The grave of Károly Koller, a high school teacher

The Késmárki Lutheran Lyceum 1912-13. In his obituary, we can read, among other things, this about Károly Koller, who died in 1913: “... The deceased was born on January 22, 1825 in Levoča. After completing his elementary school and high school in his hometown, he came to Késmárk, where he studied theology and law, then went to Vienna, where, in addition to completing his theological studies, he attended lectures on natural history and mathematics, with the intention of entering the teaching profession and choosing these subjects for himself there. Returning home, he was educated by the Szakmáry family in Lucsivna and was able to win the sympathy and gratitude of this distinguished family to such an extent that from then on he considered them an almost indispensable friend and could not miss a single summer without spending a few weeks there. On September 1, 1852, he accepted the invitation of the Késmárk Lyceum, which invited him to the natural history department. and invited him to the Department of Quantitative Sciences as a teacher. He then worked in this institute without interruption for a full 44 years, when in 1896, after a successful and blessed activity, he retired to his well-deserved rest. Soon after, he settled in Késmárk, founded a family hearth and in Mária Schwartner, whom he led to the altar, he won a faithful, loving, devoted woman as his wife, with whom he lived in the happiest marriage until her death years ago and who created a friendly, attractive home for her husband. In 1892, on the occasion of his 40th year of service, students, teachers, and patrons alike gave him a warm ovation, thus demonstrating their love, recognition and gratitude for the worthy scholar. His grateful students also surprised him by establishing a foundation in his name at the lyceum, the interest of which annually benefits a student with outstanding progress in natural history. serve to reward a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic performance. Thus, Koller's name was immortalized at the lyceum for all time. The retired veteran could enjoy his peace for a full 17 years with amazing mental and physical strength. After only a few days of illness, he quietly fell asleep, mourned by his two daughters, their families and his only sister of the five survivors, sincerely mourned by his former students and the lyceum in Keszthely. And there was great sympathy, which was expressed from all sides and was also evident at his funeral on April 7. His coffin was covered with beautiful wreaths and fragrant flowers, followed by citizens of all ranks and ranks of our city without religious differences, there were the students, teachers, patrons of the entire lyceum, the city council, the Keszthely men's choir, of which the deceased had been an enthusiastic member for a long time and which came with one last song to bid him farewell and many of his former students, as well as the deacons, pastors, and church overseers of the two Spiš dioceses, came to accompany him on his final journey. ...“