Zsarnay Lajos rövid életrajza

Abstract

The Short Biography of Lajos Zsarnay

He was born on January 1^st, 1802 in Zsaró, Torna County of present-day Slovakia. He came to the Reformed College of Sárospatak in the academic year 1811-12. After his high school years he studied Humanities, Law and Theology within the College. On July 16^th, 1819, at the age of eighteen, he signed the College regulations of students entitled to wear the toga. He later studied in Losonc, where in 1824, as the educator of Báji Patay István’s three children he had the great opportunity to go to Upper Hungary and learn the German language. He stayed there between 1824-1826, and in addition to beautifully mastering the German language, he also learned French and improved his musical and drawing skills. At first he was preparing for a career in Law, later on, however, the General Assembly of the Tiszáninneni Reformed Church District (the Reformed Church District east of the River Tisza) invited him to be a full-time professor of Practical Theology at the Sárospatak College. Between 1829 and 1831 Zsarnay was a student at the University of Göttingen and he returned in mid-August 1831. He took the vow on October 15^th. Thus, the Sárospatak School gained a strong personality and support, as he later repaid the confidence received upon his election not only in words and writing, but also by acts. In 1832 he was elected “Diet minister.” In 1842 the teachers’ “retirement institution” was founded through his work and efforts. Due to the election of deputies, we see his name on the list of the Pest National Meeting scheduled for September 1^st, 1848 with the participation of the Minister of Religion and Public Education. In 1849 he was elected Chief Notary of the Tiszáninneni Reformed Church District, and then, in 1860, he was elected bishop. He was consecrated on May 1^st, 1860. In the last stage of his life he was seriously ill. He died in 1866; his funeral was in Pest on June 13^th. In 1858 he became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences due to his scientific work, especially his Greek-Hungarian Dictionary (1857).