![Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongowiusz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Krzysztof_Celestyn_Mrongowiusz.JPG)
Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongovius (german: Christoph Cölestin Mrongovius; pl, Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongowiusz) (July 19, 1764 – June 3, 1855) was a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
,
writer
A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...
,
philosopher, distinguished
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
, and
translator
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...
. Mrongovius was a noted defender of the Polish language in
Warmia
Warmia ( pl, Warmia; Latin: ''Varmia'', ''Warmia''; ; Warmian: ''Warńija''; lt, Varmė; Old Prussian: ''Wārmi'') is both a historical and an ethnographic region in northern Poland, forming part of historical Prussia. Its historic capital ...
and
Mazury
Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...
.
Biography
Mrongovius, son of Bartholomeus, was born in Hohenstein,
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
(now
Olsztynek
Olsztynek (german: Hohenstein in Ostpreußen) is a town in northern Poland, in Olsztyn County, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It is the administrative seat of Gmina Olsztynek. It is part of the historic region of Masuria.
Geography
Olszty ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
). Mrongovius attended a school in Saalfeld (present-day
Zalewo), and then studied at the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
school in
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...
. He matriculated on 21 March 1782 at
Königsberg University. During his second semester, he attended
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
's
metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
lectures, followed by theology, logic, anthropology and moral philosophy, and physics.
From 1790 to 1796 Mrongovius taught
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
at the ''
Collegium Fridericianum''. In 1796 he married Wilhelmina Luise Paarmann. Until 1798 he was also a
copyeditor of Polish languages in several
publishing house
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
s in Prussia. In 1798 he received the pastorate at
St. Anne's Church, Gdańsk, where he also taught Polish from 1812 to 1817. Besides Polish, Greek and
Kashubian, he taught in
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
and
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
as well. He died aged at 91 on June 3, 1855, in Danzig (
Gdańsk).
In honor of Mrongovius, the name of the former
East Prussian city Sensburg (''Żądzbork'' in Polish) was changed to
Mrągowo
Mrągowo (until 1947 pl, Ządźbork ; ) is a resort town in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of northeastern Poland, with 21,889 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Mrągowo County and the seat (though not part of) the Gmina Mrągowo. ...
in 1947 by the new Polish administration.
Works
Mrongovius was known for preserving and teaching
Polish cultural heritage and language in Danzig to people from the territories affected by the
Partitions
Partition may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive
* Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job
Software
* Partition (database), the division of a ...
of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...
. He also pioneered the research of
Kashubian culture Kashubian can refer to:
* Pertaining to Kashubia, a region of north-central Poland
* Kashubians, an ethnic group of north-central Poland
* Kashubian language
See also
*Kashubian alphabet
* Kashubian Landscape Park
*Kashubian studies
Kashubian s ...
and collected many
Slavic artifacts from
Masuria
Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...
. He translated into Polish such works as ''
Anabasis
Anabasis (from Greek ''ana'' = "upward", ''bainein'' = "to step or march") is an expedition from a coastline into the interior of a country. Anabase and Anabasis may also refer to:
History
* ''Anabasis Alexandri'' (''Anabasis of Alexander''), a ...
''. Mrongovius was a member-correspondent of the
Society of Friends of Science in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
(from 1823) (approved by acclamation),
Gesellschaft für Pommersche Geschichte und Altertumskunde in
Szczecin (from 1827) and member-correspondent of the
Kraków Scientific Society (''Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie'')
[ Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie](_blank)
. (from 1833). He was honoured with a medal and membership of
Historical-Literary Society in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
(1852), as well as the Prussian
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
, 4th class (1843). He was supported by Prince
Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski
Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski (1 December 1734 – 19 March 1823) was an influential Polish aristocrat, writer, literary and theater critic, linguist, traveller and statesman. He was a great patron of arts and a candidate for the Polish crow ...
, and he corresponded with scholars such as
Stanisław Staszic
Stanisław Wawrzyniec Staszic (baptised 6 November 1755 – 20 January 1826) was a leading figure in the Polish Enlightenment: a Catholic priest, philosopher, geologist, writer, poet, translator and statesman. A physiocrat, monist, pan-Slavis ...
,
Tadeusz Czacki
Tadeusz Czacki (28 August 1765 in Poryck, Volhynia – 8 February 1813 in Dubno) was a Polish historian, pedagogue and numismatist. Czacki played an important part in the Enlightenment in Poland.
Biography
Czacki was born in Poryck in Volhynia ...
,
Alojzy Feliński
Alojzy Feliński (1771 – 1820) was a Polish writer.
Life
Feliński was born in Łuck. In his childhood he met Tadeusz Czacki. He was educated by the Piarists in Dąbrownica, later in Włodzimierz Wołyński. In 1778 he settled in Lubl ...
,
Andrzej Horodyski
Andrzej is the Polish form of the given name Andrew.
Notable individuals with the given name Andrzej
* Andrzej Bartkowiak (born 1950), Polish film director and cinematographer
* Andrzej Bobola, S.J. (1591–1657), Polish saint, missionary and ma ...
,
Stanisław Kostka Potocki
Count Stanisław Kostka Potocki (; November 1755 – 14 September 1821) was a Polish nobleman, politician, writer, public intellectual and patron of the arts.
Life
Potocki was a son of General and starost of Lwów, Eustachy Potocki and Ann ...
, and
Samuel Bogumił Linde.
Mrongovius is also important as the primary source of seven sets of notes on
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
's lectures in anthropology, metaphysics, theology, physics, logic, and two on moral philosophy. Mrongovius was the author of a number of books and one of the first Polish-German
dictionaries. His extensive book collection, numbering over 1000 titles and including many rare manuscripts, is now kept in the
Polish Academy of Science
The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of ...
's library in Gdańsk.
Detailed Polish–German dictionaries
* 1794 Marienwerder Königl. Westpreuß. Kanterschen Hofbuchdruckerey. Christoph Coelestin Mrongovius ''Handwörterbuch der Hochpolnischen Mundart'' — ''Nowy Slownik Polsko-niemiecki''.
* 1835 Königsberg in Preussen: Gebrüder Bornträger, Ausführliches polnisch-deutsches Wörterbuch — kritisch bearbeitet von Christoph Cölestin Mrongovius
Bibliography
*
* Bieńkowski, Wiesław, ''"Mrongowiusz (Mrongovius) Krzysztof Celestyn (1764–1855)"'',
Polski Słownik Biograficzny
''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'' (''PSB''; Polish Biographical Dictionary) is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigner ...
, vol XXII, pp. 190–195.
* Breza, Edward, ''"Leksykografia kaszubska"'' in "Komunikaty Instytutu Bałtyckiego", nº 21, pp. 63–68.
*
* Czerniakowska, Ewa, ''"Słowniki K. C. Mrongowiusza"'' (''Dictionaries of K.C. Mrongovius''), "Pomerania" 1985 nº9.
* Żelazny, Mirosław and Werner Stark, ''"Zu Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongovius und seinen Kollegheften nach Kants Vorlesungen."'', 1987.
References
;Sources
Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongovius - In 150th anniversary of deathBiography
External links
Hohenstein church recordsRare Books Ohio State Edu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mrongovius, Krzysztof
1764 births
1855 deaths
People from Olsztynek
People from East Prussia
Linguists from Poland
Polish male writers
German male writers
Polish Lutheran clergy
Polish translators