many others, was obliged to fly for
safety. Not even his powerful friend,
| Karel-of Zerotin, was able to help him.
and he finally found refuge in Poland.
where he again pursued his literary
works and wrote volumes that made
him famous over the whole civilized
| world His works, principally.
were written in Bohemian and
afterwards translated in Latin
| and German and nearly all
| the European tongues and several
| Asiatic. The great scholar, Hartlib, of
| London, after reading one of these, re-
| quested him to write his ''Pansophia
| Podromes," which, after great contro-
versy, was unanimously acknowledged.
| and komenSky was invited TO England
| by the parliament itself; but, unfort-
| unately, at that time terrible civil
war broke out in England, which, of
| course, had a bad effect ON any at
temptS to reaFrange school systems, and
| Komensky accepted a second invitation
| to Sweden. In 1850 he returned to
Hungary, where he remained four
years, and then went to Silesia, where
| Herr Won Geer lent him a helping hand
| and established him at Amsterdam,
where he was requested by the senate
| to compile all his work into one. which
he did. under the title of ''Didactika
| Opera Omnia." He died at Amsterdam
Oh the 18th of November. 1871, and was
| buried near Naardem. The works he
4 left numbered ~, 81 of which were
written in Bohemian and IL in Latin.
He was of a very quiet disposition, af-
| fable, patient, conscientious, and always
ready to do good for mankind in gen
| eral.