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.
Comenius
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 with De Geer as patron
1657 Complete educations works (Opera Didactica) published in Holland
1658 Publishes Orbis Pictus, first illustrated textbook
1670 Dies in Amsterdam; buried at Naarden, Holland
Other Personalities
1605 William Shakespeare (1564–1616) writes Macbeth
1609 Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) builds first refracting telescope
1611 King James I of England (1566–1625) publishes King James Bible
1620 Francis Bacon (1561–1626) writes Novum Organum, analysis of knowledge
1621 William Bradford (1590–1657) becomes governor of Plymouth Colony
1623 Jakob Boehme, German mystic (1575–1624) publishes Mysterium Magnum
1629 Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) appointed prime minister of France
1631 Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) settles in Amsterdam as painter-teacher
1637 Rene Descartes (1596–1650) publishes Discourse a la Methode
1647 George Fox (1624–1691) founds Society of Friends (Quakers)
1653 Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) delcared Lord Protector of England
1665 Isaac Newton (1642–1727) invents differential calculus
1667 John Locke (1632–1704) publishes An Essay Concerning Toleration
1667 John Milton (1608–1674) publishes Paradise Lost
1678 John Bunyan (1628–1688) publishes Pilgrim’s Progress
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
For three decades this horrible war spread destruction across Europe and was the backdrop that influenced many of the turns in Comenius’s life.
1618 War begins with revolt in Prague
1620 Ferdinand defeats Bohemian Protestants at White Mountain
1625 King Christian IV of Denmark enters war against Hapsburgs
1630 King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden enters war
1632 Gustavus dies in battle
1643 France officially enters war
1648 Treaty of Westphalia ends the war
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