Jan Amos Comenius: Father of Modern Education Issue 13 | 1987 Purchase this issue

ARTICLE TOOLS

Find similar articles E-mail this page

Here we place the events of Comenius’s life in chronological context with the horrid Thirty Years War on one side and, on the other, the exciting lives and achievements of his contemporaries.

Comenius was a true world Christian. As the selected events listed indicate, he was widely traveled, but not always by his choice. He lived many lives in his 78 years—Bishop, Educator, Refugee, Peacemaker, Author, Futurist.

His life intersected the lives of many notable Europeans. Many pioneers in science, art, philosophy, literature and politics were contemporary with him. It was a time of great cultural and intellectual ferment and Comenius was active in the thick of it all.

1592 Born in Eastern Moravia

1604 Orphaned by death of parents at Uhersky Brod

1614 Attends Prerov Latin Schol, Herborn Gymnasium, University of Heidelberg

1616 Ordained a minister in the Unity of the Brethren curch at Zeravice

1618 Appointed pastor at Fulnek

1620–1627 Lives in hiding in Bohemia after Hapsburg victory at White Mountain. Writes The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart

1628 Flees Bohemia for Leszno, Poland

1632 Consecrated as bishop in the Unitiy of the Brethren. Publishes Janua Linguarum Reserata for language study

1641 Visits England to set up pansophic college. Publishes The Way of Light, a plan for universal education and peace

1642 Forced to leave England due to civil war there, begins work with Sweden. Moves to Elbing, Prussia

1648 Returns to Leszno, where his second wife dies. Becomes senior bishop of the Unity

1650 Moves to Saros-Patak, Hungary, to head Bretheren schools there. Publishes Lux in Tenebris on prophetic visions

1655–1656 Returns to Leszno, but is forced to flee; most of his pansophic work is burned; Settles in Amsterdam ...