August Horislav Škultéty facts for kids
August Horislav Škultéty (born August 7, 1819 – died May 29, 1892) was an important Slovak writer, teacher, and collector of folk tales. He helped create the first Slovak-language high school (gymnasium) in Revúca and was its director. He worked hard to support the Slovak language and culture during a time when it was not always easy.
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Early Life and Education
August Horislav Škultéty was born in Veľký Krtíš. He went to school in Tisovec and later studied in Banská Štiavnica and Kežmarok. From 1836 to 1839, he studied theology, which is the study of religion, in Bratislava.
After his studies, he became an assistant professor in Bratislava. He helped teach about Czech and Slovak language and literature. This was an important step in his career.
A Champion for Slovak Language
Škultéty strongly believed in using the Slovak language in schools and universities. He worked to make sure Slovak was taught and respected. He helped develop the department for Czech and Slovak speech at the Evangelical Seminary in Bratislava.
He also helped start a public reading group and a church library in Tisovec. These places allowed people to read and learn in Slovak.
During a time of political change in 1848–1849, Škultéty was even arrested. This happened because he was fighting for the rights and culture of the Slovak people through his writing and actions.
Leading the First Slovak High School
One of Škultéty's biggest achievements was helping to establish the first Slovak-language high school (gymnasium) in Revúca. It opened on September 16, 1862. He worked there as a teacher and later became its director.
Under his leadership, the school became a very important place for Slovak education. It helped many young Slovaks get a good education in their own language. However, this also led to problems. The Hungarian authorities at the time wanted to make everyone speak Hungarian. This policy was called Magyarisation. They saw the Slovak school as a threat.
Because of these attacks, the gymnasium in Revúca was sadly closed by the Hungarian authorities in 1874. After this, Škultéty continued his work as a priest in Kraskovo until he passed away in 1892.
Writing for Young People
Škultéty's writing greatly helped Slovak literature and education, especially for children and young people. In 1840, he published a collection of his poems called Básne. He was one of the first writers of his generation to do so.
He wrote Zábavník pre dietky (Entertainer for Children), which was the first original book written in Slovak specifically for kids. He also wrote two textbooks called Rečňovanka pre Slovenskje školi (Speaking Book for Slovak Schools) in 1850 and 1855. These books helped teach Slovak children about their language, culture, and patriotism.
Škultéty also loved collecting Slovak folk fairy tales. He worked with Štefan Marko Daxner and Jonatán Dobroslav Čipka to gather these stories. Many of them were saved in a collection called the Codex Tisovský. This collection was a main source for the famous book Slovenské povesti (Slovak Tales), which he worked on with Pavol Dobšinský.
He wrote a total of 14 textbooks, but most of them were never officially published. They remained as handwritten copies.
Legacy
Today, August Horislav Škultéty is remembered for his important contributions. Libraries in Veľký Krtíš and Tisovec are named after him. The high school in Veľký Krtíš is also named the Gymnasium of August Horislav Škultéty in his honor.
See Also
- Slovak literature
- History of Slovakia
